Safety in Government Campgrounds

[Iowa Dave]

I took a personal direction for myself and my family many years ago that while some people who I consider non-citizens ( and I’m not talking immigration here) May act badly and at times attempt to intimidate others, however they will not intimidate me. I will move or change campgrounds or not camp there in the first place if I don’t like the looks of things when I arrive. In the cases, where bad behavior develops where the aforementioned options are not possible, I sleep well knowing that while “they” think they are intimidating, I am equipped to assert the wrath of the dominant male pack leader. Confidence comes in many forms, confidence is like a toolbox with multiple tools to deal with a nut any of which can get the job done. Go camping, don’t worry about it.
Iowa Dave

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by Iowa Dave

I took a personal direction for myself and my family many years ago that while some people who I consider non-citizens ( and I’m not talking immigration here) May act badly and at times attempt to intimidate others, however they will not intimidate me. I will move or change campgrounds or not camp there in the first place if I don’t like the looks of things when I arrive. In the cases, where bad behavior develops where the aforementioned options are not possible, I sleep well knowing that while “they” think they are intimidating, I am equipped to assert the wrath of the dominant male pack leader. Confidence comes in many forms, confidence is like a toolbox with multiple tools to deal with a nut any of which can get the job done. Go camping, don’t worry about it.
Iowa Dave

I saw your picture in the Mississippi River Rendezvous thread and you have me thoroughly convinced of your prowess. The guy hiding behind the tree was the clincher.

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Iowa Dave

I took a personal direction for myself and my family many years ago that while some people who I consider non-citizens ( and I’m not talking immigration here) May act badly and at times attempt to intimidate others, however they will not intimidate me. I will move or change campgrounds or not camp there in the first place if I don’t like the looks of things when I arrive. In the cases, where bad behavior develops where the aforementioned options are not possible, I sleep well knowing that while “they” think they are intimidating, I am equipped to assert the wrath of the dominant male pack leader. Confidence comes in many forms, confidence is like a toolbox with multiple tools to deal with a nut any of which can get the job done. Go camping, don’t worry about it.
Iowa Dave

Well said!

[lewisma9]

Why scary? Does the campground have a record of a high crime rate? Is there a way that RVers can get this info online beforehand?

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by lewisma9

Why scary? Does the campground have a record of a high crime rate? Is there a way that RVers can get this info online beforehand?

Why did Michigan outlaw alcohol in certain of their State Parks and why are they issuing tickets or arresting those who violate the rules?.
The Parks reacted to a situation that was causing citizens to be concerned and was causing them to be afraid to go to a public facility.

[Mike Magee]

RV Doc, if I were in your shoes I personally would avoid most CGs near the US-Mexico border (to avoid contact with border crossers, a few of whom may be dangerous) and in southern California (due to an influx of undocumented immigrants and homeless people, some of whom are of questionable character). Other than those areas I would feel safe and secure in nearly any CG and in most boondock spots.

There was a time when the USA issued travel alerts regarding violence and crime in Mexico, but I think it's been a while since any such alerts have come out. Maybe things have improved somewhat versus, oh, 10 years ago? I know we do hear anecdotal tales sometimes, like Tioga George who felt he knew his way around the safe parts of Mexico but who ended up being robbed and hurt, and he stopped going to Mexico (health issues became a factor also, though). However, I see posts on another forum from a number of travelers who enjoy Mexico regularly and most seem to stay safe.

I wanted to ask, have you ever been stopped and shaken down for mordida? Do you worry about it at all? How would you handle such a situation?

I have aspirations of spending large chunks of time south of the border after I retire, so I am interested in learning what I can here and there. I'm working on learning some Spanish, a little at a time. It irks me a bit that I won't be able to take any guns, but I'll still cling to my religion (a bit of a pun there).

[Raspy]

Originally Posted by Iowa Dave

In the cases, where bad behavior develops where the aforementioned options are not possible, I sleep well knowing that while “they” think they are intimidating, I am equipped to assert the wrath of the dominant male pack leader. Confidence comes in many forms, confidence is like a toolbox with multiple tools to deal with a nut any of which can get the job done. Go camping, don’t worry about it.
Iowa Dave

Dave, Sounds like you are worried about it, and I don't blame you. If you weren't worried about obvious danger, that would be a problem and if you weren't you wouldn't need to be prepared to bring the "wrath of the dominant male pack leader", whatever that means.

I see no value in camping where I can't relax and enjoy the surroundings, or where I might have to bring down my wrath on someone to keep the peace. Sheesh.

I think it's a good idea to be at least somewhat prepared for problems wherever I go, but I have no interest in having to be extra prepared just to go camping. Sounds like a terrible way to have fun.

[Raspy]

Mike,

I might jump in here just a bit about Mordita.

I have been stopped by the cops in Mexico and it never came up. I have also been through many road blocks in rural areas of Mexico and it is a subject that is never too far away from the conversation, but it was never pursued seriously.

I have offered water and CD's to army guys that block the road, but it was done as a friendly gesture. Later, I wondered if it was a good idea because the "requests" could become more aggressive, and probably will.

A friend of mine, in Mexico, was soaking naked in a hot springs when a cop showed up and declared it was a big problem. She talked to him for a while and a few bucks changed hands to make it a much smaller problem.

It is disturbing, coming from a US mindset, but in the US a Forest Service cop might arrest someone for the same offense or at least write an expensive ticket where the money gets sent to a government address or given to a court. It could be much more expensive and inconvenient to deal with. And either way, it would be discretionary in the first place.

I've found that Mexico is all about negotiation. It's never a good plan to expect things to work the same as they do in the US, or get upset when they don't. But things seem to always work out well if one doesn't try to be difficult.

[steve dunham]

To avoid a lot of these problems , we never camp south of the 36th parallel . Everybody has their own comfort level and limits and ours are rather strict.

[rbryan]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

To avoid a lot of these problems , we never camp south of the 36th parallel . Everybody has their own comfort level and limits and ours are rather strict.

I agree that everyone has their "limits" but I'm curious what "problems" those would be Steve. If you're suggesting that Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida are more dangerous than states north of them, or that they somehow present an unacceptable risk, well, bless your heart.

[RV Doctor]

Mike.
In all my years of road travel only one Mordida bribe. But it was not solicited from the Transitory Cop!
I broke my own rule to never pay a bribe. Let me explain.
My wife and I had gone from Casa Grande, AZ to Puerto Penasco to buy Prawns. Had a great day but stayed too long.
Headed back to Lukeville to cross the border and I was going to fast through Sonoyta. My own fault. They got me on radar. 80 km in a 60 zone.
The cop was really good but told me that we needed to go to the police station to do paperwork and settle the ticket.
It was getting dark and I still needed to get back to Casa Grande. I asked him in Spanish. “Can I pay the fine now”? I need all the time I can to get home!
He seemed uncomfortable with my suggestion but we settled on $50 USD and away we went.
Now I should let you know this was a small town Transito or traffic cop. Small time.
There are varying levels of police in Mexico. Transitions are the bottom feeders. They are responsible for 99.9 % of traffic tickets to foreigners.
The other levels of police, Municipales, Estados, and Regionales don’t get involved in traffic issues generally.
The Federales are National Police and are serious cops. A lot of pride and take their jobs seriously. If you offer a Mordida to a Federal Police Officer it will probably be a very bad thing.
It can be tempting to try and bribe your way out of a jamb but generally not needed or advised. Don’t bend under pressure as I did to “get on your way”.

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by rbryan

I agree that everyone has their "limits" but I'm curious what "problems" those would be Steve. If you're suggesting that Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida are more dangerous than states north of them, or that they somehow present an unacceptable risk, well, bless your heart.

I would like to extend the same courtesy to you so
" Bless Your Heart "
I cannot define what is an unacceptable or acceprable risk for you , I can only define it for myself which I have done.

I made my statement , I stand by it and my part is now over.

[rbryan]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

I made my statement , I stand by it and my part is now over.

But it's never over, that's the thing. Post after post that denigrates or misrepresents the entire southern half of the country gets old. I'm sure I'm not the only one who tires of it.

There are plenty of things to see and plenty of wonderful places to camp all over the country. If you don't like it down here, fine. Don't come. There's no need to smear us or lie about us though. I sometimes wonder if that extremist narrow view is stated merely to incite, or whether you actually believe it. In the end, I guess it doesn't really matter.

[Jann Todd]

Originally Posted by RV Doctor

Hi All.
Wanted to ask a question on camping in National, State and County Park Campgrounds.
We are leaving Mexico soon after a wonderful three months and are returning to the US for a while before heading back to Canada.
With the Federal Government problems a lot of folks have expressed concern about certain essential services being compromised. It made me think that in a lot of government parks lately there has not been a visible presence of Rangers, Police and even the Hosts which normally are around to keep an eye on things.
We have seen an increasing number of homeless and sketchy people in a lot of these Campgrounds and are concerned that crime may increase without proper security.
We really like these parks and prefer them but in the last year have seen a huge increase in junky and cluttered campsites along with living in cars and loud and inappropriate behaviour. We have been afraid that because we don’t want or possess any kind of weapons that we could be vulnerable to gun violence. We are always mindful of our surroundings and will avoid uncomfortable situations but when you are camping and that site is your home, what do you do?
It just seems that with cutbacks increasing, safety is at risk.

You get the bad people anywhere you go. No place is 100% safe. But far southern AZ, NM, and TX is probably the worst since there are many illegals coming across the borders. Most of CA from about San Francisco south can be bad for the same reason. There are many parks and places that are safe though. Just don't stay in a place that doesn't have security of some kind if not familiar with the area. Most state and national parks campgrounds are good unless they are in the aforementioned areas. The wasp spray that shoots 20 ft is good if someone comes at you but not against a gun. You might want to pick up a taser that is used for personal defense. They are about $50. If someone comes near you with a knife you can stop them and put them down without killing them. Don't let your fears stop your fun and enjoyment of the travels. We have gotten to the point of not staying at a rest area or Walmart type place.

[CalCop]

As in any place in this world, a person needs to pay attention to their surroundings.
Most people go through life without noticing much around them.
I say keep your head up and your eyes open. Crime happpens everywhere.
I always carriy my own security

[k0wtz]

its sad what our society has became. yes booze and now drugs has totally taken control. our government has no courage as long as the beaurcrats get theirs they could care less.

honestly I don't know where its all going to end

bob

[RV Doctor]

Let’s all hope the parks continue to be funded and appreciated by the good people and decision makers. They are about all that is left that is untainted, corrupted and polluted. We all need parks!

[k0wtz]

yes and our state parks here are full of corruption!

bob

[Raz]

Originally Posted by RV Doctor

Let’s all hope the parks continue to be funded and appreciated by the good people and decision makers. They are about all that is left that is untainted, corrupted and polluted. We all need parks!

I guess if you ignor the "public-private" partnerships like Reserve America and the take over by concessioners.

[steve dunham]

From what I have read , park reservation and concession fees were the major source of funding for many State Park systems and the first to be privatized. If your goal is to privatize everything then this makes sense , if your goal is to maintain and enhance the park system then probably not.