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Ben Round de Bloc
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Posts: 1946
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 Posted: Wed May 26, 2004 11:19 am Post subject: |
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Just seeking the truth brothers and sisters. Where I live and work I don�t want to have to bury my belongings and hide behind closed doors when the sun goes down. I don�t want to have to play a cheap guitar because I had to leave my Stratocaster back in Canada out of fear of it being stolen.
- The Menace |
If you lived in certain parts of the city where I live, you'd have to do what you mentioned . . . and your cheap guitar would probably get stolen, too. In the part of the city where I live, I have no qualms about walking alone day or night. However, I don't leave my house unattended on a regular schedule, because it would surely be burglarized again.
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And I've never met an English teacher who was a victim of a violent crime in Mexico.
- MELEE |
Not sure if you'd consider it a violent crime, but I was attacked by a guy on a city bus in the middle of the afternoon once. I had red marks on my neck for 2 days as well as bruises on my left should from where he had me pinned between him and the bus window before I could break his hold on my throat and force my way out of the bus seat and into the aisle. He thought I had a laptop computer, but it was only a laptop carrying case with English books in it. When my laptop was stolen from my house, the burglars didn't take the carrying case, so I was using it as "briefcase" for my school stuff. (Dumb on my part, I know now.) That happened about the third month I was here, and I've been here now for over 9 years with no similar incidents.
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Certainly the small towns are extremely safe, much like small towns tend to be in most countries.
- scott wilhelm |
I think that depends on which part of the country and how small the town is. In the part of the country where I live, small villages can be rather lawless, especially when special celebrations are going on in them. Many locals consider the city to be generally safer than lots of the small towns. Based on personal experiences, I tend to agree.
As some others have mentioned, it's about common sense. Granted, bad things can happen sometimes that are beyond our control, but using a bit of common sense certainly lowers the percentages a whole lot. You can find almost anything you're looking for in Mexico. If you're looking for crime and violence, it's not difficult to find them. If you'd rather avoid such things, it's not that hard to do. |
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The Menace
Joined: 05 May 2003
Posts: 54
Location: Shanghai
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| Posted: Wed May 26, 2004 3:51 pm Post subject: |
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must be happy hour in Beijing
Ben Round,
Thanks for your comments.
Let me see if I understand. In Merida, where you live, common sense would dictate that walking around town during the day or going to and from school carrying your laptop, or something that looks like a laptop, would be a dumb idea. Is that right? I�m not sure I like the sounds of that.
Second, when you say you don�t leave your house unattended on a regular schedule, in what you would consider a safe part of town (as you say you can walk around alone at night), does that mean that if you went away for the weekend you would need a house sitter or someone watching your house at night? Not sure I like the sounds of that either.
I suppose it�s all relative, where I live I don�t lock my car in my driveway, usually forget to lock my doors at night; and when I go away for a month my only concern is, who will water my plant. (yes, plant, I can only manage to keep one alive) Of course I almost ran right into a grizzly bear on my mountain bike this week who scarred the be-jesus out of me. Two years ago a guy was almost killed by one at that very same spot. It doesn�t stop me from going there though.
It�s nice to know what to expect and not expect everything to be ok just because you want it to.
cheers  |
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Ben Round de Bloc
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Posts: 1946
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| Posted: Wed May 26, 2004 4:33 pm Post subject: |
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In Merida, where you live, common sense would dictate that walking around town during the day or going to and from school carrying your laptop, or something that looks like a laptop, would be a dumb idea. Is that right?
- The Menace |
Yes, that's right.
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Second, when you say you don�t leave your house unattended on a regular schedule, in what you would consider a safe part of town (as you say you can walk around alone at night), does that mean that if you went away for the weekend you would need a house sitter or someone watching your house at night?
- The Menace |
Yes, right again . . . except I'd want someone watching my house during the day, too.
One way or another, in this city it's necessary to have some type of home security: a gated community, a secure apartment complex, a neighborhood/street where everyone chips in for a security guard (often not particularly effective,) live-in domestic who additionally functions as security (very common,) at least one family member at home almost all the time (also common,) an extensive alarm system (also not particularly effective,) or a large dog (but then someone needs to feed it, water it, and let it out of the house if you're gone.)
Merida is not an unsafe city in which to live. For Mexican cities of its size, it ranks among the safest, I think. Violent crimes are rare. I don't consider it as a place with a threatening environment in which to live.
Also, unlike your adventures . . . or Guadalajara, according to Pete . . . no bears here. |
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delacosta
Joined: 14 Apr 2004
Posts: 325
Location: zipolte beach
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| Posted: Wed May 26, 2004 11:27 pm Post subject: safeti inmexico |
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Ok this should be fun:
I live and work in a very small town. People get murdered here quite often.
Not too long ago: two 'best buddies' on a borrachera, one of them says the wrong thing to the other- the offended party stumbles home and returns with his machete-cutting his friend to pieces.
Uncommon? Unfortunately not. I've heard this story a few times, once between brother and brother.
Foreigners have also ended up dead. The people who sell hard drugs in Mexico are not a nice bunch...
A fellow teacher where I work was once walking home from the bar late at night when a car pulled over, someone pointed a gun at him and took him for a ride-after having covered his head with a pillowcase. They took him to his place and robbed him of all his worldly possessions-those being his ghetto blaster and a few cd's.
And the funny thing is, I feel perfectly safe. Never lock my door at night and often step out leaving my door unlocked. I've never been robbed or broken into.
There's lots of scorpions where I live as well, and other nastier deadlier critters. Do I worry that I'm going to get stung? NO! If it's in the cards you're gonna get dealt anyway, whether you worry or not.
Come on down man, Mexico's a cool place.
Really. |
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scott wilhelm
Joined: 09 Feb 2004
Posts: 63
Location: st louis, mo
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| Posted: Thu May 27, 2004 12:12 am Post subject: Safety in Mexico |
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I'm quoting here from the 2000 edition of Lonely Planet's guide to Mexico.
In the Mexico City section, under the heading Dangers & Annoyances :
"Foreigners have been the victims of far too many violent incidents (including assaults by the police) for anyone to deny the risks. But there's no need to walk in fear whenever you step outside your hotel: a few precautions greatly reduce any dangers."
I think that the precautions one can take to avoid crime in Mexico can be compared to the precautions any smart paddler would take before running a Class IV or V rapid- scout it and avoid the holes and undercuts. If taking a short cut down a dark and scary looking street gives you a bad feeling ( and it should) run the sneak route (stay on the more well-lit and well-travelled streets that will get you where you're going). And if an area looks like it is pushing Class V+, do what I did at Bull Sluice on the Chattooga at flood stage-portage.
In any event, Mexico is a river that The Menace should run. Just set a few safety ropes.
Believe me, Menace, Class IV or better whitewater is a whole lot scarier than anything you're likely to run into in Mexico. |
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The Menace
Joined: 05 May 2003
Posts: 54
Location: Shanghai
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| Posted: Thu May 27, 2004 1:02 am Post subject: |
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The only problem is; while you were scouting that class V drop someone�s pinched your boat and down at the takeout someone has stripped your vehicle down to the chassis, and your stuck up the creek with only a paddle and a stinky wet suit.
Sorry, can't help myself. Good boating analogies though.
Lot's of scary stuff happening but everyone seems to feel safe.
I think you're all nuts.
I may have to come check it out. |
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moonraven
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