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Mexico Crime

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easyrider

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My thoughts on these Mexico crime threads is that people who own timeshares in Mexico are defending Mexico out of self interest. I think it is sad that people want to put their head in the sand. Even if tourists are generally not the crime victims, the crime and murder rates in Mexico are out of control and many innocent people are being robbed, beat up, amputated and/or murdered. 2017 was the worst year for crime and murder in Mexico and 2018 might be worse based on the preliminary numbers in some states.

Maybe it is that people who do travel to Mexico, some of us more than others, have a better idea on what is happening in Mexico, than someone who only relies on a few news reports.

The crime rate against tourists in Mexico is very low, by any similar comparison. To suggest that any of us have our heads in the sands regarding our own personal safety is ludicrous. To make comparisons that are apples to oranges and come up with a solid conclusion is delusional at best.

Bill
 

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Thanks everyone for their thoughtful commentary and replies. The point of my op was that people's fears of traveling to certain parts of the world is not irrational, despite the high inner city youth on youth, gang on gang murder rate in the U.S. that accounts for most of the deaths from violence in this country.

The stories about bodies hanging from overpasses, people being dissolved in acid, mass graves, etc. are not fake news, and are not few and far between. I live close to the border, and watch the news both north and south of the border. Yes it is true that you have close to zero chance of these heinous things happening to you as a tourist, yet it is still natural to be fearful when these types of things happen just miles from your resort. That was really my only point.
 

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And it has been discussed in several threads yet you had to give that horse one more beating.

I live close to the border also. I’m currently in Mexico enjoying myself.
 

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And it has been discussed in several threads yet you had to give that horse one more beating.

I live close to the border also. I’m currently in Mexico enjoying myself.
I disagree. Most of the other threads were about crime at specific locations. This thread is a commentary about the statistical comparisons people make in stating that the U.S. is more dangerous than Mexico, and that resort areas in Mx are safer than some inner city areas of the US, all of which may be true.

The point being that you don't see the same type of depraved brutality that occurs hourly in Mx in the US, which drives people's overall fear, despite the stats.
 

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I disagree. Most of the other threads were about crime at specific locations. This thread is a commentary about the statistical comparisons people make in stating that the U.S. is more dangerous than Mexico, and that resort areas in Mx are safer than some inner city areas of the US, all of which may be true.

The point being that you don't see the same type of depraved brutality that occurs hourly in Mx in the US, which drives people's overall fear, despite the stats.

"Hourly" may be a bit of an overstatement (IMO), although I cannot say for sure without gathering all the factual/statistical data. But perhaps you have data supporting the "hourly" comment?

There's a lot of depravity that happens here in the US that people don't know about either. Either the new is "local" (I highly doubt you all heard about the father/uncle or whatever that killed his daughter and put her in a suitcase around here, or the chinese family "murder house", etc.)

Unfortunately there's bad people and bad things that happen all over the place that we're not aware of.

BTW, I have no issue with folks reporting news and stuff that's factual about Mexico or any other spot. What I find very interesting (not necessarily in this forum because it's Mexico, so I don't expect to hear/see news from other parts of the world), is something like:

On the HGVC Owners FB group, the moderator constantly posts articles how dangerous Mexico is. But only Mexico. When there was Zika in FL and night club shootings in Miami, there was silence. (Little did I know that other countries actually advised their citizens to not travel to the US, especially Florida due to violence against LGBT and intolerance against muslims, etc. back in I think 2016).

Personally I think people should be self-informed, but need to make an *educated* decisions. Example:
Southwest airlines had that issue, now all we see/hear on the news is every time there's a problem on Southwest (or any other plane) now we're aware of it due to the media coverage. But surprise: this happens all the time. But now a bunch of folks are "scared" into not flying because now they *think* it's more unsafe (but yet doesn't stop them from driving in their car where they're far more likely to suffer an accident/fatality). So you can take the view that because we're "aware" of this now that it's not safe, and you shouldn't fly. IMO, when you look at the factual data (albeit more difficult to do with foreign entities and even our own US government isn't always right/factual), you'll see that there's not really an uptick on these, it's just the reporting of these in the national media that's increased. And we see the same when a train derails, etc.

Before my trip to Hawaii there was a rash of drownings (well at least reportings) of snorkelers/etc. Now does this mean that one shouldn't go into the ocean in Hawaii? IMO, no. But some folks took it that way. Once you delved into the details in the vast majority of cases these were tourists (vs locals), who went into areas they shouldn't have or by themselves, or did "stupid" things. However, by raising awareness, we took extra precautions and chose to wear life vests (normally I've never worn one when snorkeling unless mandated, but I also never go snorkeling alone).

But this is a free country. You don't want to fly, then don't (trust me, took like 60+ years to convince my grandmother to fly and when she finally did she was like "oh what was all the fuss about"). You don't want to go to Mexico, don't go. I don't mean to say this in a rude way, either. Anyone going to Jamaica? (LOL)

:)
 

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But this is a free country. You don't want to fly, then don't (trust me, took like 60+ years to convince my grandmother to fly and when she finally did she was like "oh what was all the fuss about"). You don't want to go to Mexico, don't go. I don't mean to say this in a rude way, either. Anyone going to Jamaica? (LOL)

:)

I agree. But this extends to reading this thread. If you do not want to read about crime in Mexico, then stop reading and responding to this thread.
 

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While I agree with you, don't forget MS-13 brutality is all over the world, including right here in the US. The main thing is not to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.

Yes, and do you know where the MS-13 gang came from? The violence down south is infiltrating our country.
 

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I agree. But this extends to reading this thread. If you do not want to read about crime in Mexico, then stop reading and responding to this thread.
How would you feel if all of a sudden there was a ton of over-hyped "news" articles posted on social media about the how dangerous your home city has become? What if it became so prevalent that people started avoiding your area, local businesses started losing customers, and your neighbors and friends started losing their jobs because people thought these articles indicated that doing business or shopping in your area was more dangerous than it really was? Even though the articles that were racing through social media were based on some facts, the typical over-hyped articles were written in such a way that made it sound like your whole town was dangerous to visit. Now, would you feel your town was being treated unfairly by the press and the many people that perpetuate these articles?

This is how many of us feel about the over-hyped articles that are posted about Mexico. Some of us have friends and family there. Some of us have met some wonderful people who live there and are heart-broken that their livelihood is threatened by people believing the over-hyped media coverage, making people believe that even the tourist areas are way more dangerous than they really are.

Sorry, but your "if you do not want to read about crime in Mexico, then stop reading and responding to this thread" argument is lame, IMO.

Kurt
 
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TravelTime

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How would you feel if all of a sudden there was a ton of over-hyped "news" articles posted on social media about the how dangerous your home city has become? What if it became so prevalent that people started avoiding your area, local businesses started losing customers, and your neighbors and friends started losing their jobs because people thought these articles indicated that doing business or shopping in your area was more dangerous than it really was? Even though the articles that were racing through social media were based on some facts, the typical over-hyped articles were written in such a way that made it sound like your whole town was dangerous to visit. Now, would you feel your town was being treated unfairly by the press and the many people that perpetuate these articles?

This is how many of us feel about the over-hyped articles that are posted about Mexico. Some of us have friends and family there. Some of us have met some wonderful people who live there and are heart-broken that their livelihood is threatened by people believing the over-hyped media coverage, making people believe that even the tourist areas are way more dangerous than they really are.

Sorry, but your "if you do not want to read about crime in Mexico, then stop reading and responding to this thread" argument is lame, IMO.

Kurt

I do not think the media is treating Mexico unfairly. Most of the news is not appearing in the mainstream media. I subscribe to Mexican media to find things out. Mexico is still having record numbers of tourists because most tourists are unaware of what is happening. All we are doing is having a discussion on a thread.
 

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Clearly for some this discussion should be censored. If your opinion doesn't mirror theirs you are lacking in intelligence or are lame.

I won't comment on the actual topic but to say rudeness, name calling, and disrespect of others doesn't really help sway people's opinion.
 

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How would you feel if all of a sudden there was a ton of over-hyped "news" articles posted on social media about the how dangerous your home city has become? What if it became so prevalent that people started avoiding your area, local businesses started losing customers, and your neighbors and friends started losing their jobs because people thought these articles indicated that doing business or shopping in your area was more dangerous than it really was? Even though the articles that were racing through social media were based on some facts, the typical over-hyped articles were written in such a way that made it sound like your whole town was dangerous to visit. Now, would you feel your town was being treated unfairly by the press and the many people that perpetuate these articles?

This is how many of us feel about the over-hyped articles that are posted about Mexico. Some of us have friends and family there. Some of us have met some wonderful people who live there and are heart-broken that their livelihood is threatened by people believing the over-hyped media coverage, making people believe that even the tourist areas are way more dangerous than they really are.

Sorry, but your "if you do not want to read about crime in Mexico, then stop reading and responding to this thread" argument is lame, IMO.

Kurt
I'm not sure what "over-hyped" news articles you are referring to. But if my home town was in the news due to bodies hanging from bridges, students being dissolved in acid by a rapper, and the routine discovery of mass graves and murders of publicly elected officials and candidates, I wouldn't call that over-hyped.
 

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I'm not sure what "over-hyped" news articles you are referring to. But if my home town was in the news due to bodies hanging from bridges, students being dissolved in acid by a rapper, and the routine discovery of mass graves and murders of publicly elected officials and candidates, I wouldn't call that over-hyped.
Simple example: if those things happened in a small town in northern California, and all the new articles proclaimed or inferred that ALL of California (including San Diego) is a dangerous place to be. That is exactly what is happening w/ many of the articles regarding Mexico. And that's what I consider "over-hyped".

Kurt
 

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I'm not sure what "over-hyped" news articles you are referring to. But if my home town was in the news due to bodies hanging from bridges, students being dissolved in acid by a rapper, and the routine discovery of mass graves and murders of publicly elected officials and candidates, I wouldn't call that over-hyped.

Why do you care so much to start a THIRD thread on this. I’m here now. No issues. I don’t own a timeshare in Mexico. I also don’t try to score coke at 3 am.
 

Egret1986

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Clearly for some this discussion should be censored. If your opinion doesn't mirror theirs you are lacking in intelligence or are lame.

I won't comment on the actual topic but to say rudeness, name calling, and disrespect of others doesn't really help sway people's opinion.

:clap:
 

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I'm not sure what "over-hyped" news articles you are referring to. But if my home town was in the news due to bodies hanging from bridges, students being dissolved in acid by a rapper, and the routine discovery of mass graves and murders of publicly elected officials and candidates, I wouldn't call that over-hyped.

since you want to spice up your taste buds , please see below the link to an interactive crime map of San Diego
http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/data-watch/sd-me-sd-crime-summary-20180517-story.html

upload_2018-5-17_21-58-15.png
 

TravelTime

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since you want to spice up your taste buds , please see below the link to an interactive crime map of San Diego
http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/data-watch/sd-me-sd-crime-summary-20180517-story.html

View attachment 6648

Imagine if you could find a similar map for Mexico. There would be no empty spaces between the dots. In San Diego this week, at least I don’t see any red dots. Frankly I think it is so silly to compare cities. You’d need to overlay a lot more data on these crimes in San Diego, such as who is engaging in it. From what I understand, many of the Southern California gangs are Mexicans. The gangs we have in Northern California are primarily Mexicans. There are certain neighborhoods in Northern California that have high gang violence from Mexican immigrants (legal and illegal immigrants). There is a lot of crime in California. We have been robbed. We have police monitored alarms on all our properties and offices. I would be the last one to defend the US as safe. It is dangerous too. We live in an affluent neighborhood yet we have a lot of robberies, mostly by people who do not live in our neighborhood. Most people I know have been crime victims of some sort. None of my comments imply that all Mexicans are criminals or everywhere in Mexico is dangerous. Most Mexican people are kind, honest and hardworking, wherever they live. Since the irrelevant topic of violence in San Diego has been introduced into this thread, I am just commenting that California has been infiltrated by many dangerous people of many nationalities including Americans and we have many gang problems and crime too. We also have a problem with entitled illegal immigrants who expect to come to California and receive social services and work without documents. The state is becoming unrecognizable. The outflux of people from California due to all of our problems is huge. Maybe some of you should start new crime threads about other cities in the world. There is a lot of crime all over the world. Europe is becoming dangerous too. And if you want to do a map of sex crimes in the USA, it would be full of green dots - just look at the Me Too movement. Sexual predators are probably working and living next door to all of us, wherever we are. Or maybe some of you are a sexual predator and do not know it and/or admit it. LOL This is a thread about crime in Mexico but feel free to start a new thread about crime in other parts of the world and post your findings in the correct sections of TUG. (By the way, I am Hispanic and speak Spanish.)
 
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Frankly I think it is so silly to compare cities.

This is a thread about crime in Mexico but feel free to start a new thread about crime in other parts of the world and post your findings in the correct sections of TUG. (By the way, I am Hispanic and speak Spanish.)

:thumbup:

This thread is about crime in Mexico. We all know crime is everywhere including the US. Why the need to get off topic to try and make a point about crime IN Mexico? Sure crime exists in San Diego. Shouldn't that be another thread if you want to discuss that topic? This is the Mexico Timesharing Forum, where folks are looking for information on Mexico. :shrug:
 

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I brought up San Diego because davidvel lives there (according to his profile info) and because he made reference to his home city.

By the way, I live in Canada in one of the safest large cities in North America, in one of the safest neighborhoods of my city. When away we had large packages delivered, they were left at the front door of the house (no fence) for days without anyone touching them. Kids left the garage door open for hours? No problem at all. When kids play on our street, cars ostentatiously stop 10-15 m away until everyone is on the side. I can go on an on but you get the picture.

I realize that this is not the case everywhere in North America and some are more sensitive about this issue and about Mexican crime in particular. Otherwise i do not see a reason to keep on going about this topic. Yet, I believe that if you respect common sense safety features when you travel to Cancun or Riviera Maya you will be safe. I have traveled to parts of the world where I felt less safe than the parts of Mexico I have visited. It is all about understanding the risks of the circumstances you are in.
 
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I think the types of crimes you don't see on that map makes my point very well.

No doubt that the rapes and attempted murders in just those 5 days make your point as well. There might have been one just around the corner in the last 5 days, but who cares since you did not know about it. Please do not look at that map.
 
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easyrider

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Realistically, there really is only the perception of violence to tourists in Mexico. The perception exists because of the violence in Mexico from gang activity that is considered by most to be a drug war between cartels.

The reality is tourists, like over 22 million, go to Mexico each year without any problem of violence.

This thread illustrates the "perception versus reality paradox".

Bill
 

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Realistically, there really is only the perception of violence to tourists in Mexico. The perception exists because of the violence in Mexico from gang activity that is considered by most to be a drug war between cartels.

The reality is tourists, like over 22 million, go to Mexico each year without any problem of violence.

This thread illustrates the "perception versus reality paradox".

Bill

Frankly, I think this comparing to the USA and minimizing of crime in Mexico is unhelpful. If someone wants to post about a crime topic in Mexico, and give examples of things happening down there, what is wrong with that? When bad things happen in my very upscale town in California, I want to know. Murders in my town are rare but we had a violent burglary and murder a few years ago in a $20 million mansion. We have burglaries, car break-ins and crime all the time here and this is one of the safest and richest cities in the USA. I am on my guard in the USA too. We set our alarm when we leave. No where is safe anymore. I do not understand why Tuggers get upset when we discuss crime in Mexico. I agree with the OP that the crime I hear about in Mexico is generally pretty gruesome and can be barbaric. But it's good to know. Crime is a worldwide problem and when it happens in the USA, it makes news and scares people too. Even if the percentage is small, people get scared. So I do not see this as being anti-Mexico. It is just a discussion and bringing awareness to a problem that Mexico is having.

P.S. Actually, now that I think about it, my "safe" small town has had two major murder incidents in the past 10 years. I like to know all the details about these incidents.
 

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So realistically, is anyone worried about travelling to the EU?

Seems to me that most of the violence in Mexico is gang on gang, cartel to cartel, and yes, tourists are very occasionally a victim or collateral damage. But what about EU where most of the terrorist attacks seem to be aimed at popular tourist destinations at busy times? (London, the Christmas Markets, etc). Mexico doesn't target the tourists, terrorism often is directed at tourists.

I am more worried about visiting the classic sites in Europe than I am about travelling to Mexico.
 

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So realistically, is anyone worried about travelling to the EU?

Seems to me that most of the violence in Mexico is gang on gang, cartel to cartel, and yes, tourists are very occasionally a victim or collateral damage. But what about EU where most of the terrorist attacks seem to be aimed at popular tourist destinations at busy times? (London, the Christmas Markets, etc). Mexico doesn't target the tourists, terrorism often is directed at tourists.

I am more worried about visiting the classic sites in Europe than I am about travelling to Mexico.
Anywhere one decides to go you take your chances. We were in Europe last Spring and this Spring and will be there again next Spring. Europe is a large continent. Saying Europe is dangerous is like saying it is dangerous to be in the USA.
 
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