Dealing With Unrest (tips)

We've been to Mexico a few times (Riviera Maya) and never felt threatened at all. Perhaps this area is atypical, I don't know. It's true that a city in any country probably has its bad parts. But, if I ever encountered anything like described in the above posts, I'd never return. Who would? Also, the pictures above; Why would anyone stay at a hotel that has to be surrounded by armed guards? To me, I would feel like I'm in prison, not on vacation.

Navegator I am pleased to see another Mexicano offer real and intelligent advice! One time back in 1977 a man put his hand on my arm (unheard of in Mexico) and tried to explain to me something in very broken Ingles. I smiled and told him i spoke Espanol.

Estas Huelgistas (There are strikers) teachers protesting in the plaza mayor in Oaxaca City. The plaza was three blocks ahead. "There are police and there is fighting" he explained. I asked him of he thought the mercado de abastos (open air market) was safe to go to.

"Oh I think so", he replied. Five minutes later I was on the bus and had a grand time.

Concentrating on petty theft, and personal assaults should rank high on the list of everyone Mexicans, Americans, French, everyone.

Every single last caution used by Americans in the US should be employed in Mexico. Don't stray into distant barrios in large cities. After dark use a taxi, or public transportation. I wander outside of tourist zones, so at night when I get ready to leave I telephone a taxi and only after it arrives do I leave the restaurant or bar. I NEVER stroll on a beach at night solo. Dark public beaches are hangouts for creeps, and people with knives ready to relieve a foolish tourist of wallet and watch. I would have to say better than NINETY percent of accidents and mishaps have happened to Mexican friends driving after dark. They are impossible to convince to do otherwise so I just shrug. Others, a minority are stunned to learn driving on highways in the USA is relatively safe after sunset.

Some of the criminal foolishness is a mindset due to lack of morals. The rampant petty-theft gets old. I connected a 25-mile fence charger to the inside door knob of my house and less than a week later Amparo my neighbor heard a scream in early afternoon, and saw 2 kids aged 10 & 12 (she I'd them) running away from the house. We challenged the widow and she answered "What can I do?"

The brothers stood there insolent and full of contempt. "Next time" I snarled at them "That doorknob is going to mata (kill) whomever touches it". They glared at me.

If a nice pickup or car is trolled down the highway, there is always a chance someone is going to desire it despite your objections. The word "nice" needs definition. A cherried out 1952 Chevy pickup is just as vulnerable as a 2015 Lincoln Navigator. The more chrome a pickup has and the sexier or more macho looking the toad is the liklier it is to be boosted. There was as much car thefts, roadblock robberies, at knifepoint nightime bar parking lot robberies, and rampant theivery in the sixties as there is today. Things calmed down in the 80's, 80's and 90's but with local cops rendered useless, crime has taken a definite uptick.

The level of naive innocence by RV'ers is disheartening. A man parked 100 meters away from me (of course he chose to park in the dark) behind a gasolinera near Culiacan, had everything in his bed ripped off. Spare tire, a 3,000 watt contractor generator, four, five, six (I forgot how many) full gas cans, a tool chest (not box, a 10 drawer chest) jammed packed according to him, new tarps, astro turf, tiki torches, I mean CLEANED OUT!

He told me the next morning "We were asleep in the 5th wheel right atop the pickup bed and heard nothing!"

I shook my head. This guys had suffered enough. So I merely mentioned "My loose gear has a 3/16" stainless steel cable running in and out of handles, through the center hole of the spare tire, and is fastened with a cut proof lock". Stainless marine cable laughs at four foot long Rigid bolt cutters.

I just saw a dash cam on WOOT with low light capability and resolution that would allow counting the whiskers on a crook's face at 5 meters distance. A 270 degree viewing sweep.

A timer kill switch on the vehicle. WIRELESS REMOTE CONTROL by a fob worn around the neck. My wireless relay operated with TWO VOLTS left in the FOB's battery from a distance of fifty feet through solid sheet metal. With a new battery it triggered the relay just shy of a hundred meters.

If a visitor comes to Mexico and flaunts his wealth, it can be compared to dusting ones self with Montreal Steak Seasoning before stepping into a Tiger's cage.

Plain old common sense.

I was in Guatemala when the Tlatelolco Plaza massacre occurred. I am not aware of any extraneous person being victimized by the event. Maybe other people are drawn to protests and marches like moths to a flame. I am not.

But chupacabra, el coco, chaneco, scare stories are best suited for a campfire telling of tall tales. Whoppers like petty criminals walking around with RPG launchers and AK-47 cuernos, scare honest decent prospective travelers and those who decide to "Brave It Anyway" have their planning and attention focused on fantasies rather than stuff (reality) that have a chance of screwing up a trip.

It might scare the begeezus out of many folks - but the airport taxi dropped us off a long way from our hotel with our luggage in hand.
The streets were blocked due to a protest.

The crowd of thousands was organized. The starter cannons boomed (or were they shotguns) and echo'd through the city.
But the faces were family members and not the criminal type.


And our hotel was well guarded! The shields parted to let us through. No problemo.
I'm a tourist with camera - will travel. :)

.. Freedom of expression is one thing - pontificating untrue or exaggerated information is another. ..

Just why do you care so much if people choose to stop RV'ing to Mexico or not? And/or discuss the reasons why or why not.

Do you own a company there and fearful you might loose business if people express the fact on a public forum that they are not going to RV to Mexico?

It can be said the same thing with your one sided posts of all is just one big beautiful safe family dream vacation no matter where you travel within all of Mexico. Talk about exaggerated information. :R

If you encounter a march turn around walk very fast to the next corner turn corner continue walking fast as far away as possible.

I was in Mexico City in 1968 during the students revolt, once walking towards Avenida Reforma I noticed some commotion ahead, stopped and listened, sure enough a demonstration turned around and went the other way, found a taxi and got as far away as possible.

This can happen anywhere in any city, be cognizant of your surroundings and stay informed of situations, ask the locals for any reason not to go to a particular spot or region, we were in Athens Greece when they had an attempt on the palace, same thing we ended at the Acropolis and latter a good dinner, then returned to the hotel when the whole thing was over.

Be alert and do not be a curious lookee loo, that can be detrimental to your health.

navegator