Remember when pioneers loaded every last valuable into a covered wagon, hitched up a team of oxen, hired a supposed reputable guide then braved a couple thousand miles of drought-ridden territory populated in areas, with aggressive indigenous who thought nothing of eliminating all but the women and children whom they rode off with? No doctors. When a woman needed a rest stop break, organized friends showed up with a quilt and made a visual barricade. It seems like much of today's crowd would never have approached the Appalachian mountains never mind crossed them. Heck they might have elected to take no chances and stay in Liverpool or Dublin.
The security issue down here IS NOT DRUG CARTELS. Plata o Plomo local cops are paid next to nothing and they are afraid to do much more than write in-town speeding and parking tickets. Think petty thieves and robbers can not perceive the absence of cops? There are areas of vacuum and the punks take advantage of it.
I was visiting late in Lazaro Cardenas when Eduardo and Maria got a knock on the door. Eduardo shut off all the living room lights after they began pounding on the door. As he opened the door I stood behind it and peered through the crack. There were three of them. Rough looking characters.
Señor we have become concerned about crime in this neighborhood. You have an internet cafe and botanita (small snack stand). As you know the policia are useless. We have organized and have decided to work at protection. But we need to be paid. We believe ($20 US) weekly would be enough to protect your business, your home and your family. We are armed"
He patted his waist band and sure enough there was an automatic jammed in there.
This is extortion called "Piso" in México. This is cartel based crime.
Let this be clear! A tourist, an RV'er would never be subjected to something like this.
Forget about cartels. The chances of the average RV'er even encountering a sicario (gun man) are almost nil. These boys are after the big money. Those three goons probably collected ten thousand dollars a week in an twelve block square of suburbia. And the federal police would never intervene at such non violent crime. BTW a large local disco called FREWAY closed when its PISO reached a thousand dollars a week. I talked to the owner.
But this just does not affect an RV'er. When an American or Canadian gets involved in a grand theft or armed robbery situation, the SSP the Federal Policia and PGR the federal attorney general gets involved. The PGE and State police handle the crime with federal oversight. Think a criminal would prefer to "earn" $10,000 pesos with the feds and the state hot on his trail?
Chew on this: ALL of the narco crime and police presence vacuum is being financed with cash from the USA. If you want to sink teeth into something, this is a really good place to start.
Meanwhile back at the ranch: I have a strong gut feeling Mexico today, is substantially safer to RV than it was three years ago.
But lack of information breeds bad Juju anywhere. When someone does not speak the language and does not have the benefit of hearing things as they really are, then really unpleasant things can happen to the best of us.
Afraid to travel? Go tell it to the pioneers.