NinerBikes: Petty theft is common in Mexico. Probably the same as in any country with many poor people. You did bring up something interesting. In many parts of the country Mexicans take the attitude that we foreigners are rich and it is OK to steal anything that is in the open. In our community there has been instances of a truck pulling up in front of a house on the beach and taking everything in the house. Including kitchen cabinets. All this while the police sleep. We have someone looking after our Mexican house for the summer months. If not it would be emptied. Our Canadian home has a monitored alarm. Nothing more than that. Never had any problems. Oil theft is not being done by ordinary Mexicans . The cartels take oil. So that is not part of the culture.
Moisheh