Is Tijuana Safe? (insurance, crime, to buy)

[oddstray]

Or go to Tecate instead of Tijuana.

[hbbadb0y]

I use to go down there to party at night. I'm Asian and I never felt threatened, but my friends did get robbed at gunpoint by the cab driver.

[Jenkay]

We go down at least every couple of months, visiting folks who are well out of the "tourist zone", going to the bullring, and searching out restaurants and artists.

Don't be a douche. Don't go get drunk. Don't drive an expensive car around, or flash your cash.. But realistically, the thing you have to worry about most is getting hit up by the police for bribes or maybe getting pickpocketed. In that sense, it's no more dangerous than it's ever been.

The kidnappings and cartel murders are planned and targeted affairs and generally don't bleed over into the general population or tourists.

That said, I would still avoid driving the toll road/highways at night, and just generally keep your wits about you, but otherwise you'll be fine.

[RockhetHD]

It's dangerous but during the day for quick trip you will be fine.
Now do college kids occassionally still risk it and go? Yes some do but not very many.

[1AngryTaxPayer]

Originally Posted by Jenkay

We go down at least every couple of months, visiting folks who are well out of the "tourist zone", going to the bullring, and searching out restaurants and artists.

Don't be a douche. Don't go get drunk. Don't drive an expensive car around, or flash your cash.. But realistically, the thing you have to worry about most is getting hit up by the police for bribes or maybe getting pickpocketed. In that sense, it's no more dangerous than it's ever been.

The kidnappings and cartel murders are planned and targeted affairs and generally don't bleed over into the general population or tourists.

That said, I would still avoid driving the toll road/highways at night, and just generally keep your wits about you, but otherwise you'll be fine.

I went down with a friend during the day to look for a coat and ended up getting rolled by the Cops. I won't be back.

No way

[Setsuko]

Originally Posted by djxpress

just don\'t go down looking for hookers or drugs

I thought that\'s why most people went. lol

[Jenkay]

Originally Posted by 1AngryTaxPayer

I went down with a friend during the day to look for a coat and ended up getting rolled by the Cops. I won't be back.

No way

Yup, the policia have always been an issue down there. I remember my dad slipping them a few bucks whenever we'd get pulled over on our monthly grocery shopping trips as a kid (I don't know if it was his crappy driving or if we just looked like a good target. I do know that the traffic circles confused the heck out of him even after we'd been going down there for years!). I don't like to drive around the city (pulling Americanos over and offering to "settle this here or at the station" is pretty common), so I'll usually walk across if I'm spending time in TJ proper, or ride with one of my Mexican friends with Baja plates.. If I'm hopping on the toll road to head further South I don't worry so much about taking my car.

[1AngryTaxPayer]

Originally Posted by Jenkay

Yup, the policia have always been an issue down there. I remember my dad slipping them a few bucks whenever we'd get pulled over on our monthly grocery shopping trips as a kid (I don't know if it was his crappy driving or if we just looked like a good target. I do know that the traffic circles confused the heck out of him even after we'd been going down there for years!). I don't like to drive around the city (pulling Americanos over and offering to "settle this here or at the station" is pretty common), so I'll usually walk across if I'm spending time in TJ proper, or ride with one of my Mexican friends with Baja plates.. If I'm hopping on the toll road to head further South I don't worry so much about taking my car.

Mine was much more extreme and scary. It was raining so we jogged across the street (along with everyone else dodging the rain) to a clothing store and I was grabbed from behind, cuffed and put in the back of a police car. One guy pushed me over and dug out my wallet. My friend was almost hysterical asking what was going on. The one dude that spoke good English said, "You know what you did".

After about 5 minutes of pleading from us they tell us they "found" the person who had just stole something from a store. They told us to take a taxi to the border and not come back. We quickly obliged. When I dug out my wallet that had 300 in it we found that they had took all but 40 bucks.

At least I can say they didn't rob us blind eh? But ya, I'm sure there are Americans shop lifting all the time right? I mean, you can't get those clay pots or pinatas here right?

I've never been back. And ya, I was stupid to be carrying cash, much the less in my wallet.

[RockhetHD]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmxQXlTGxlE

LOL

[Jenkay]

Originally Posted by RockhetHD

LOL

?? That was a pretty accurate description of the city, except for the fact that Revolucion has pretty much dried up as a tourist street since people stopped going down there over the past couple of years, and is trying to reinvent itself as a more culturally-oriented area.