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... IMO, any person entering the border towns of Mexico today, and particularly the larger cities without protection, is looking to come back in a body bag, if the Federales find your body. Drug gangs, smugglers, coyotes and bad ass people makes the border towns of Mexico not the place for an American (or other foreign person) to be seen and heard.
The interior of Mexico is a whole different situation for another time and posting.
While I agree with Steve, that border towns can be unsafe places, I spent 15 days in San Luis and the worst part of Mexicali without any problems. I don't speak Spanish, yet found the people I encountered to be friendly or indifferent, but not threatening. Sure, I may have been lucky, and I don't consciously put myself in dangerous situations, but I wouldn't hesitate to travel there again.
My exposure to Mexican culture and locations was during my hauling days for United Van Lines Household Goods from the early 70's to the mid 80's, and was limited to locations along the border.
My exposure was as a somewhat typical naive student and I traveled all over Mexico -- with friends or by myself -- and almost always off the tourist path.
What I found interesting -- Americans would make the claim that Mexico was much safer than the USA, but it was Mexicans who would warn me that for example the state of Guerrero, it ws pretty safe to go to Acapulco -- but not to travel around outside that city without knowing the town or people. I decided the people living and working in an area were probably more reliable than other tourists from the USA. One friend of mine's family left some small town (in the interior) his dad was the mayor of -- because he had been shot and killed.
And here on the border it's often Americans that will claim that it's fine to go to Juarez -- no problem unless you're associating with the cartels -- yet friends who grew up there are saying they don't even go back to visit or will warn that certain parts of town are okay but stay out of the rest. And the police I've talked to from there are adamant that it is not at all safe to just drive around and to stay completely out of certain colonias.
A few years back there were warnings about travel at night on certain highways -- even taking the buses because buses were being stopped and passengers robbed.
It's not that the USA is perfectly safe but most Americans know they aren't going to drive around too much in certain parts of Dallas or New Orleans and they likely would be careful where they would stay in Detroit -- but many don't know Mexico and the different kinds of risks.
We tend to think of cities as more dangerous but rural areas as much safer but in Mexico it can be the reverse.
Sure, I may have been lucky, and I don't consciously put myself in dangerous situations, but I wouldn't hesitate to travel there again.
You may want to re-think that statement in the light of current events in Mexico and the US-Mexican border areas. A Border Patrol Agent was run over and killed by Mexican drug smugglers driving a Hummer in the border area of eastern California on 01-19. To the bad guys, your life has no more value than a sand flea.
I always find comments about the safety of Mexico to be somewhere between just interesting and hilarious. Some of you don't post the city where you live, but I find that to be interesting, too, especially if they are from places like Shore of the Lake, New York or Outer Mountain Peak, Minnesota. When you live in South Texas (and probably South Arizona, and South California), you have a different perspective. Every night on the news, I hear about bodies dug up in someone's back yard, Mexican Mafia members arrested for DUI and worse, and drive-by shootings, just miles from me in my own city. I still live here without incident. I don't think twice about going out shopping alone, day or night. It's the same with the border towns. Yea, bad things happen there, but no more than here. I go across and visit or shop in some border town or another every couple of weeks. In the decades that I've lived here, I've never had a bad incident. I don't feel unsafe. Maybe that's part of it... if you're jumpy and paranoid, you look like a stupid tourist and make yourself a target. If you look like you know where you're going and are confident about getting it done, no one messes with you. I've even gone to Nuevo Laredo lately, but of course, I had a purpose... not just to loiter and look like a dumb, confused tourist, but to get where I was going and come back. Seems like no problem to me, amd I'm pretty sure I won't "come back in a body bag".
I've even gone to Nuevo Laredo lately, but of course, I had a purpose... not just to loiter and look like a dumb, confused tourist, but to get where I was going and come back. Seems like no problem to me, amd I'm pretty sure I won't "come back in a body bag".
A tip o' the hat and kudos to you for your honesty and classiness. BTW, the "body bag" comment is mine.
Are you being facetious? I must admit, I am sometimes rather tactless (which may contribute to my sense of adventure).
I never joke about serious matters. And entering Mexico alone or ill prepared is a serious matter. I drove truck for 12 years and I can honestly tell you that there were border towns that I would not go into with a buddy, let alone myself. Having a sense of adventure is all well and good, but knowing when to curb that sense of adventure is even better. The concept of tactless is all relative to the people involved in the situation. I never thought for a moment that you were tactless, you were being no less than honest. And that's what life is all about, trust and honesty.
I never joke about serious matters. And entering Mexico alone or ill prepared is a serious matter. I drove truck for 12 years and I can honestly tell you that there were border towns that I would not go into with a buddy, let alone myself. Having a sense of adventure is all well and good, but knowing when to curb that sense of adventure is even better. The concept of tactless is all relative to the people involved in the situation. I never thought for a moment that you were tactless, you were being no less than honest. And that's what life is all about, trust and honesty.
I think if someone is going to a border town, they should park on the USA side, take a trolley or tour bus over or walk across the bridge and stay strictly in the tourist strip --- unless they know the town very very well. You can get enough shops and diners in that way.
It would be very foolish to drive over and just go sightseeing on your own. I used to be more naive -- but when the police tell you that there are neighborhoods the Mexican police absolutely will not enter because they're sure they will be shot -- and that these colonias have no police protection and whatever protection is by the gangs the rule them -- you decide they might know what they're talking about.
In some parts of Mexico and not just the border, people don't go to the police for problems -- even missing children -- and that was told to me by a man from Zacatecas which isn't close to the border. But some areas are apparently pretty safe -- I don't hear much in the news about Leon, Guanajuato or Puebla for example -- I would assume that means there isn't much trouble in those areas.
The best thing I think is for people to stay in the tourist and US ex-pat areas unless they seek out some reliable advice from the locals. And of course try not to stick out like a sore thumb.
I'm still wondering why they tortured and killed that singer Sergio Gomez -- people claim he wasn't into the narco-music -- but that whole thing might not have been what was reported.
There are so many opinions on this issue, mine is probably not needed. The reality is opinions are not going to change until all of this violence has ceased. I don't really see that happening any time soon. Calderon has begun this fight against the drug cartels and corruption; it's going to be a long and bloody one.
I'll be the first to admit that things have become somewhat "sketchy" here in Baja California. I find myself taking extra precautions in my day to day living here. Precautions like ensuring my doors are locked when I go to sleep at night. Making sure my car is locked and nothing of value is left inside. Somewhat reminiscent of things I did when I lived in the U.S. and Canada.
I get so frustrated when I see comments about the dangers of traveling anywhere in Mexico, comments like Tourists will come home in body bags...that's simply not the reality. Of course tourists are victims of crime here just as they are everywhere in the world, but not all tourists who visit Mexico become victims of crime. Yes, things are more violent throughout this country than they have been in quite some time. Yes, there are dangers to be aware of. Again, just like any place in the world.
The bottom line is everyone living in Mexico, native or foreign, is concerned about the violence.
For now, I continue to hope for better times and better news for Mexico and its people.
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IMO, any person entering the border towns of Mexico today, and particularly the larger cities without protection, is looking to come back in a body bag, if the Federales find your body. Drug gangs, smugglers, coyotes and bad ass people makes the border towns of Mexico not the place for an American (or other foreign person) to be seen and heard.
JustPassinThru
The concept of tactless is all relative to the people involved in the situation. I never thought for a moment that you were tactless, you were being no less than honest. And that's what life is all about, trust and honesty. 
