Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Avoid Pennsylvania! I knew a guy who was mugged there once. Before you ever go to any country, make sure there has never been a single mugging there.
If you do go there, stay away from the border towns of Tijuana, Juarez, Nuevo Laredo, Reynosa and Matamoros. There are plenty of other crossing points, so it is easy to avoid those places. A huge majority of Mexican crimes are committed in those places (and Mexico City), and the rest of the country is as safe as Nebraska.
Avoid Pennsylvania! I knew a guy who was mugged there once. Before you ever go to any country, make sure there has never been a single mugging there.
Good advice. Many travelers have reported terrifying experiences in "the Keystone State". In fact, ONE sound can strike fear into the heart of ANYONE caught unaware..
"CLIP CLOP CLIP CLOP CLIP CLOP BANG BANG CLIP CLOP CLIP CLOP"...etc
That's the sound of a "Amish Drive-By Shooting".....
Just got a call from a family member that one of our relative was in cancun, mexico on vacation. He was mugged and then died at the hospital!
Cancun is definitely a popular vacation/tourist destination so if they can't even keep crime down over there who knows what will happen.
Definitely think twice before you go!
This tragedy happens and the first thing you do is post here? Sounds like a troll job to me. If it is true I am very sorry but in all honesty thousands of ppl go to cancun every year and come back fine. If you are dumb enough to leave the resort areas you are asking for trouble though.
Mexico is currently experiencing a major wave of crime as the government is attempting to gain control over the narco-terrorists.
Two years ago, you could avoid known hotbeds of crime like Nuevo Laredo and you could be pretty safe. However, a number of cities generally considered to be "safe" including interior cities like Monterrey, have seen a large increase in crime.
In that I live in Chicago and travel to most of the northern cities in Mexico, I think that the original poster is correct in expressing concerns over travel to Mexico - even the tourist areas. I don't agree with the sensational tone of the post.
Many US corporations with operations in Mexico are taking precautions to protect US nationals working or visiting their operations. That is the reality on Mexico in 2008-09.
For current up-to-date operations, check the US State Department website travel advisories:
As I become a more older, seasoned world traveler I now avoid ANY place where I'll run into other tourists. If my travel guide book says about a particular town: Travelers avoid this town, or very few tourists make a stop here, THIS IS THE PLACE where I'll spend some time. I just love the curious looks I get walking around that town, like: What on EARTH are you doing here! Are you lost? Why aren't you in Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, Panajachel, Tikal, Copan Ruinas? Why? Because that's where you'll find the rip-off artists, the inflated prices on hotel rooms and restaurants, people looking at you with dollar signs in their eyes. After venturing south of Mexico into Central America as I saw Mexico becoming increasingly Americanized, I re-discovered "Mexico" as it was 20-30 years ago. After 5 trips down there, riding ONLY the chicken buses and riding in the back of pick-up trucks, I have lately discovered the least touristed country down there: El Salvador. My first venture into ES scared me to no end, given all the bad press that country has unfavorably received over the years, and I ventured south from Honduras only to the first town, Las Palmas, and I figured if it was too scarey, I'd hightail it back to the Honduran border via taxi if I had to, but my fears were all unfounded. From then on, I have traveled all over El Salvador and to my great, great relief, I hardly EVER see another American, save the Christian missionaries. And I love every minute of it! I don't even do Guatemala any longer as Guatemala has, to me, taken on a Mexican flavor, and if you go a little deepr into Central America, to me, that's where the treasures lie: the stupidly honest people, the hotel bargains, the warmth and friendliness of the people. I feel that Mexico has been too spoiled with too many tourists and expatriates and you pay a price for that. Tourists can destroy a very beautiful place very quickly. I'm on a quest to still find those places in the world untrammeled by tourists and where one day, they will be destroyed by too much tourism. I sometimes make guesses at to which places will succomb to that one day, and I'll put Tegucigalpa, Honduras high on the list (which I dub the San Francisco of Central America) of an "endangered species". I even see it as a potential jet-set location one day, it just has too much going for it, all undiscovered. Also on that list I'd place Juajuya, El Salvador, Santa Rosa de Copan, Honduras and Matagalpa, Nicaragua. Get there before it's too late!
Juarez has a population of 1.4 million people but has more murders than NYC,Chicago and Los Angeles put together. People are dying over there like crazy.
here is a clip from the El Paso online paper that I copied and pasted--
There have been eight police officers killed in the Juárez area since Dec. 14. More than 140 people have been killed this month and the homicide total for the year in Juárez is near the 1,600 mark. Juárez slayings persist with 20 over weekend, 3 Monday
I'm going to Puerto Vallarta, not Juarez. I'll be at an all inclusive resort and will venture out to the town of PV a couple times during the trip with my husband, during the day. I'm not worried about it and will write when we get back.
I was just in the Riviera Maya in late October and felt very safe. But, we mostly stayed the the resort. We did travel into Play Del Carmen one morning but left before dark.
I think you just have to be careful and be aware of your surroundings.
Hola Charolastra
Como lo vees hablo Español tanpoco...I won't say more things in Spanish so as to avoid a Moderator cut, but as you can see my Spanish should be Okay as long as I don't have to do long sentences , use the preterit or Mexican slang words...
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
A question in my mind!
