I also think that there is violence & crime worldwide & that Mexico has a bad rep for it in particular. I don’t think it’s worse there by any means as the stats also show AND one needs to have their antennas out wherever you are. Mexico included. Shit happens. Bad people lurk everywhere & often prey on gringos & the elderly.
I have spent many years in Oaxaca & I rarely walk home alone at night. I have had my wallet snatched very quietly & professionally out of a zippered compartment on my daypack. Many wear their daypacks on their front just for that reason. I wish I had eyes on my back. Alas..
Just be cautious wherever. I have had friends get their shoulder bags slit open & wallets stolen without being cognizant of it missing
until they reach for their money; to find it gone.
Most people in Oaxaca & the world are not criminals but don’t be stupid.
We caution people to watch their wallets, purses, and bags for pickpockets and I think the risks increase if you’re in bars or are visibly intoxicated. Criminals like easy, distracted targets.
I agree. I have known a few different gringos getting robbed in the wee hours post bar times and also friends held up at 10am coming off the trail by the guelaguetza. I was always warned to be down from it by 9, so
never had a problem. I go to Abastos mercado often too which has a bad rap for pick pockets but I wear no jewelry, look like a slob & am in & out early morning. Like I said; practice caution & be smarter than the bad guys.
My friends just returned from Mexico City and said that they never felt unsafe. Of course, they have traveled extensively and they are smart and observant. I never felt unsafe when I lived in Costa Rica. Again, you must be a smart traveler and know or ask about any risks. If you leave your things unattended with valuables, you risk them being stolen. I currently live in Chicago and we also get a 'bad rap' about violence here. Again be smart. Like you said, there are places and times to go/not go. And as a fellow commented mentioned, bad people lurk everywhere. Be smart traveling or living somewhere else.
Yeah, I think being a responsible person anywhere means knowing about the risks of the place you’re visiting or living in and to some degree adjusting your behavior accordingly.
We spend the winters in Colima along the Pacific near Manzanillo. There are parts of Colima I would not go to during the day, and never at night. But in the area we inhabit, the restaurants, stores, beaches and markets, we are much safer than in many many places in the US and Europe. I hike a lot in the isolated and beautiful areas along the ocean. Some Mexicans visiting from Guadalajara have told me they are afraid of hiking where I hike, because of “bad people.” But I am there practically every day. I know almost all the locals. When I tell the Guadalajara tourists that I hike there every day, they are amazed. It’s interesting to chat with Mexican tourists about these issues. A lot of misinformation.
I’ve encountered this as well when speaking with Mexicans. I think people have been so conditioned to think of the country as being dangerous that it blinds them to how situational it can be.
Appreciate your balanced view! I feel safe in Mexico. Raised two daughters here, both took public transportation to get around. The most unsafe I ever felt in Mexico was in the border town of Reynosa when even the macho mechanics who were working on my car got spooked when we heard gunshots in the distance. I've never felt anything even close to that here in central Mexico, although as you point out, there are towns in the Tierra Caliente part of our state that I don't consider visiting.
I also think that there is violence & crime worldwide & that Mexico has a bad rep for it in particular. I don’t think it’s worse there by any means as the stats also show AND one needs to have their antennas out wherever you are. Mexico included. Shit happens. Bad people lurk everywhere & often prey on gringos & the elderly.
I have spent many years in Oaxaca & I rarely walk home alone at night. I have had my wallet snatched very quietly & professionally out of a zippered compartment on my daypack. Many wear their daypacks on their front just for that reason. I wish I had eyes on my back. Alas..
Just be cautious wherever. I have had friends get their shoulder bags slit open & wallets stolen without being cognizant of it missing
until they reach for their money; to find it gone.
Most people in Oaxaca & the world are not criminals but don’t be stupid.
We caution people to watch their wallets, purses, and bags for pickpockets and I think the risks increase if you’re in bars or are visibly intoxicated. Criminals like easy, distracted targets.
I agree. I have known a few different gringos getting robbed in the wee hours post bar times and also friends held up at 10am coming off the trail by the guelaguetza. I was always warned to be down from it by 9, so
never had a problem. I go to Abastos mercado often too which has a bad rap for pick pockets but I wear no jewelry, look like a slob & am in & out early morning. Like I said; practice caution & be smarter than the bad guys.
I restacked this because your analysis is so well thought out!
By any chance, did my FAQ post inspire this a little?
It certainly did, and I mentioned you by name and linked to your entry in the first paragraph!
My friends just returned from Mexico City and said that they never felt unsafe. Of course, they have traveled extensively and they are smart and observant. I never felt unsafe when I lived in Costa Rica. Again, you must be a smart traveler and know or ask about any risks. If you leave your things unattended with valuables, you risk them being stolen. I currently live in Chicago and we also get a 'bad rap' about violence here. Again be smart. Like you said, there are places and times to go/not go. And as a fellow commented mentioned, bad people lurk everywhere. Be smart traveling or living somewhere else.
Yeah, I think being a responsible person anywhere means knowing about the risks of the place you’re visiting or living in and to some degree adjusting your behavior accordingly.
We spend the winters in Colima along the Pacific near Manzanillo. There are parts of Colima I would not go to during the day, and never at night. But in the area we inhabit, the restaurants, stores, beaches and markets, we are much safer than in many many places in the US and Europe. I hike a lot in the isolated and beautiful areas along the ocean. Some Mexicans visiting from Guadalajara have told me they are afraid of hiking where I hike, because of “bad people.” But I am there practically every day. I know almost all the locals. When I tell the Guadalajara tourists that I hike there every day, they are amazed. It’s interesting to chat with Mexican tourists about these issues. A lot of misinformation.
I’ve encountered this as well when speaking with Mexicans. I think people have been so conditioned to think of the country as being dangerous that it blinds them to how situational it can be.
Appreciate your balanced view! I feel safe in Mexico. Raised two daughters here, both took public transportation to get around. The most unsafe I ever felt in Mexico was in the border town of Reynosa when even the macho mechanics who were working on my car got spooked when we heard gunshots in the distance. I've never felt anything even close to that here in central Mexico, although as you point out, there are towns in the Tierra Caliente part of our state that I don't consider visiting.