Quote:
Originally Posted by Yuri
What crime do foreigners experience in Cancún? I understand they just stayed trapped in those resorts and then take a shuttle to the airport.
That's a very generic question. One in Los Angeles might feel terrified walking around Skid Row but completely fine in Beverly Hills. Tourists usually stay in upmarket and safe areas. And if they're more experimented, they can go outside those bubbles but they're usually more street smart and know how to identify dangerous places.
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You are generally correct. I love Mexico. The tourist centers in Mexico are generally fairly safe, although Acapulco and Mazatlan are iffy. Mexico City is fairly safe in the tourist areas, although if you stray into the poor areas robbery and even kidnapping for ransom are a concern. You have to be careful about taking taxis, as some are unlicensed and in some cases connected to robberies and kidnappings. The old VW beetle taxis have a bad reputation.
The parts of Mexico controlled by the cartels are unsafe in my opinion, and the U.S. government says that too, and this includes many border areas. Colombia tamed its cartels. News reports say Mexico is having trouble, since corruption unfortunately exists and the money involved is huge. Most politicians and police are honest, and most of the people are against the cartels and violence, but the cartels use fear and bribes to prevent action, much as the Mafia used to do in Sicily, as well as the cartels in Colombia. The U.S. government issues warnings about traveling to these areas of Mexico where cartel activity is high.
Tijuana has many safe areas, where the tourists cluster and enjoy themselves in safety, and the coast down to Ensenada is fairly safe. Avoid straying too far off the beaten path alone, unless part of a tour group. The line to get back into the U.S. can be annoying and long at the border checkpoints.
Police corruption is still a problem in Mexico. Being stopped by police for some traffic issue like alleged speeding is still common, especially outside the major cities, and of course the cop will say a "fine" can be paid on the spot and they let you go. Used to be $20, but now $50 or $100 bribe is more common (inflation). This happened to me several times when travelling in Baja.
Mexico is such a wonderful country, and most of the people are wonderful. If they ever solve their crime and cartel issues, and improve living standards for all, it would be heaven. I might move there. Mexico should consult with Colombia and Italy about how they reduced organized crime.
Of course, you are correct, in the U.S. I would also avoid some areas where crime is high.