# Would you go to Mexico now? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 3, 2011, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-go-to-mexico-now/573388 "2011-03-03T18:43:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-go-to-mexico-now/573388/41 "2011-03-04T15:18:51Z")
> [@Antigen](#): > > I’m not sure I would vacation in Mexico even if it was a free trip. Why take the risk? I know it’s probably overreacting on my part but I’m seeing Mexico as a third-world war zone lately and that’s not my idea of a good time. A free trip? Let me guess, they make you visit the timeshare bandits first? Seriously though it does seem a lot of sound judgment at the hotels goes right out the window. You couldnt get me hanging out on a skinny balcony with a 3 ft rail, I would like to think I could safely renege on a snorkeling/sailing/whatever trip if it seemed unsafe. Unfamiliar waters? you gotta be careful about tides, sandbars all that stuff. is the all inclusive free trip worth it when you have to remain wary of undeclared hazards on the resort, including the very real potential for criminal encounters? They have all those tourists penned up, of course the sharks will circle… ---
**Author:** ![Tully\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7ab992/32.png) [@Tully\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tully_Mars)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-go-to-mexico-now/573388/42 "2011-03-04T17:13:06Z")
I have a trip to the Cancun area scheduled in May and I’m counting down the days until I can park my happy ass on a beach and feel some sun on my skin.🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-go-to-mexico-now/573388/43 "2011-03-04T17:41:22Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > There have been places in Mexico where I wouldn’t have left the hotel to take a walk around the block (Toluca). Where in Toluca? I loved getting out there, except when I was just outside Toluca and the risk there was getting run over by multiple cars and busses. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-go-to-mexico-now/573388/44 "2011-03-04T18:12:16Z")
> [@BottledBlondJeanie](#): > > I looked at your location. Somehow we border states know way more than you do about the situation. Read about the Falcon Lake stuff for starters. It’s crazy war down there in many states and somehow that is not being explained to the whole country. And you did notice I said that I did not feel safe vacationing there under normal conditions and would need to at least be in a large crowd? > [@Bridget\_Burke](#): > > Yeah, I’d go to San Luis Potosi. Went to Guadalajara years ago & felt pretty safe; the area is home to many US & Canadian expats. But there has been [trouble there lately](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/24/AR2011022405243.html). > > The Texas Department of Public Safety has advised students to [avoid Spring Break in Mexico](http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/7451018.html). But getting drunk on my ass along the border or on a tourist beach is not my idea of fun. > > I’d definitely chose a location carefully & not drive there. But the mere sight of Mexicans does not scare me–I’m a Texan! Blargh, never understood the draw of crowds of drunken students doing dumb shit in the first place, I never did spring break vacations anyway - I worked when I was in school and didn’t have the desire or real ability to take a week or two off and blow all that money anyways. > [@kambuckta](#): > > Heh, yeah, but I’ve been reading your stuff in **Bibliovore’s** thread, and you’re a veritable David Attenborough of political hot-spots. Whilst YOU might be able to avoid the problem areas, yer’ average schmuck like me will get eaten by a Mexican hippopotamus probably. > > Unless you can take me on a guided tour, I’ll decline thanksverymuch. 😃 agreed … > [@lieu](#): > > Hell no. I used to go all the time and felt pretty safe no matter where I was. Lots of border towns from Ojinaga to Juarez to Reynosa, Nuevo Laredo and Matamoras and resorts like Cabo. Now I’m just not interested in being anywhere near it. I don’t worry that much about getting caught up in any drug turf war but there are so many kidnappings and the like now, criminals doing whatever wherever just to get money. It simply is no longer worth it to me, nor will it be in the forseeable future. And since I am observably a gimp, and easy prey no fucking way would I expose myself to the risk. I don’t have the kind of resources to get ransomed either. > [@Tully\_Mars](#): > > I have a trip to the Cancun area scheduled in May and I’m counting down the days until I can park my happy ass on a beach and feel some sun on my skin.🙂 Have a great time!😃 ---
**Author:** ![Chapulin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/898d66/32.png) [@Chapulin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chapulin)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2011, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-go-to-mexico-now/573388/45 "2011-03-05T17:16:09Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > My cousin is in the Peace Corps in San Luis Potosi. We had been planning to go visit her around Easter, but suddenly my mom hears about kidnappings there and gets all freaked out. > > I was under the impression that Mexico is perfectly safe if you are not involved in drugs or law enforcement and you keep your wits about you and don’t hang out too close to the border. She says if we’re going with her and her two older lady friends that it isn’t safe enough. > > Experienced Mexican travelers, opinions? (Keep in mind, we would be taking two people who are not accustomed to the kind of travel where there’s no cruise director and you don’t speak the language.) I spent last summer in Guadalajara, and had no problems even though the city does have its fair share of drug trafficking. The thing is, even if you stay out of the drug situtation you have to know that what makes it dangerous is that the people getting killed are often innocent bystanders. People minding their own buisness going to work or picking thier child up from daycare end up getting hit with a stray bullet because a drug cartel just happened to have a shoot out there that day. The drug traffickers often live in smaller pueblos(or have mansions there), and you will know which house is thiers because among all the small houses there is a giant mansion. (Often they go back to their pueblos and use drug money to build it up and make it nicer or build their mansions). So if you’re in a smaller pueblo where it’s been known to have drug trafficking problems, be very very careful, don’t go out at night alone or to shady places like bars and clubs where its full of rough looking characters. Even if you mind your own business, you could get caught in a bad situation. Drug related problems happen all over Mexico even in the states that are considered safer, so it’s really up to you. I haven’t heard too much about San Luis Potosi, but I can assure you it’s much safer than a state like Sinaloa. I would say go but just be careful and you’ll probably be fine. ---
**Author:** ![Susanann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@Susanann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Susanann)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2011, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-go-to-mexico-now/573388/46 "2011-03-05T20:38:43Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > Would you go to Mexico now? > > We had been planning to go visit her around Easter, but suddenly my mom hears about kidnappings there and gets all freaked out. If you go to Mexico, then you deserve whatever happens to you. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2011, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-go-to-mexico-now/573388/47 "2011-03-05T20:45:17Z")
… okay? ---
**Author:** ![A.Gwilliam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ea5d25/32.png) [@A.Gwilliam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A.Gwilliam)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2011, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-go-to-mexico-now/573388/48 "2011-03-05T22:43:24Z")
> [@Susanann](#): > > If you go to Mexico, then you deserve whatever happens to you. Damn, I just knew those two enjoyable months travelling around were punishment for something! :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2011, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-go-to-mexico-now/573388/49 "2011-03-05T22:53:03Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > … okay? She means YOU would deserve whatever happened to you. On the other hand, **Susanann** could go down there and clean the place up and generally kick ass everywhere, because she’s sort of badass like that. [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=13266320&postcount=63](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=13266320&postcount=63) [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=13266329&postcount=65](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=13266329&postcount=65) [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=13266382&postcount=71](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=13266382&postcount=71) [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=13268218&postcount=105](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=13268218&postcount=105) ---
**Author:** ![Susanann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@Susanann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Susanann)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2011, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-go-to-mexico-now/573388/50 "2011-03-05T22:54:25Z")
Originally Posted by Susanann If you go to Mexico, then you deserve whatever happens to you. > [@A.Gwilliam](#): > > Damn, I just knew those two enjoyable months travelling around were punishment for something! :rolleyes: Not **“EVERY”** American soldier who traveled to Vietnam in the 1960’s, died in Vietnam …but that still did not mean that it was “safe” to be there. ---
**Author:** ![Susanann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@Susanann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Susanann)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2011, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-go-to-mexico-now/573388/51 "2011-03-05T22:57:03Z")
> [@Dag\_Otto](#): > > She means YOU would deserve whatever happened to you. On the other hand, **Susanann** could go down there and clean the place up and generally kick ass everywhere, because she’s sort of badass like that. > > [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=13266320&postcount=63](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=13266320&postcount=63) > > [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=13266329&postcount=65](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=13266329&postcount=65) > > [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=13266382&postcount=71](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=13266382&postcount=71) > > [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=13268218&postcount=105](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=13268218&postcount=105) Apparently, I have **ANOTHER!!!** fan/secret admirer (\*\* Dag Otto\*\* ) who follows me everywhere, follows me and all my posts everywhere, and who loves to comment about “me” instead of contributing anything to the topic. ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2011, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-go-to-mexico-now/573388/52 "2011-03-05T23:31:03Z")
I contributed a day or so ago. And it’s not stalking, it’s just that it’s easy to recall your inane posts. Don’t you have ass kicking to do somewhere? ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2011, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-go-to-mexico-now/573388/53 "2011-03-05T23:55:12Z")
Gosh, I hate to imagine what she thinks about the Mexicans who are dumb enough to live there! ---
**Author:** ![A.Gwilliam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ea5d25/32.png) [@A.Gwilliam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A.Gwilliam)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2011, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-go-to-mexico-now/573388/54 "2011-03-05T23:57:25Z")
“So far from God, so close to the United States!” No wonder Mexicans get irritated by their northern neighbours… :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![CBEscapee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b19c9b/32.png) [@CBEscapee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CBEscapee)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2011, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-go-to-mexico-now/573388/55 "2011-03-06T01:20:57Z")
> [@Susanann](#): > > Originally Posted by Susanann > If you go to Mexico, then you deserve whatever happens to you. > > Not **“EVERY”** American soldier who traveled to Vietnam in the 1960’s, died in Vietnam …but that still did not mean that it was “safe” to be there. How many of the several million Americans that visit México each year have been victims of drug related violence? How many of the several million American visitors to México each year are kidnapped and held for ransom? How many of the hundreds of thousands of Americans that reside in Mexico year round have been victims of violent crime? Can you answer any of those questions with any degree of accuracy? If you think that the risks for Americans in México is even remotely close to that of a soldier in Vietnam, then please show some verifiable statistics that prove it. ---
**Author:** ![Susanann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@Susanann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Susanann)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2011, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-go-to-mexico-now/573388/56 "2011-03-06T14:22:02Z")
Apparently, I have ANOTHER!!! fan/secret admirer ( Dag Otto ) who follows me everywhere, follows me and all my posts everywhere, and who loves to comment about “me” instead of contributing anything to the topic. > [@Dag\_Otto](#): > > I contributed a day or so ago. And it’s not stalking, it’s just that it’s easy to recall your inane posts. Don’t you have ass kicking to do somewhere? I have a large following of (mostly not so secret) admirers/fans/stalkers who track and read everything I post on all topics, and who prefer to comment about **“me”** , who prefer to use my old quotes as reference material. Whenever “I” post something on any topic, lots and lots of people take notice. Welcome to my “club”. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2011, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-go-to-mexico-now/573388/57 "2011-03-06T15:27:07Z")
> [@Susanann](#): > > Apparently, I have ANOTHER!!! fan/secret admirer ( Dag Otto ) who follows me everywhere, follows me and all my posts everywhere, and who loves to comment about “me” instead of contributing anything to the topic. > > I have a large following of (mostly not so secret) admirers/fans/stalkers who track and read everything I post on all topics, and who prefer to comment about **“me”** , who prefer to use my old quotes as reference material. Whenever “I” post something on any topic, lots and lots of people take notice. Welcome to my “club”. Alas, for a Texan I haven’t traveled much in Mexico. One trip to Guadalajara & environs a few years back. Our worst experience was realizing the Hospicio Cabanas was closed in preparation for an international meeting; so we missed out on the [best of Jose Clemente Orozco’s murals](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hospicio_Caba%C3%B1as). The murals at the Government Palace, next door to our hotel, were damned impressive. (I’m not counting the times I’m told my parents took me to eat Mexican food in the few areas not off-limits to US Military personnel–back before 1950.) The escalation in drug violence is dreadful & the border states aren’t safe for anybody. Still, somebody like a Peace Corps volunteer probably wouldn’t recommend a visit by relatives unless she was pretty sure her own area was safe. So–to get back on topic–what is _your_ experience in Mexico? Especially in comparison to your experience in Southeast Asia? (Oh, and many of the [guns in Mexico](http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-gun-arrests-20110302,0,2113368.story) have been smuggled in from Texas.) ---
**Author:** ![Tully\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7ab992/32.png) [@Tully\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tully_Mars)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2011, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-go-to-mexico-now/573388/58 "2011-03-06T16:41:13Z")
> [@Susanann](#): > > If you go to Mexico, then you deserve whatever happens to you. Wow! … if I get slightly buzzed on good tequila, enjoy reading several good books, meet some extremely friendly Mexicans who don’t mind if I practice my bad Spanish with them, hear some great stories about Lorenzo’s Mayan grandmother, enjoy lots of great food, … and maybe even get laid (if the Mrs. gets into the mood as much as I) … … I deserve it? Cool! I feel pretty special. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Bird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Little\_Bird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Bird)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2011, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-go-to-mexico-now/573388/59 "2011-03-06T18:59:37Z")
My mother in law just moved to Mexico this fall. So no, I shan’t be making any trips to Mexico any time soon if I can help it. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2011, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-go-to-mexico-now/573388/60 "2011-03-07T07:38:46Z")
What, **Little Bird** , yo momma-in-law is so fat she take up a whole country? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-go-to-mexico-now/573388.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-go-to-mexico-now/573388.md?page=4)