Tijuana's Rising Crime: Still Safe for U.S. Tourists?

[mambocowboy]

The people who live there are terrible advisers on safety. Back in 2003 my wife was telling me that Medellin was "muy tranquilo" even while she was riding a city bus that was hijacked by the FARC and the city was experiencing 7000 murders. She had a litany of other stories but continued to insist that nothing bad had ever happened to her. Obviously after my recent travels in Colombia the situation has improved dramatically but I would rather rely on statistics and the experiences of other foreigners rather than Colombians. They always say everything is "muy tranquilo"!

I haven't met a Colombian who will criticize their country. It's just not in their cultural dna to criticize their own....

[Hector_Lavoe]

The people who live there are terrible advisers on safety. Back in 2003 my wife was telling me that Medellin was "muy tranquilo" even while she was riding a city bus that was hijacked by the FARC and the city was experiencing 7000 murders. They always say everything is "muy tranquilo"!

This was hilarious. Not the hijacking of the bus part but the "muy tranquillo" statement.

Though if you compare Medellin in 2003 to the 1991-1993 period, it was muy tranquillo.

[robert angel]

I haven't met a Colombian who will criticize their country. It's just not in their cultural dna to criticize their own....

Same with my wife's. I remember being in chat rooms, with Filipina's fighting each other like rabid alley cats. I'd try and break them up, but if I chanced to say a word they felt was even a little negative about their country, they'd all retract their venom and claws off one another and go after ME, in unison for disparaging their country, LOL.

Sooo, they'd stop a wicked civil war between each other to team up against an outsider.

My wife's a lot more realistic and diplomatic, but she'll always be super proud of her nation. She was happy, very proud to become a US citizen, but we drove all the way to the Philippine Embassy in Washington DC to make sure she could get dual citizenship and passports. She even voted in both nations' presidential elections.

But be it beauty pageants, whatever, they are proud to the point of disbelief sometimes. Speaking of beauty pageants, there's no love lost between the Philippines and Colombia, as they're often in the final three together. Then Steve Harvey screwed up the winner announcement for Miss Universe last year and the bottom really fell out between the two nation's bragging pride.

When they get into their nationalistic beauty pageant mode, I just laugh and pay attention to the swimsuit sement.

[mambocowboy]

Same with my wife's. I remember being in chat rooms, with Filipina's fighting each other like rabid alley cats. I'd try and break them up, but if I chanced to say a word they felt was even a little negative about their country, they'd all retract their venom and claws off one another and go after ME, in unison for disparaging their country, LOL.

Sooo, they'd stop a wicked civil war between each other to team up against an outsider.

My wife's a lot more realistic and diplomatic, but she'll always be super proud of her nation. She was happy, very proud to become a US citizen, but we drove all the way to the Philippine Embassy in Washington DC to make sure she could get dual citizenship and passports. She even voted in both nations' presidential elections.

But be it beauty pageants, whatever, they are proud to the point of disbelief sometimes. Speaking of beauty pageants, there's no love lost between the Philippines and Colombia, as they're often in the final three together. Then Steve Harvey screwed up the winner announcement for Miss Universe last year and the bottom really fell out between the two nation's bragging pride.

When they get into their nationalistic beauty pageant mode, I just laugh and pay attention to the swimsuit sement.

Yes, when Pacquiao was big, i never dared say anything critical about him to a filipino. He was unquestionably the greatest ever. And when he got starched by Marquez, no one talked about it ; as though it never happened, or Marquez just got lucky.....

[vikingo]

 Had to spend a night in the emergency room last month here in Colombia. A lot of commotion woke me up as they wheeled in a gunshot victim, 21 year old young man, blood just poring down from his gurney. They tried to revive him but he died right next to me. After a while his sister and later his mom came running into the room, crying their eyes out. Makes you realize how fragile life is. Needless to say I didn't get any more sleep that night.

[Calipro]

 I would rather rely on statistics and the experiences of other foreigners rather than Colombians. They always say everything is "muy tranquilo"!

This is sound advice....that I learned the hard way more than once.


Even after knowing this I still let myself get suckered by some chick's bull[snip].


I chick I met in Medellin years ago....wanted me to go to her house where she lived in Belencito.


I had hear that the barrio wasn't  really safe so I pressed her on the safety issue. I asked her if her neighborhood was safe and she said "yes". I asked her what the odds were of something bad happening to me while I was there....and she told me that nothing would happen.


So I went to her house in the day....when I wanted to leave it was night....and she looked out her front window and told me that I shouldn't leave.


I said "why"....she told me there were gangbangers on the corners of her street and that they don't know me and there will be trouble if I go out...I looked out and sure enough she was right.


So I spent the night sleeping in her hard bed....and swore one last time....I would never ever again trust another Colombiano to give me a good assessment on danger.

[Hector_Lavoe]

I was in Managua a few years ago. As I've mentioned before, I met an attractive girl in her mid-20's. After we had several dates she invited me to go to her house and meet her family (Mom, sisters, brothers, etc.).

In Managua, there are no street addresses and most streets have no name (legacies of the '72 earthquake and the civil war in the 80's)! I took a taxi from the hotel to her place. I gave my phone to the cab driver so she could tell him the major landmarks and how to get to her area.

As we approached her neighborhood he gave me a somewhat strange look. As we pulled in front of her house, I asked him, "¿Este barrio es peligroso?"  He replied, "Si por la noche."

I made sure I got out of there before it got dark.

 

[robert angel]

Well guys, where ever you are, who ever you're with, for loved ones near and far--hope you all have a  great Thanksgiving.

Even if you don't celebrate the USA recognized holiday, there's nothing wrong in stopping for a bit and especially if you're eating decent food and feeling reasonably free from harm, being thankful for that.

After all, 100's of millions of people around the world aren't as fortunate.

[mambocowboy]

Well guys, where ever you are, who ever you're with, for loved ones near and far--hope you all have a  great Thanksgiving.

Even if you don't celebrate the USA recognized holiday, there's nothing wrong in stopping for a bit and especially if you're eating decent food and feeling reasonably free from harm, being thankful for that.

After all, 100's of millions of people around the world aren't as fortunate.

Yes indeed. Happy Thanksgiving!

[ignorante]

This is sound advice....that I learned the hard way more than once.


Even after knowing this I still let myself get suckered by some chick's bull[snip].


I chick I met in Medellin years ago....wanted me to go to her house where she lived in Belencito.


I had hear that the barrio wasn't  really safe so I pressed her on the safety issue. I asked her if her neighborhood was safe and she said "yes". I asked her what the odds were of something bad happening to me while I was there....and she told me that nothing would happen.


So I went to her house in the day....when I wanted to leave it was night....and she looked out her front window and told me that I shouldn't leave.


I said "why"....she told me there were gangbangers on the corners of her street and that they don't know me and there will be trouble if I go out...I looked out and sure enough she was right.


So I spent the night sleeping in her hard bed....and swore one last time....I would never ever again trust another Colombiano to give me a good assessment on danger.

Well, she got you to stay the night!  It did not occur to you that this was her plan all along???