k wrote:
> "John Kulp" wrote in message
> news:46e81657.84373312@news20.forteinc.com...
>> On Wed, 12 Sep 2007 04:59:09 GMT, "David Eduardo"
>> wrote:
>>
>>
>>>>> I have a hard time believing someone who says they lived in Mexico for
>>>>> two
>>>>> whole years and spells Colombia with a "u" in it.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> Yeah, gee, that's a good test alright. Never made a spelling mistake
>>>> huh? More likely, you have no refutation for what I said so you
>>>> resort to inanities like this.
>>> I must have hit a button there. LOL.
>> No, just demonstrating pettiness. I always love poster that
>> contribute nothing to a post so they jump on crap like that as if that
>> somehow makes them smart.
>>
>>> I already "refuted" by saying there is car theft everywhere. Somehow, you
>>> got into ATU stick-ups, which are so common in many US metros that they
>>> don't even make the evening news unless someone is shot.
>> Refutes nothing. Tourists have been particularly targeted in Mexico,
>> held for days to drain their bank accounts at ATMs, etc. etc. Where
>> in the US does that happen?
>>
>>> A city of 20 million would be unusual if it did not have a lot of crime.
>>> The
>>> problem for tourists is in knowing where crime is prevalent and what kind
>>> of
>>> precaution to take.
>> Which in Mexico City is basically anywhere tourists go. So you can't
>> avoid it, unless you just stay in your hotel or don't go in the first
>> place. Most other cities, you can do as you say, but not there.
>
> This is turning into a pile of old baloney now. Mexico City is a gorgeous
> place to visit. There are ancient tales of various crimes even on our State
> Dept's website, which doesn't appear to have been updated ever. They
> actually recommend cab stands, and if you insist on being ripped off have
> those shysters put you in a car.
>
> We were in the city for the giant political rally two years ago, where the
> President jailed the mayor of the city for running against him. The crowd
> was estimated to be over a million people, and we found ourselves right in
> the middle of it on a walk to Zocalo. We were 'assaulted' again and again
> by people handing us little flags to wave, inviting us up on platforms where
> we could see better, explaining the situation, and sharing the celebratory
> goodies they'd brought with them. I'll tell you, the criminality was
> horrible that day.
>
> There are several ways to get around the city. Cheapest and fastest is the
> subway if it's going where you want, followed by equally cheap but slower
> buses, which go everywhere, and also cheap mini-buses around downtown. The
> minis take you where you're going, but you have to read the windshield fast
> to find the right one.
>
> After that, it's taxis, and there are three basic types. 'Hotel' or
> 'Airport' cabs - sedans with few or no markings, and a fixed rate (not
> cheap) to where you're going. Then there are the metro cabs, which are the
> same as everywhere in the world. They have signs on the doors, a lighted
> sign on the roof, and meters, and are painted either red or orange and
> white.
>
> The cabs that stir up controversy, warnings and irony are the
> green-and-white VW cabs. These are Beetle cars, two doors. If you go to
> one of the cab stands recommended by our State Dept, they will put you in
> one of these cars 100% of the time, yet the same State Dept warns, on the
> same web page, about rampant crime in the VW cabs.
>
> If you look at the stories, and the exact same ones are in my 1971
> Frommer's, they say that you will surely die if you enter such a cab,
> because an accomplice with a gun will get in with you. My question is how?
> It's a two-door car. I look in cabs before I get in anyhow, but for things
> like springs sprouting up thru the seats, or stains that look wet. Is this
> accomplice supposed to somehow be hidden in the car? The stain?
>
> Mexico City is huge, and there is crime for sure. Tourists are rare
> targets, and gringo tourists are rarer targets. We visit often, and I
> worked there in the 80's, and have yet to feel threatened. It's one of the
> world's great cities.
>
> In the US border areas crime is more intense, but not often targeted toward
> tourists. If you're American and find yourself in trouble with gangs, the
> most likely reason is that you are involved in their trade -- deeply
> involved -- and your heritage is Mexican. If you're a tourist you will be
> overcharged and may have your pocket picked if you keep things there.
>
> That's the usual. Go if you want to, and have fun in Mexico. Millions do.
>
> Keith
>
>
Get real. You decide you like Mexicans so you contrive a story line to
say it is safe to travel there. It's a crap shoot. It is worse than
anyplace I can thing of other than Brazil's capitol. |