More problems in Mexico

[cards26]

Originally Posted by tropicalescape

There you go, now your smoking the good stuff..

what's so stupid about that link? i know a lot of DEA agents here in Colombia.

the point of the link was to show that at times, things don't always add up in these Latin countries.

you don't see anything counterintuitive about DEA agents hired to stem the flow of cocaine from this country being entertained with prostitutes as gifts from the drug cartels that they are supposed to be fighting?

[cards26]

how about prisons in Colombia where the prisoners carry loaded handguns, but the guards do not have guns?

how many prisons in the U.S. give handguns to the prisoners?

La Modelo - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


my wife's cousin is in prison, and he has it made. he has his girlfriends in there with him, special meals brought in, he can leave at times if he gets bored. where do you see this in the States?

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by cards26

...be situationally aware'

...a 'sports dating' club in Los Angleles, and we had a trip to Ensenada. i hooked up with 2 extremely strong looking, atheletic appearing women, and another man about 55, and the four of us went for a walk.

a car load of men pulled up and got out, and you could see they weren't collecting for the Red Cross; they were trying to rob us. the two very able women went midevil on these Mexicans, kicking and punching them furiously. the Mexicans had these big wrenches, and i'm afraid the gentleman with us was beaten pretty badly with them. he really got hurt. i stood and watched the whole thing, it happened pretty fast, nothing i could do, nobody approached me, i was about 50 at the time. i think the Mexicans were freaked out instantly with the fighting power of the women we were with. they saw we were up there in age, and they thought the woman wouldn't do anything.

...........some serious laughs.

Oh, boy. This is priceless.

Sports dating?

OK, for Rich Boren:

In 1985 (that would be 20+15=35 years ago!!!) we were "attacked" in the Yucutan at a late night "see the ruins" tourist thing. We ran faster than they could.

QED: Don't EVER go to the Yucutan. It's too dangerous.

In 1995 (that would be 5+15=20 years ago!!!) we drove to Ensenada and stayed in a beachfront home. We weren't attacked, by Mexicans, American motorcycle gangs or cat tacos.

QED: You can SAFELY go to Ensenada, since we didn't get attacked there.

In 2005 (that would be 0+10=10 years ago!!!) I went to Mexico on a business trip to a plant just south of San Ysidro. I came back alive.

QED: You can safely go to Mexico on business trips.

In 1975 (that would be 30+15=45 years ago!!!) I was attacked in a bar in Jamaica, Queens, NYC, NY, USA.

QED: Don't go to Queens. I grew up there and barely made it out alive. NYC is dangerous, 8 million people will tell you that.

Larger conclusion: everybody has their own story. I just live in constant fear every day.

[cards26]

Originally Posted by Stu Jackson

Oh, boy. This is priceless.

Sports dating?

OK, for Rich Boren:

In 1985 (that would be 20+15=35 years ago!!!) we were "attacked" in the Yucutan at a late night "see the ruins" tourist thing. We ran faster than they could.

QED: Don't EVER go to the Yucutan. It's too dangerous.

In 1995 (that would be 5+15=20 years ago!!!) we drove to Ensenada and stayed in a beachfront home. We weren't attacked, by Mexicans, American motorcycle gangs or cat tacos.

QED: You can SAFELY go to Ensenada, since we didn't get attacked there.

In 2005 (that would be 0+10=10 years ago!!!) I went to Mexico on a business trip to a plant just south of San Ysidro. I came back alive.

QED: You can safely go to Mexico on business trips.

In 1975 (that would be 30+15=45 years ago!!!) I was attacked in a bar in Jamaica, Queens, NYC, NY, USA.

QED: Don't go to Queens. I grew up there and barely made it out alive. NYC is dangerous, 8 million people will tell you that.

Larger conclusion: everybody has their own story. I just live in constant fear every day.

it's strange how people interpret the comments of others.....and how they missed the point. in my first comment i said that a visitor would most likely have a safe trip to Mexico. i also said that i worked in Mexico for my company.

I ALSO LIVE IN LATIN AMERICA NOW!!!! And I have lived in Colombia for the last dozen years.

why not look up the definition of 'situational awareness', it would do you a lot of good. there's a wikipedia entry there.

[TacomaSailor]

I'm having trouble understanding this thread.

I, and many others, report that hundreds of cruisers are living full time in Western Mexico and have not had any problems with the claimed dangers of Mexico.

Several others here have asked for anyone to provide details about specific problems that cruisers in Mexico have experienced. Near as I can tell, no one has reported any scared, frightened, or injured cruisers.

From my perspective that means the people claiming Mexican dangers are contradicting the safe and happy experience of those who are actually there cruising and living.

How can the real cruisers in Mexico be so wrong and those claiming Mexican dangers so right?

[socaldmax]

Originally Posted by TacomaSailor

I'm having trouble understanding this thread.

I, and many others, report that hundreds of cruisers are living full time in Western Mexico and have not had any problems with the claimed dangers of Mexico.

Several others here have asked for anyone to provide details about specific problems that cruisers in Mexico have experienced. Near as I can tell, no one has reported any scared, frightened, or injured cruisers.

From my perspective that means the people claiming Mexican dangers are contradicting the safe and happy experience of those who are actually there cruising and living.

How can the real cruisers in Mexico be so wrong and those claiming Mexican dangers so right?

Because the dead ones and kidnapped ones didn't bother to answer you.

[socaldmax]

For the record, San Ysidro is in the US, not MX.

[Jon Eisberg]

Originally Posted by socaldmax

Because the dead ones and kidnapped ones didn't bother to answer you.

Indeed, the Dirty Little - and definitely Best Kept - Secret about cruising in Mexico, is the untold number of cruisers who have literally vanished without a trace down there... And, NOBODY - whether it be surviving family members, or fellow members of the cruising community - seems to care at all, hence the reason such disappearances are so rarely noted...

Rumor has it that Richard Spindler of LATITUDE 38 has a vast amount of influence at the highest levels of the US State Department, and that they are cooperating in keeping the numbers of cruisers who have disappeared a secret, so as not to adversely affect participation in the Baja Ha-Ha...

Perhaps even more shocking, however, are the REAL numbers of cruisers who never even make it down to Cabo or La Paz to begin with, after boats and crews are lost due to every voyager's most primal fear: Namely, a collision with a floating or submerged shipping container... Again, the numbers of these incidents is truly staggering, and most people would never summon the nerve to leave the dock if they had any idea of what's really going on out there, and these incidents were not being ignored, or swept under the rug...

A little birdie tells me 60 MINUTES is working on a piece as we speak, how shippers like Maersk, Evergreen and Hanjin have managed to gain such influence in our own domestic agencies, to the point that the State Department and Homeland Security/Coast Guard have been deliberately concealing these losses of yachts for years...

Truly, it's a wonder most cruisers can summon the nerve to get out of bed each morning, with the vast array of threats being targeted at them from every conceivable direction...

[Wrong]

Originally Posted by TacomaSailor

I'm having trouble understanding this thread.

I, and many others, report that hundreds of cruisers are living full time in Western Mexico and have not had any problems with the claimed dangers of Mexico.

Several others here have asked for anyone to provide details about specific problems that cruisers in Mexico have experienced. Near as I can tell, no one has reported any scared, frightened, or injured cruisers.

From my perspective that means the people claiming Mexican dangers are contradicting the safe and happy experience of those who are actually there cruising and living.

How can the real cruisers in Mexico be so wrong and those claiming Mexican dangers so right?

Whoa!

Was your boat one of the more than 300 recently impounded by a newly created tax authority in Mexico? Have you ever been the target of an official demanding mordida? If not, you can cite me as having experienced that both times I've sailed to Mexico.

Fortunately you were not the Canadian recently murdered in Cabo. See post #1.

Expend a little effort to use your friend Google search to find many more incidents. Maybe you can whitewash Mexico by declaring cruisers with long term credentials have not been victims - which is not true - and ignore the reality there, but prudent sailors will think long and hard about including Mexico in their itinerary.

You may believe it's totally alright to have to buy a permit to simply sail in Mexican waters, but I don't. There isn't another country I'm aware of that requires this.

Don't you posters barbing one another with personal insults have something better to do?

[Wrong]

Originally Posted by Jon Eisberg

Indeed, the Dirty Little - and definitely Best Kept - Secret about cruising in Mexico, is the untold number of cruisers who have literally vanished without a trace down there... And, NOBODY - whether it be surviving family members, or fellow members of the cruising community - seems to care at all, hence the reason such disappearances are so rarely noted...

Rumor has it that Richard Spindler of LATITUDE 38 has a vast amount of influence at the highest levels of the US State Department, and that they are cooperating in keeping the numbers of cruisers who have disappeared a secret, so as not to adversely affect participation in the Baja Ha-Ha...

Perhaps even more shocking, however, are the REAL numbers of cruisers who never even make it down to Cabo or La Paz to begin with, after boats and crews are lost due to every voyager's most primal fear: Namely, a collision with a floating or submerged shipping container... Again, the numbers of these incidents is truly staggering, and most people would never summon the nerve to leave the dock if they had any idea of what's really going on out there, and these incidents were not being ignored, or swept under the rug...

A little birdie tells me 60 MINUTES is working on a piece as we speak, how shippers like Maersk, Evergreen and Hanjin have managed to gain such influence in our own domestic agencies, to the point that the State Department and Homeland Security/Coast Guard have been deliberately concealing these losses of yachts for years...

Truly, it's a wonder most cruisers can summon the nerve to get out of bed each morning, with the vast array of threats being targeted at them from every conceivable direction...

Hmmmm. What's this type of artistic license called?

[TJ D]

Mr. Eisberg,

You've completely made our morning, uproarious laughter is still echoing here in the salon.

Wrong, lots of countries charge for cruising permits, or have some other kind of fee for clearing in when you arrive. We were in Panama a few months back, and we had to buy a cruising permit there. I've had to lay down some cash in basically every country I've sailed to, and I've sailed to a lot of them... I think that the US and Canada are the only free ones that I can remember. ] Mexico falls about in the middle of the curve when it comes to the money we were charged to get in and get our 10 year permit issued. I think that the permit works out to about $7 per year. EXTORITION!!!

I think that you don't really know what you're talking about here.

As far as being shaken down for mordida, it's never happened to us on the boat. A couple of times while driving, but never in the cruising context. Anyway, if you know how to handle it, about 10 bucks will get you on your way, or you demand a ticket from them and you're usually on your way too. It's part of life down there, but really, is it that big of a deal? Those of us who have spent years there think not. In 10+ years of being there about half the year, I think that I had 3 bogus stops on the road, not really the end of the world.

The AGACE raids were a completely bone-headed move by the authorities. I was present when these happened. In fact, I had 2 sailboats there at that time, a 44 footer and our current 55. We had never seen anything quite like that in our time there, and to be honest, it was a bit freaky.

The fact that a whole bunch of perfectly legal boats got impounded was awful. However, the outcome was fine for all but maybe one or two boats which had serious paperwork problems, and everyone else did get cleared. Yes, it took some time, and yes, it caused a lot of stress and anxiety for those who got caught up in it, but nobody got shaken down for money in the deal, and I think that we can all count on this sort of nonsense not happening again. The Mexicans know they screwed up big-time.

But, it also left a sour taste in our mouth, and did make us feel like the place was less great than we did prior to this event.

I also second the sentiment here that the folks who are screaming the loudest about how awful it is down there are the ones with the least direct, recent experience in the country.

The other thing of interest here is that all of the stories about crime/kidnapping/whatever have nothing whatsoever to do with cruising and crime directed against cruisers. Cruise in the normal areas, don't be an idiot, don't flash a lot of wealth or be a loud, ugly American, and all will probably be just fine. Could you wind up the victim of violent crime? You bet you could. Just the same way you could at home.

But, if you don't wish to go, that's just fine with the rest of us, but please don't call those who do travel south a bunch of idiots. We're not, and many of us have lots of safe, enjoyable years behind us there, and really don't buy into what the anti-Mexico crowd is spewing. Either choice is valid, but you should really take note that the folks who have had their boats there really don't share your view.

TJ

[Terra Nova]

Originally Posted by cards26

...these people hate your ass......and I mean really hate your ass. That Disney chipmunk facade is just an act.

They also think that you're really stupid....and I mean really stupid...

Such BS.

[TJ D]

Originally Posted by Terra Nova

Such BS.

Yes, I second that. I've spent many years in Latin America with all kinds of positive interaction with the locals, with far less negative ones that back here in the good ol' USA, and I'm quite sure that all those people weren't actually just disguising hatred and contempt for me. That is truly a dumb thing to have said.

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by cards26

it's strange how people interpret the comments of others.....and how they missed the point. in my first comment i said that a visitor would most likely have a safe trip to Mexico. i also said that i worked in Mexico for my company.

I ALSO LIVE IN LATIN AMERICA NOW!!!! And I have lived in Colombia for the last dozen years.

why not look up the definition of 'situational awareness', it would do you a lot of good. there's a wikipedia entry there.

AND:

and how they missed the HUMOR. Emoticons are kinda a giveaway. Sheez....

I understand situational awareness, I grew up in NYC! Golly.

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by socaldmax

For the record, San Ysidro is in the US, not MX.

For the record, MX is south of San Ysidro.

But thx anyway, max.