Covered in Dust 163 Posted November 9, 2010 10 days down to Cabo and back. Bad experience with locals 0 (except being over charged for a beer at the Hotel California in Todos Santos). Really the drug gangs are fighting with themselfs and with the gov when they try to control them. Stay away from the big border cities and I feel safer in Mexico than most places in San Diego. Covered in Dust Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PastaPilot 17 Posted November 9, 2010 Did anyone happen to catch this news from the ISDE Mexico? I pulled this off of a Utah rider's website that had a group blogging the event in support of a Utah based team. Then, another man stood and this time they really had everyone's attention, and he said the same thing, but this time he spelled it out in more detail. He said that yesterday there had been a confrontation between the local Police/Government and the "La Familia" drug cartel with them capturing or killing (not sure which one) one of the key ring leaders of the local cartel. The actual confrontation occurred about 200km from us. As a result, the police were all on heightened security and did not feel that they could offer the appropriate level of security to the riders and fans at the motocross venue. They also said that historically, when such confrontations occur that there is typically retaliation and the FIM and organizing committee felt that it was not worth the risk to have the final moto be a target for retaliation. It's not just the border towns. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SteelRain 0 Posted November 9, 2010 It's not just the border towns. so the police caught a bad guy and are hightening security awaiting backlash.... That never happens in San Diego.. LOL I have had many more bad experiences with people in the US than in Mexico, then again I am not buying into the media that most people seem to follow like cattle. FYI 200km = 122 miles. Should I be terrified everytime a gang banger gets shot in L.A.? If so I better never leave my house. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tlking6 0 Posted November 9, 2010 but then again I'd rather go hang out in San Felipe, Mexico than some neighborhoods in New York or Los Angeles. I'd rather hang out in San Felipe than Carlsbad, La Jolla or Pacific Beach. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kellymac530 0 Posted November 9, 2010 It's not just the border towns. so the police caught a bad guy and are hightening security awaiting backlash.... That never happens in San Diego.. LOL I have had many more bad experiences with people in the US than in Mexico, then again I am not buying into the media that most people seem to follow like cattle. FYI 200km = 122 miles. Should I be terrified everytime a gang banger gets shot in L.A.? If so I better never leave my house. You should AT LEAST be concerned about that gang banger shooting in LA if you ride your motorcycle to and thru that gang bangers neighborhood.....which when we are talking about mexico...you do! I know i speak for only myself....i hope and wish that everyone who enjoys riding im Baja or other areas in mexico NEVER even see a problem....but IF any of you think that by minding your own business, and "staying away from the dangerous areas" as has been suggested will keep you safe for sure you ARE seriously fooling yourselves....HOPEFULLY you will be fine....but there are high probabilities that the BAD guys are moving around to stay ahead of the cops...how do you know that they are NOT on the trail you are riding and they dont just want to piss off the cops and America....High possibilities. The comparisons of the Gangs in LA is different IMHO...The gangs in LA are fighting neighboring gangs...that is it...but the drug cartels in Mexico are fighting the Policia, and the Mexican Military and the American Border Patrol, ICE, DEA, ATF and anyone else who will stand up to them so that they can continue suppling the much smaller fish of the LA gangs drug dealers.... Keep on riding there, Please be safe, BUT please know that there IS "ADDED" RISK TO RIDING IN Mexico...BTW as i have stated at least twice before...I know that the criminals are BY FAR the minority in Mexico and that 99.99999999999999999999999% of the Mexican people are great like the family that helped you...unfortunatly....the .0000000000001% are making such a strong pressence and statement....and it is centered in YOUR favorite riding area...BAJA... Seriously...BEST wishes..be safe Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SteelRain 0 Posted November 9, 2010 Funny I spent more time in SouthEast LA than I do in Mexico. Several of my manufacturers are there. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kellymac530 0 Posted November 9, 2010 I was born in Inglewood, and grew up on Vermont ave and the 91 freeway in the heart of South Central LA...In Gardena by some maps but actually an LA strip address backed up to the Harbor an 91 freeways...very rough neighborhood surrounded all around by a number of gangs....Piru Bloods on 1 side, Hoover Crips on the other and G13 on yet another....so I get the keep your nose clean, MYOB, dont make trouble ideas....but sometimes it just finds you.... My wife is from South America, Chile, and was there under the Pinochet era...very bad. Then they moved to central LA and finally settled in Carson....again very rough neighborhood....we truly understand dangerous living environments.... I choose to live out here, and not near my parents house.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Strega 0 Posted November 9, 2010 Last time I looked at a map the U.S. didn't share a border with Afghanistan either. Correct, which is even more reason for concern, it's right next door. As far as someone saying the #'s being skewed, the Mexican government says the # of deaths is 28,000+, so if anything, that # is going to be higher, not lower. Venezuela is also run by Hugo Chavez, a crook himself. During Chávez' administration, homicide rates have more than doubled, with one NGO finding the rate to have nearly quadrupled; the number of homicides increased from 6,000 in 1999 to 13,000 in 2007. Kidnappings have also become increasingly common. Caracas in 2010 had the world's highest murder rate. Chávez maintains that the nation is no more violent now than it was when he took office. I'm baffled that people think Mexico is safe. It's not, and that's not an opinion, that's a fact. How many mayors in the US have been beheaded in the last 4 years? How many entire police forces have walked off the job because the bad guys were too powerful for them?? How many police chief's have been murdered? It is TRUE you can go to Mexico and avoid all that bad stuff. Just like you can ride through Compton and cross the street at Florence and Normandy at 1am and not get hurt...I would prefer not to take my chances in either place. Ask Aaron Cooper or Steve Martz how safe Mexico is...It would make more sense for people to just say, "It's beautiful down there and I'll take the risk" instead of trying to justify that it's 'safe' just because they've been there and didn't have an issue 'that time'. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mistress of the dual 1 Posted November 9, 2010 Once again it's all about one's personal comfort level. I'm basing my opinions on my personal experiences not what the media portray. There are other factors to think of when travelling outside the US besides whether you will be harmed by criminals, like the quality of that country's medicine or the level of law enforcement corruption, etc. I'm done with Mexico because I don't care for sitting on the side of the road being optically fornicated by an 18 year old with an automatic rifle while his colleagues ransack my vehicle. It's just not worth the hassle to me anymore. For those of you who don't think it's a hassle or don't mind whatever risk may be involved, good on you. Mexico is a fantastic place to visit and I will always smile when I think of the lovely lonely beaches of Puertecitos. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PastaPilot 17 Posted November 9, 2010 FYI 200km = 122 miles. It's actually 124 miles but Morelia is almost as far from the TX border as Cabo is from CA. I haven't been able to find much detail about what happened in the police skirmish that caused FIM to cancel Day 6. Although it makes sense when there is a major international event taking place in very hard to secure areas and there is a cartel on the loose looking to make a statement. The Paris-Dakar race was cancelled for that very reason and may never be held in Africa again. will this start an "Is all of Africa dangerous?" debate. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
baldbeemer 0 Posted November 9, 2010 I don't care for sitting on the side of the road being optically fornicated by an 18 year old with an automatic rifle while his colleagues ransack my vehicle. Also considering my recent injury, I have to take into major consideration how it would have turned out if it had occurred in Mexico. I realize there are plenty of rural areas in the US that medical care isn't close or very good, but I'll stick to riding in the US. There's lots here that I haven't seen yet. All you folks that enjoy riding in Mexico have fun, and I wish you the best. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kellymac530 0 Posted November 9, 2010 FYI 200km = 122 miles. It's actually 124 miles but Morelia is almost as far from the TX border as Cabo is from CA. I haven't been able to find much detail about what happened in the police skirmish that caused FIM to cancel Day 6. Although it makes sense when there is a major international event taking place in very hard to secure areas and there is a cartel on the loose looking to make a statement. The Paris-Dakar race was cancelled for that very reason and may never be held in Africa again. will this start an "Is all of Africa dangerous?" debate. you could not pay me to go the Demcratic Republic of Congo in Africa, but i would go to Johanasberg South Africa....apples and oranges again...africa is a continent not a country with MANY different governments and militarys...Mexico is a country with one Government and military and only one part of a continent.... Just as a wierd twist here....They stopped the last round of the FIM races in Mexico but they still raced the Formula 1 Race in Brazil even tho there were gunpoint robberies of the red bull teams briefcases and an attempted robbery and murder of Jensen Button with machine gun fire on his "fortunately" armored limo....yet they still raced there in Brazil which right now is having very much turmoil....yet the same international race group cancelled some race event in Mexico full of guys that are exponentially less paid and less known that formula 1 drivers which is one of, if not, the highest paid sports athletes in the world?????? curious Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ADV Bum 205 Posted November 9, 2010 I'm done with Mexico because I don't care for being optically fornicated Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
