Travel

This is why I'm boycotting Mexico

  • Last Updated:
  • Dec 5th, 2019 12:37 pm
Deal Guru
Dec 20, 2018
10121 posts
10230 upvotes
Clement wrote: have you even opened the article? that's not remotely close to any tourist area. Sure, if you willingly travel to some rinky dinky cartel town, that's on you.
Are cancun and playa del carmen isn't some dinky cartel town ?

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/ ... st-hotspot

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/6024568/c ... drug-gang/

https://globalnews.ca/news/4823122/shoo ... el-carmen/

How about beachfront on resort?

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/6421580/v ... un-mexico/
Deal Fanatic
May 14, 2009
6759 posts
1499 upvotes
How many people were shot dead in Canada over the same time period as those articles linked above? Is the rate (when you factor in population) that much worse in Mexico?

Nobody is disputing that there is gun violence everywhere. But isn’t *most* of it gang/drug cartel/mafia related?
Deal Addict
Jun 15, 2015
2879 posts
2271 upvotes
Toronto
It sounds like you have never been to this area and have no clue on what areas are being referred to. A headline like “shooting in Toronto” would make you avoid the whole city? Dare I also say there are good and bad areas of this city as well?

In regards to your articles:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/ ... st-hotspot
^^^simple google search shows this is a “gentleman’s” club NOT in the hotel zone. I’ve attached a map so you can distinguish where tourists go and what is considered “Cancun” city proper. It’s only a few km away but a stark contrast where tourists are.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/6024568/c ... drug-gang/
^^^article #2 if you read it also shows the violence happening in Cancun (the city) NOT in the hotel zone. There are also maps included. As a tourist there is there nothing of interest in this area and you don’t even have to do drive through it to get to the hotel zone. I should mention I was in this area last week (Cancun City) for a meeting. Also, the entrance and exits to the “Zona Hotelera” (where ALL the hotels are) have checkpoints for civilians.

https://globalnews.ca/news/4823122/shoo ... el-carmen/
^again.... second paragraph of the article. Far from 5th Avenue and the adjacent beachfront resorts and not a place where someone would venture to for any reason.

State and local police said the attack occurred late Sunday at the “Las Virginias” bar in a low-income section relatively far from the beachside tourist zone. Six men were found shot to death in the bar, and another died at a local hospital.


https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/6421580/v ... un-mexico/
^the only article you posted that is worth relevance.
This happened in May 2018 and clearly targeted. There are hundreds of resorts in the state of Quintana Roo. This has also happened in Jamaica (coincidentally at another RIU property in Negril). Do you also avoid Fort Lauderdale airport because of the mass shooting or Walmart’s in the US?

Mexico has its issues no doubt. But I stand by my original post with the # of tourists travelling per year and common sense it’s no different then anywhere else in the world these days.
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Deal Guru
Dec 20, 2018
10121 posts
10230 upvotes
BrunetteGirl wrote: It sounds like you have never been to this area and have no clue on what areas are being referred to. A headline like “shooting in Toronto” would make you avoid the whole city? Dare I also say there are good and bad areas of this city as well?

In regards to your articles:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/ ... st-hotspot
^^^simple google search shows this is a “gentleman’s” club NOT in the hotel zone. I’ve attached a map so you can distinguish where tourists go and what is considered “Cancun” city proper. It’s only a few km away but a stark contrast where tourists are.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/6024568/c ... drug-gang/
^^^article #2 if you read it also shows the violence happening in Cancun (the city) NOT in the hotel zone. There are also maps included. As a tourist there is there nothing of interest in this area and you don’t even have to do drive through it to get to the hotel zone. I should mention I was in this area last week (Cancun City) for a meeting. Also, the entrance and exits to the “Zona Hotelera” (where ALL the hotels are) have checkpoints for civilians.

https://globalnews.ca/news/4823122/shoo ... el-carmen/
^again.... second paragraph of the article. Far from 5th Avenue and the adjacent beachfront resorts and not a place where someone would venture to for any reason.

State and local police said the attack occurred late Sunday at the “Las Virginias” bar in a low-income section relatively far from the beachside tourist zone. Six men were found shot to death in the bar, and another died at a local hospital.


https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/6421580/v ... un-mexico/
^the only article you posted that is worth relevance.
This happened in May 2018 and clearly targeted. There are hundreds of resorts in the state of Quintana Roo. This has also happened in Jamaica (coincidentally at another RIU property in Negril). Do you also avoid Fort Lauderdale airport because of the mass shooting or Walmart’s in the US?

Mexico has its issues no doubt. But I stand by my original post with the # of tourists travelling per year and common sense it’s no different then anywhere else in the world these days.
?? So you're saying to only stay in hotels and not even go into the resort towns of playa del carmen or Cancun and shop or eat or even goto cocobongo?

Just stay inside the resort at all times?

Is this shooting in May 2019 at a tourist bar down the street from cocobongo not affect tourists ?

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/9091677/s ... gangsters/
Deal Guru
Dec 20, 2018
10121 posts
10230 upvotes
amz155 wrote:
Nobody is disputing that there is gun violence everywhere. But isn’t *most* of it gang/drug cartel/mafia related?
Nope, as the shootings are in tourist areas in bars/restaurants where they cater to tourists
Deal Expert
User avatar
Jul 5, 2004
27438 posts
6807 upvotes
Mexico has gun violence for sure. If you are involved in an incident, don't expect much from the police. The justice system is not up to the standards in the US or Canada. With that said, if you don't engage in risky behaviour, then you will likely not have any issues in Mexico. I've stayed at resorts in Mexico as well as rented a house in Mexico. Both times I traveled throughout the area, sometimes by taxi, sometimes by bus, sometimes by scooter. I went to numerous bars and never felt unsafe or had any issues at all.

Statistically speaking, you are unlikely to have issues in Mexico if you don't do anything stupid.
Deal Fanatic
May 14, 2009
6759 posts
1499 upvotes
StatsGuy wrote: Nope, as the shootings are in tourist areas in bars/restaurants where they cater to tourists
Just because the happen in large areas that tourists visit doesn’t exclude them from being drug and gang related.
Deal Guru
May 9, 2007
14882 posts
4842 upvotes
Nanaimo, BC
People should not be lulled into thinking we do not have serious problems in Mexico. Neither should they be confused about the reasons for the problems... the seemingly insatiable demand in the US for drugs that mostly originate in South America. (There is some marijuana and opium cultivation here in the state of Guerrero, but with all of the hydroponic, c;lone-developed cannabis production in Canada and the US now, who really smoke field-grown Mexican cannabis? This is 2019, not 1969.)

But neither should Canadians think that Mexico is a frightening place to be. Millions of people visit every year, have enjoyable experiences, and return home with nothing more serious happening to them than a sunburn.
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Every disaster film starts with scientists being ignored
Deal Fanatic
Sep 23, 2007
5654 posts
2168 upvotes
If one keeps looking at bad news, there's enough to make you scared of any country/city. One can keep reading about the gun shootings in Toronto, or that Van attack we had, and then conclude that Canada/Toronto is not safe.

Every country has problems. Millions of tourists go to Mexico for a reason. There's obviously enough fun to do and enough infrastructure that people think it is worth it. Unless you are going to a place like Syria or Central African Republic, general safety is not going to be a serious problem unless you go out of the way to look for problems.

Bad things will happen. I remember those 2 kids from BC who killed a bunch of people, including tourists. But the statistical probability of it happening to you while travelling is likely not much worse than of it happening while you living in your home city. 5 out of 1 million chance is slim chance. Just because it doubles to 10 out of 1 million, it's still a slim chance. The common sense practices you do like not making yourself an obvious target and not wondering into dangerous areas goes without saying.

Keep in mind that only sensational stories make the news. There are also tourists who die from pure accidents, like diving or paragliding. I was just in Petra and some guy decided to climb up a spot that was not meant to be climbed. He fell head first and probably died. If he simply took the paths everybody else walked, nothing would have happened.
Deal Addict
Nov 8, 2017
1556 posts
894 upvotes
I've generally boycott mexico because it's a shithole.
I go to Spain

It's like Mexico except for the Violence and poverty
Deal Addict
Jun 15, 2015
2879 posts
2271 upvotes
Toronto
StatsGuy wrote: ?? So you're saying to only stay in hotels and not even go into the resort towns of playa del carmen or Cancun and shop or eat or even goto cocobongo?

Just stay inside the resort at all times?

Is this shooting in May 2019 at a tourist bar down the street from cocobongo not affect tourists ?

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/9091677/s ... gangsters/
Again... you are missing the point. It’s clear you have never been to the Cancun / Playa Del Carmen area.
I can... & do venture off the resort and into the nearby vicinity.
The areas where your article’s are referring to have little to no interest to the average tourist including individuals like myself who need to move around the area for business purposes (And this is clearly stated in the articles). These are indeed cities/regions with good, bad and okay areas. Any major city in the world has this element present. I don’t go looking for trouble.

There have been few violent attacks over the years that have affected tourists. But once again given the millions that travel there your chances of something happening to you are very slim.
Deal Guru
May 9, 2007
14882 posts
4842 upvotes
Nanaimo, BC
I have a relative who is retired RCMP. When their kids were early 20s they travelled independently through Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union.

I asked him if he wasn’t worried about that.

His response was that “People like you, me and my kids have more to fear from traffic than from bad guys.”

It’s the same in Mexico.

Most people in Canada, the US, and Mexico who come to violence were relatives, friends, or acquaintances of their assailants. Don’t associate with disreputable people.
Global warming will be exceeded during the 21st century unless deep reductions in carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gas emissions occur (United Nations IPCC Report 2021)

Every disaster film starts with scientists being ignored
Deal Addict
User avatar
Jun 12, 2008
3759 posts
1397 upvotes
Ancaster
DHWestview wrote: This is why I decided a few years ago to boycott any travel or holidays to Mexico. If the local cops can't even bother to do a proper murder investigation because the victim is a foreigner then its time for a boycott. Add to that Mexico has turned into a narco-State and the country is one step away from turning into a complete civil war, and its time to stop going there

https://www.thestar.com/news/investigat ... eared.html
Shoddy investigations by police forces in areas where tourism is a huge part of the economy is not limited to Mexico. There are plenty of examples in countries that are highly regarded by tourists from all over the world.

Examples include Madeleine McCann disappearing in the tourist town of Praia De Luz Portugual, the Natallee Holloway murder in Aruba, and the botched investigation into the death of St. Lucian toddler Terrel Elibox.

Sometimes the reasons are incompetence/laziness and fear of loss of tourism dollars. Other times, it's just inexperience on the part of investigators with no intended malice.
Deal Addict
Oct 22, 2016
1047 posts
987 upvotes
Comox Valley
DHWestview wrote: This is why I decided a few years ago to boycott any travel or holidays to Mexico. If the local cops can't even bother to do a proper murder investigation because the victim is a foreigner then its time for a boycott. Add to that Mexico has turned into a narco-State and the country is one step away from turning into a complete civil war, and its time to stop going there

https://www.thestar.com/news/investigat ... eared.html
Your article that you posted was interesting. Well worth a read.

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