How to avoid getting killed in Mexico

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clickie
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Re: How to avoid getting killed in Mexico

#41 Post by clickie » Wed Mar 11, 2015 9:54 am

I just wanted to point that out for people who aren't from the US who might've believed what you wrote. Pot is far from being legal here.

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mockbee
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Re: How to avoid getting killed in Mexico

#42 Post by mockbee » Wed Mar 11, 2015 10:03 am

clickie wrote:I just wanted to point that out for people who aren't from the US who might've believed what you wrote. Pot is far from being legal here.
What state do you live in clickie?

On the entire west coast you can pretty much smoke a joint walking down the street and be fine.

clickie
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Re: How to avoid getting killed in Mexico

#43 Post by clickie » Wed Mar 11, 2015 10:21 am

I can walk up and down the beach with an unlicensed gun in my pocket and be fine. That doesn't make it virtually legal.

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perkana
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Re: How to avoid getting killed in Mexico

#44 Post by perkana » Thu Mar 12, 2015 6:35 pm

Didn't want to start another thread but thought this would fit in here...
According to emails from the Sony Pictures hack. Leaked documents cited by Mexican media and Tax Analysts reveal Mexico City officials purportedly gave million in rebates and tax incentives to Sony Pictures and MGM Studios to rewrite the film’s storyline to show Mexico in a favorable light.

“We are currently facing a budget that is far beyond what we anticipated, and are under immense pressure to reduce the number to $250M net of rebates and incentives,” reads an alleged email attributed to MGM president Jonathan Glickman.
Mexican media also cites a memo titled “Elements needed to preserve Mexican deal,” which allegedly detailed how Mexican officials wanted their country portrayed in the film titled “Spectre.” Mexican officials reportedly requested that a “known Mexican actress” be cast as the Bond girl, and stipulated that the villain named Lucia Sciarra “cannot be Mexican.”

http://m.liveleak.com/view?i=941_142611 ... hR7af.dpuf

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perkana
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Re: How to avoid getting killed in Mexico

#45 Post by perkana » Sun May 17, 2015 9:00 am

I think mockbee was interested in knowing how violence is in my country...Recently some teenagers (two 13 year old girls, two 15 year old boys and an 11 year old) played a 'kidnap' game with a 6 year old boy. They tied him up, beat him up, threw rocks at his head, suffocated him with a stick and one of the girls even stabbed him to make sure he wouldn't talk. They buried him, put a dead animal so they could distract cops. The 15 year olds 'might' be tried as adults while the younger ones will only be referred to juvenile court. People blame it on narc culture (narcocorridos) that glorify the life of drug dealers.
http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/estados/2 ... 00538.html

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mockbee
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Re: How to avoid getting killed in Mexico

#46 Post by mockbee » Sun May 17, 2015 9:23 am

That's sad. Similar stuff has happened here in the past due in part to our culture of violence, maybe methods are different, but results the same. It seems to be very rare though.

Hopefully this particular type of case is rare for you guys as well.

:sad:


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Bandit72
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Re: How to avoid getting killed in Mexico

#48 Post by Bandit72 » Thu Jul 09, 2015 1:26 am

Another interesting story and set of short films.

http://news.sky.com/story/1515628/insid ... super-labs

'Danny' still believes the police work for the cartels.

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perkana
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Re: How to avoid getting killed in Mexico

#49 Post by perkana » Thu Jul 09, 2015 11:43 am

Of course they do. Also responsible for massacres and they were involved in the disappearance of the Ayotzinapa students.

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Bandit72
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Re: How to avoid getting killed in Mexico

#50 Post by Bandit72 » Fri Jul 10, 2015 12:24 am

perkana wrote:Of course they do. Also responsible for massacres and they were involved in the disappearance of the Ayotzinapa students.
What's the attitude to police like there in general? As normal? Or are they generally not liked?

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perkana
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Re: How to avoid getting killed in Mexico

#51 Post by perkana » Fri Jul 10, 2015 9:11 am

We don't trust them. They are seen as abusive motherfuckers :noclue:

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mockbee
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Re: How to avoid getting killed in Mexico

#52 Post by mockbee » Fri Jul 10, 2015 9:46 am

perkana wrote:We don't trust them. They are seen as abusive motherfuckers :noclue:

yeah, I was going to say.

When I am in Mexico, if I needed help, I would approach a stranger on the street before I went up to any police officer.

And really there would be no reason whatsoever to report anything, and I mean, ANYTHING.


:noclue:

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Bandit72
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Re: How to avoid getting killed in Mexico

#53 Post by Bandit72 » Fri Jul 10, 2015 3:08 pm

Doesn't that make it a lawless country? When I went in 2002, I did DF, Guadalajara, Tequila, Tepic, San Blas and a few other remote places to the west. Puerto Vallarta was probably the most touristy place we went to. We were even advised not to get too involved with beetle cab drivers in DF? Which I thought was bizarre. Not sure if I would do that post 2006. I know cartels generally fight other cartels, but you just don't know.

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perkana
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Re: How to avoid getting killed in Mexico

#54 Post by perkana » Fri Jul 10, 2015 4:11 pm

No, it doesn't make it lawless. Not all policemen are bad. Most of them are corrupt. As mockbee said, I rather ask a stranger on the street than a policeman for directions. The tourist warnings given by embassies are sometimes over the top. You just have to do the same thing you would do in your own country. A friend of mine from Manchester came to visit me back in 2002 and he had heard the warnings about the cabs. We took one on the street and we didn't have a problem. But if you go to some violent places, of course you have to be extra careful. I would think you would be smart enough to take precautions.

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Bandit72
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Re: How to avoid getting killed in Mexico

#55 Post by Bandit72 » Wed Jul 15, 2015 5:51 am

So, just by magic, El Chapo finds a hole underneath his shower, leading to a mile long tunnel (with a motorbike in!).

I bet he couldn't believe his luck :eyes:

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Hype
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Re: How to avoid getting killed in Mexico

#56 Post by Hype » Wed Jul 15, 2015 6:00 am

You just have to do the same thing you would do in your own country.
... take cabs without worrying at all, and feel free to ask police officers for directions/help if we need to? :noclue:

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perkana
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Re: How to avoid getting killed in Mexico

#57 Post by perkana » Wed Jul 15, 2015 10:24 am

Don't be silly, just ask someone who lives there. I take the subway and cabs from sites. As for cops, I only ask the ones who are in public view. Also, never wear any jewelry when using public transportation. You don't want to get attention. Just use your common sense.

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perkana
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Re: How to avoid getting killed in Mexico

#58 Post by perkana » Wed Jul 15, 2015 10:29 am

Bandit72 wrote:So, just by magic, El Chapo finds a hole underneath his shower, leading to a mile long tunnel (with a motorbike in!).

I bet he couldn't believe his luck :eyes:
Some reporters say they saw that kind of tunnels that connected houses where he would hide. So of course authorities were bought. Other low level people could have been threatened. I just found it surreal that masses in Culiacán were dedicated took him after he broke out. He definitely isn't in Mexico. They are just playing dumb in my opinion.

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mockbee
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Re: How to avoid getting killed in Mexico

#59 Post by mockbee » Wed Jul 15, 2015 12:32 pm

Adurentibus Spina wrote:
You just have to do the same thing you would do in your own country.
... take cabs without worrying at all, and feel free to ask police officers for directions/help if we need to? :noclue:
Canada must be nice.

Lately I have had the worst luck with cabs, they are dead here. Two have got "lost" going a mile or more out of the way, I was giving them the benefit of the doubt, but finally have to keep correcting them, and they play dumb. Also, a couple times I have taken cabs home from the airport and they have been really drousy, one time veering all the way off the road into the median gravel and then back on the road at 65 mph, I reported that guy. I hate cabs.

I know, use Uber or Lyft or whatever, I can't get on board with that, fine for other people, but they are just as annoying/terrible drivers, like the cabs.

I wouldn't talk to the police here. Not a productive use of time, really. At best you'll get a nod, like "what the hell do you want?" and well, you have plenty of videos of the worst.

:noclue:

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Bandit72
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Re: How to avoid getting killed in Mexico

#60 Post by Bandit72 » Wed Jul 15, 2015 1:16 pm

Isn't asking police for directions a bit old skool? I'd say unless you're 94, you'd have some kind of navigation on your phone, or at least the internet. If it's something very specific I'd ask s local or someone in a shop or something. Plus you can never find a policeman when you really need one...

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Hype
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Re: How to avoid getting killed in Mexico

#61 Post by Hype » Wed Jul 15, 2015 2:21 pm

I understand what Perkana and Mockbee are trying to say, but I have to disagree that "not wearing jewelery" is "common sense", at least, everywhere. Sure, it might be common sense in a state with a high ratio of corrupt police officers and potentially dangerous cab drivers, and I'm not really sure why Mockbee's apparently had some troubling experiences (from what he's described he may just be easily annoyed by things that don't easily annoy me), because I've never had issues with cabbies or uber drivers.. and I've used both of them in Chicago, Madison, NY, Toronto, Montreal... :neutral: I like cab drivers. Maybe it's because they all have degrees in philosophy too? :dunce:

I agree that it's not a normal thing to have to ask a police officer for directions... but I'm 100% certain that most of the time (unless there's literally a crime happening right there and then), Canadian police would try to help you, even if just to say "Sorry, I don't know." And that's the same thing a cop in NY said to me when I got lost there. :lol:

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mockbee
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Re: How to avoid getting killed in Mexico

#62 Post by mockbee » Wed Jul 15, 2015 3:06 pm

Adurentibus Spina wrote:...................... and I'm not really sure why Mockbee's apparently had some troubling experiences (from what he's described he may just be easily annoyed by things that don't easily annoy me), because I've never had issues with cabbies or uber drivers.. and I've used both of them in Chicago, Madison, NY, Toronto, Montreal... :neutral: I like cab drivers. Maybe it's because they all have degrees in philosophy too? :dunce:
Won't argue the cop anecdotes, yeah, for a white guy, cops are pretty benign here.

In the past I haven't minded the cab drivers here, I hate paying $20+ to get across town, but that is a personal issue. But lately, with cabs pretty much dead here due to Uber and Lyft, there is a weird/angry vibe with them now towards their customers. There are plenty of examples on yelp beyond my own, but maybe that's nothing new. :noclue:
I prefer my cab drivers to be awake with their eyes open, not veering far outside the white line into the gravel median when doing 65, I guess I'm weird that way..... :drink: :lol:

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perkana
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Re: How to avoid getting killed in Mexico

#63 Post by perkana » Wed Jul 15, 2015 3:15 pm

Bandit72 wrote:Isn't asking police for directions a bit old skool? I'd say unless you're 94, you'd have some kind of navigation on your phone, or at least the internet. If it's something very specific I'd ask s local or someone in a shop or something. Plus you can never find a policeman when you really need one...
I have used their service when I didn't know how to use google maps and I was still learning. They were nice enough to stop traffic so I could get into reverse on an avenue. But I wasn't alone and they seemed nice :noclue:

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perkana
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Re: How to avoid getting killed in Mexico

#64 Post by perkana » Wed Jul 15, 2015 3:16 pm

Adurentibus Spina wrote:I understand what Perkana and Mockbee are trying to say, but I have to disagree that "not wearing jewelery" is "common sense".
Sorry, forgot to say here it is. If you've heard stories or seen people mugged because of their jewelry or having their phones out of their pockets/bags. You would be stupid not to follow your common sense :lol:

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perkana
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Re: How to avoid getting killed in Mexico

#65 Post by perkana » Wed Jul 15, 2015 3:21 pm

mockbee wrote: I know, use Uber or Lyft or whatever, I can't get on board with that, fine for other people, but they are just as annoying/terrible drivers, like the cabs.
Neither do I. After reading about the rape stories, since I would take them by myself. I've taken cabs late at night by myself and have been lucky enough not to get raped nor mugged. I swear the drivers must have thought I was testing them. There is a cab site 2 or 3 blocks away from where I live, so that's what I use. Knock on wood, I have never been mugged on the streets, cabs or other kind of public transportation. I know people who have been mugged dozen of times. Guess it's luck, too :noclue:

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