Travel into Mexico?

[J. Morgan]

Oh yea,,, if you do go into Mexico..... Make sure you don't have any firearms or ammo...

My brother in law knows a guy who spent a couple of years in a Mexican prison when the Mexican Police found three rifle cartridges in his trunk under the floor matt...

He didn't remember/know they were even there..... His family spent their life savings getting him out too.

In Mexico,,, unless someone brings you food, a few years in prison is a death sentence.....


1/2 Ton 4WD Truck, 72 Sovereign Hensley Arrow

[IanPoulin]

Any citations for these incidents? Just curious...


2011 Airstream International Serenity 28' - 30a/taupe
2013 Ford F150 v6-ecoboost with max tow and HD payload packages

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Hi, I have told people for decades that the Twenty Mule Team couldn't drag me across that border.

[Boxite]

The people who say "more Americans are killed in America than Mexico" seem to forget the relative concentration of Americans here than there.

Group Copper Canyon tours? Think they're safe? Here's the State Dept's comment: "Crime and violence remain serious problems throughout the state of Chihuahua, particularly in the southern portion of the state and in the Sierra mountains, including Copper Canyon."


In the 1990's I was a pilot for the state of Texas and personally flew the attorney-general to Mexico City so he could meet with the atty gen of Mexico. The purpose of the meeting was to coordinate law enforcement activities against organized drug-crime.
The Texas Rangers sent a bodyguard detail with automatic weapons and a crew-served .30 Browning was set-up dedicated to guarding the airplane even tho' I parked it on the Presidential aircraft hangar ramp surrounded by Mexican military.
Three days later we returned to Austin and the meeting was termed a success. The next day the headlines announced the arrest of the head of a major drug/crime-ring.... it WAS the Mexican atty gen!

Only a few weeks later a Dallas businessman was killed in a robbery in broad daylight in downtown Mexico City by 5 hoodlums who also beat up the taxi driver. They were caught almost immediately because they were throwing the money around which they'd taken from the American.
Within a month the judge released them from jail and they were never tried because the judge determined that the money they stole was not kept for their own use...but was thoroughly spent and given away within the barrio almost immediately... as the five were considered "Robin Hood" heroic types.

I declined to ever fly again into Mexico on official state business, never accept flights destined there, and have ceased personal trips down there forever.

I can't wait to go to Cuba.

[Overlander & Sea]

The OP, jornvango, has another thread in which he talks about his trip in 2014 from Mexico to Panama and back. In the first post of that thread he has a link to his blog, Roadtrippin' The Americas, that details his trip. Below is a link to that thread.

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f42/...-a-115103.html

His blog about their trip is a very interesting read.

Rick

[jornvango]

Thanks Overlander & Sea.

We had lived in Texas for over 10 years before we drove into Mexico and Central America. Of course we heard the bad news. Heck, even the Dodge mechanic (from Mexican descent) in San Antonio was telling us not to go.
This is why, when you do go and you meet other campers in Mexico and Central America, only 5% are Americans and 95% are from countries where they don't get brainwashed by the media about how unsafe Mexico is.

Yes, there's always a risk and you don't have to go looking for trouble. Use common sense wherever you travel. Attitudes like some I read here are why many beautiful, cheap campgrounds in Mexico's colonial cities or along its beautiful coast line are sitting mostly empty. And that's indeed more space for those of us who make the journey. I've always wondered why so many snowbirds drive thousands of miles south each winter only to stop north of the border. In my opinion, south Texas or other parts where many snowbirds end up doesn't even begin to compare to what Mexico has to offer. Mexico is cheaper, more culturally interesting (they have century old architecture down there, which is few and far between up in the States), a better climate (we love the Altiplano), interesting food ...

Now that we returned from our trip, we moved from Texas and are now living in Arizona. Can't wait to go down into Mexico on weekend trips.

[drboyd]

Originally Posted by Gearheart

Getting away without any incident does not equate with safety. Like riding a motorcycle without a helmet, It's safe enough until it isn't. Having gotten away X number of times does not improve the odds of the next time. Every time you roll the dice the odds are the same. sooner or later it comes up snake eyes.

I'm hoping that nobody, to include certainly yourself, finds this offensive - but I've walked from my house to the car thousands of times without being struck by a meteorite, too.

[SteveH]

Originally Posted by drboyd

I'm hoping that nobody, to include certainly yourself, finds this offensive - but I've walked from my house to the car thousands of times without being struck by a meteorite, too.

Yes, and by the same train of thought, I've never been hit by a tornado either, fortunately, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't respect the potential danger of huge thunder storms.

[andreasduess]

If you want to know what it's really like to RV in Mexico, as a family, take a look at bumfuzzle.com.

The requirements for a happy experience appear to be common sense, friendliness and a basic command of the language.

[J. Morgan]

America is a big nation with plenty to see..... It might not be as cheap as most places in Mexico, but America is safer for a gringo with good sense...

It might be worth mentioning that should a person need medical care in Mexico, emergency or not,,,, have cash.... There is no such thing as emergency care before payment.


1/2 Ton 4WD Truck, 72 Sovereign Hensley Arrow

[drboyd]

My friend Dustin got his foot stung by a stingray at the beach. The local hospital washed out the wound bandaged it, and gave him the anti-venon.

Lucky for him, he had ten bucks cash to pay the total bill.

[RamblinManGa]

Hi from AZ. . . I love going to Mexico, always have. My 1st real trip there was bone fishing in the Yucatan in about '82. We've been many times & had no problems. Now that we live in AZ, I'm really looking forward to taking the AS.. . .We are cautious about where we go & what we do for sure, & I don't go places I don't 'feel' safe, but I felt less safe in 'Nawlins' for sure. Regards, Craig

[J. Morgan]

My guess is that even if your buddy didn't have the ten bucks, he would have lived without treatment.


1/2 Ton 4WD Truck, 72 Sovereign Hensley Arrow

[r carl]

Originally Posted by SteveH

I live about 150 miles from the border, and my brother lives 5 miles from the border.

Y'all obviously can do whatever you want, but I WILL NOT cross the border, and I'm pretty much nervous and on guard when I visit my brother.

I would not cross that border either, you do and your in a different world.

[aftermath]

Originally Posted by Gearheart

Getting away without any incident does not equate with safety. Like riding a motorcycle without a helmet, It's safe enough until it isn't. Having gotten away X number of times does not improve the odds of the next time. Every time you roll the dice the odds are the same. sooner or later it comes up snake eyes.

Well said. Yes, we are always taking chances but not all are equally likely to happen. The meteorite statement was just silly like talking about getting hit by lighting. The question for all of us is what is your level of risk? I still scoff at those who refuse to travel with their refrigerators running. This level of risk is miniscule compared to the risk from collision. Common sense and paranoia are two different things.

The advice some have given about being nice, taking precautions and going where "it is safe" provokes the question, how do you know where it is safe? When the state department puts out a warning about travel in Mexico I think most of us would take that as serious. Flying into Cancun is not quite the same as pulling your Airstream over the border and driving down there. After watching the news, reading the stories and reading the warnings from the state department, my risk assessment of pulling the trailer into Mexico is far to great for me to ever do this. As someone said earlier, if you are not comfortable doing this, don't do it. That is me. I wish all the rest of you the best of luck. There is a chance that everything will go smoothly for you.

[J. Morgan]

Originally Posted by r carl

I would not cross that border either, you do and your in a different world.

With different laws and different rules.....

Who will end up on the wrong side of a corrupt government? No one knows....


1/2 Ton 4WD Truck, 72 Sovereign Hensley Arrow

[IanPoulin]

Originally Posted by r carl

I would not cross that border either, you do and your in a different world.

.....which I would suggest is a major point of travel.


2011 Airstream International Serenity 28' - 30a/taupe
2013 Ford F150 v6-ecoboost with max tow and HD payload packages

[IanPoulin]

Originally Posted by aftermath

When the state department puts out a warning about travel in Mexico I think most of us would take that as serious. Flying into Cancun is not quite the same as pulling your Airstream over the border and driving down there.

The state department assessment is not about the nation of Mexico, but rather of specific states, and calls out current concerns/issues with specific areas, cities, and sometimes call out specific sections of which cities. Read through the current assessment - straight forward enough to accurately plan a full trip but that advice.


2011 Airstream International Serenity 28' - 30a/taupe
2013 Ford F150 v6-ecoboost with max tow and HD payload packages

[AWCHIEF]

I have a silly suggest. Instead of making snide mildly insulting remarks if you do not care to visit Mexico - don't go. It will have no effect on my decision to go down every chance I get. It is a beautiful country with great friendly people.

[J. Morgan]

The people are not really the problem. The problem is the Mexican government......


1/2 Ton 4WD Truck, 72 Sovereign Hensley Arrow