is mexico city safe?
 

i dont know where else to post this. CO is the leading airline to Mexico, so i thought i'd be best here.

im considering a last minute trip to mex with my brothers for 4th of july weeked. the fares for FC are cheaper than econ to any other city anywhere.

we'd be staying at the W. it seems like a great city, but i have heard bad things about the city in terms of kidnappings and other foolishness.

we have traveld all over the world and are ok with inherent dangers associted with americans in foreign countries.

just wanted to get some first hand knowledge form CO'ers that frequent the city.

we both speak spanish well.

also, is there lots to do there. it'll be "boys night out" for four nights.

There's a Latin America forum I think. Mexico City can be dangerous if you go off wandering or use a street taxi (green & white VW Beetles). Arrange car service through the W Hotel (cheap) and you'll be fine. I absolutely love MEX.

There's a related thread on the topic here.

Sums it up pretty well.

I really like visiting Mexico City, though it's been a couple of years since I've been :(

EmailKid

By all means, go there, but
 

I second the statement on getting a car and driver from the hotel. Also, keep the following in mind:

1. At Mexico City, if you are going to convert pesos at the airport, watch your valuables carefully. Many thefts can take place at the currency exchange windows. IME, the rates are better there than in the US.

2. Go to the registered airport taxi window, last I recall, it was to the far left of international arrivals and get a voucher for the cab to take you to your hotel. DO NOT take taxi rides from the many helpers who will try to offer you a ride.

3. Do not walk alone at night anywhere, even men should follow this rule.

4. At restaurants, if you do not have your car and driver, have the restaurant call a radio taxi for you. Don't go hail a taxi on your own.

Notwithstanding all of this, Mexico City is a great place to take a weekend trip. The museums, restaurants, pyramids, the zoo all make the time worthwhile. Great people watching is available on Sunday am in the Coyoacan area and the Frieda Kaklo house is walking distance in that neighborhood.

Or better yet, just use an ATM. Best rates.

Right - these airport taxis are fine. DO NOT take the VW green & whites.

Yup.

Yup. Radio cabs called by restauratns are fine. But just get a car & driver from hotel. Probably only US$10-15/hour.

Yup! Great city. ^

Did you look into CUN? If you are looking for "boys night out", its a great place. I was there for bachelor party in April and we had no problem finding the things that make bachelor parties fun. None at all.

Yeah, that's fun, but different. CUN is really the same as going to any beach resort, and there's nothing culturally exciting about it.

Agreed, but "boys night out" for 4 nights doesnt scream culture to me! ;)

Yeep - anyway, thanks to the OP for this thread. J.Edward will be in MEX in early October and I'm sure this info is going to be quite useful. :)

Take out Ransom Insurance (Before you need it)
 

There are numerous kidnapings (every day) and even poor people in MEX are being kidnaped and held for USD $35.00 ransom.

A driver and bodyguard would be a good idea if you are traveling around a lot.

I would strongly suggest getting ransom insurance before you travel to MEX.

It is an extremely dangerous city and you should be very cautious.

RC

IMHO, this is way exaggerated.

I recall a story by a Wall Street Journal reporter a couple of years ago about how he was kidnapped and driven around to ATMs to make forced withdrawals until his account was emptied.

Didn't sound like much fun.

Right. That's why one should get a car and driver from the hotel.

If you feel safe -- just keep your eyes and ears open and don't take chances
 

I don't like to play these odds.

If you have problems, you might find it a lot harder to resolve.

The "it couldn't happen to me" philosophy is risky in a city of 30 million people.

There is a lot of crime in MEX, so be very cautious.

RC

Ransom insurance is not really necessary unless you are going around with someone who himself would be a target. The targets of kidnappings in Mexico are locals whose habits are well known. Once a person's daily habits are known, if the person is known to have some means, then the person is a potential target. Joe or Jane Average Tourist are not kidnap targets unless the do something stupid like walk alone at night or hail street cabs. IMHO, telling the average tourist to get kidnap insurance is alarmist. Their efforts are far better spent in taking basic preventive measures as described in this thread. I know a bit about this subject, a client and friend of mine was kidnapped in Mexico. He is well known, well established and for that reason he was an easy target. Frankly I am in far more danger when I go out with him than I am when I am alone.

This is not exaggerated. Mexico City is a polluted crime filled toilet. If you have never been there, be ready to see something completely 3rd world. I hope you enjoy gagging smog and having your bowels scream for mercy after drinking polluted water and rotten meats.

Why in the H&LL did you choose Mexico City for a vacation for the boys??

Wish I could see your expression and you swoop in out of the clouds into the smog...get close enough to the ground to see the tin sheds and OVERWHELMING poverty and pollution.

But, hey, the chicas are pretty.

In any event, wouldn't K & R insurance be so expensive that it would defeat the purpose of an impromptu, relatively low-priced Z fare-style trip to MEX? If the insurance cost like $300 a person, it might be worth it; if not, the OP would be better off not going unless he was willing to take the risk of being kidnapped while uninsured.

You guys are blowing this WAAAAAAAAAAAAy out of proportion. Kidnappings are very planned and structured things. Some random tourist isn't generally kidnapped. It happens to locals and expats that live there, whose lives are watched an monitored.

As someone that considers Mexico a second home, I find your comments inappropriate and insulting.

Great. Let it be insulting and inappropriate. I guess I'm less interested in saving your feelings than I am preventing this poor soul from getting shot in the head for $20.

He asked a question, he gets an honest answer. Especially about his personal safety regarding one of the most crime ridden cities in the world.

I wouldn't recommend walking around the ghettos of Detroit also, if that makes you feel better about it.

Like Detroit, MEX is perfectly safe if you take the precautions recommended in this thread. :rolleyes:

Hey, why take my word and experience on it.

This is straight from the US State Department website.

CRIME: Crime in Mexico continues at high levels, and it is often violent, especially in Mexico City, Tijuana, Ciudad Juarez, Nuevo Laredo, and the state of Sinaloa. Other metropolitan areas have lower, but still serious, levels of crime. Low apprehension and conviction rates of criminals contribute to the high crime rate. Travelers should always leave valuables and irreplaceable items in a safe place, or not bring them. All visitors are encouraged to make use of hotel safes when available, avoid wearing obviously expensive jewelry or designer clothing, and carry only the cash or credit cards that will be needed on each outing. There are a significant number of pick-pocketing incidents, purse snatchings and hotel-room thefts. Public transportation is a particularly popular place for pickpockets. U.S. citizen victims of crime in Mexico are encouraged to report the incident to the nearest police headquarters and to the nearest U.S. consular office.

Visitors should be aware of their surroundings at all times, even when in areas generally considered safe. Women traveling alone are especially vulnerable and should exercise caution, particularly at night. Victims, who are almost always unaccompanied, have been raped, robbed of personal property, or abducted and then held while their credit cards were used at various businesses and Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs). Armed street crime is a serious problem in all of the major cities. Some bars and nightclubs, especially in resort cities such as Cancun, Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, and Acapulco, can be havens for drug dealers and petty criminals. Some establishments may contaminate or drug drinks to gain control over the patron.

U.S. citizens should be very cautious in general when using ATMs in Mexico. If an ATM must be used, it should be accessed only during the business day at large protected facilities (preferably inside commercial establishments, rather than at glass-enclosed, highly visible ATMs on streets). U.S. and Mexican citizens are sometimes accosted on the street and forced to withdraw money from their accounts using their ATM cards.

A number of Americans have been arrested for passing on counterfeit currency they had earlier received in change. If you receive what you believe to be a counterfeit bank note, bring it to the attention of Mexican law enforcement.Kidnapping, including the kidnapping of non-Mexicans, continues at alarming rates. So-called "express" kidnappings, an attempt to get quick cash in exchange for the release of an individual, have occurred in almost all the large cities in Mexico and appear to target not only the wealthy, but also middle class persons. U.S. businesses with offices in Mexico or concerned U.S. citizens may contact the U.S. Embassy or any U.S. consulate to discuss precautions they should take.

Criminal assaults occur on highways throughout Mexico; travelers should exercise extreme caution at all times, avoid traveling at night, and may wish to use toll (“cuota”) roads rather than the less secure “free” (“libre”) roads whenever possible. In addition, U.S. citizens should not hitchhike with, or accept rides from or offer rides to, strangers anywhere in Mexico. Tourists should not hike alone in backcountry areas, nor walk alone on lightly-frequented beaches, ruins or trails.

All bus travel should be during daylight hours and on first-class conveyances. Although there have been several reports of bus hijackings and robberies on toll roads, buses on toll roads have a markedly lower rate of incidents than buses (second and third class) that travel the less secure "free" highways. The Embassy advises caution when traveling by bus from Acapulco toward Ixtapa or Huatulco. Although the police have made some progress in bringing this problem under control, armed robberies of entire busloads of passengers still occur.

In some instances, Americans have become victims of harassment, mistreatment and extortion by Mexican law enforcement and other officials. Mexican authorities have cooperated in investigating such cases, but one must have the officer's name, badge number, and patrol car number to pursue a complaint effectively. Please note this information if you ever have a problem with police or other officials. In addition, tourists should be wary of persons representing themselves as police officers or other officials. When in doubt, ask for identification. Be aware that offering a bribe to a public official to avoid a ticket or other penalty is a crime in Mexico.

It is increasingly common for extortionists to call prospective victims on the telephone, often posing as police officers, and demand payments in return for the release of an arrested family member, or to forestall a kidnapping. Prison inmates using smuggled cellular phones often place these calls. Persons receiving such calls should be extremely skeptical since most such demands or threats are baseless, and should contact the U.S. Embassy or closest U.S. consulate, or the Department of State for assistance.

A lot of the same things can be said about the bad areas of US cities. Staying at the beautiful Four Seasons or W, having a private driver and car, going to dinner in Polanco, going to museums, etc, nothing bad is going to happen.

Forget Mexico and just go to East LA. Same atmosphere but you can use the US Dollar and don't have to clear customs. :D

You are in denial and trying to paint a rosy scenario.

What you are REALLY saying is to for this guy to have the most artificial 'Mexico City Experience' possible by staying away from the locals and pricing his way away from the 'common' citizens there. Essentially, isolate himself away from the 20,000,000 people there that don't have money. Nice.

I've never had to even think about a body guard, private car, being kidnapped, or anything even close to that anywhere in the US.

To compare Mexico City to ANY city in the US is simply ridiculous. Perhaps hard to accept for you, but completely not comparable. Period.

The guy should be ultra-careful and NOT think of it as a dirty Las Vegas. If he and his boys get messed up on booze and lose their wits the consequences in Mexico City can be severe. Period.

And you won't have to pop pills and sit on the toilet for 4 days trying to get bacteria out of your system.

I mean...Mexico City...jesus. Talk about not making my list of places to go for 'fun'.

Wow. You really seem to have some issues with the place. As far as getting sick, just drink bottled watter. I recommend that to travelers traveling in any foreign country.

If you open your mind a bit, MEX can be a lot of fun.

I don't have 'issues' with Mexico City. I'm just being honest with the OP who asked the question. Telling an already naive person to go there with a bunch of other guys looking to get boozed up and not worry is just flat crazy.

I've been there several times and Toluca (worse).

I was shocked at how bad it was and I've been to some other really impoverished places on the planet. Mexico City is only second to a few cities I've been to in mainland China (for pollution) and probably the worst for an overwhelming feeling of not being safe. I'd probably give a tie to Sao Paulo but they are both bad.

I don't know anyone that would go to Mexico City for fun. Go to one of the 'Americanized' (<---read artificial for Yankees/Europeans) like Cancun or Cozumel or whatever if you want to have a good and relatively safe time.

BTW, I've never had to worry about drinking bottled water anywhere in the US either. That should generally tell you something about a place.

I take it you don't like chilangos ;)

I said the chicas were pretty didn't I?

I stay in Polanco at the InterContinental when I go there. Of course, that area is rich and the people are just snooty like they are in any rich part of any big city. Maybe a little more so there. I'm talking about the RICH people there. Not the poor hombre that drove me around 24 hours a day in a huge suburban for peanuts or the bell hops that drive back to the slums at the end of their shift.

That city (and country) seems overly rife with rich people controlling everything and not sharing a dime with what basically amounts to peasants by US standards. Corruption seems to be completely out-of-countrol.

Did they cater to me because I was an American? Yea, I suppose so because I was spending significant amounts of money.

The question was if or if not Mexico City is a fun and SAFE place to go party.

I would say no, obviously.

Act like a target and you are a target
 

Walk in the wrong places at the wrong time in LA, Miami, New York or New Orleans and you will get robbed. Flash money in Mexico City, walk around like you don't have a clue what you are doing in the wrong places and you are asking for trouble. What I don't put much stock in are the alarmist warnings on the Consular Information Sheets. These sheets have a not-too-well hidden political agenda. What you cannot do in Mexico are some things that you might do in a large city in the US, like hail a street taxi or leave valuables unattended in airports. (In this TSA era, you can't do that here either.) Mexico City has great restaurants, museums, parks, archealogical sites and other attractions. Many of the objections that are raised in this thread can be also stated about most major third world cities, the cities have substantial poor areas and if you are careless, you can be a victim of crime. Geez, there are even kidnappings in places such as Mendoza, Argentina, but they don't target tourists unless you advertise your wealth.

I have seen passengers at International Arrivals in Mexico City who immediately flash a money clip and head off to the exchange window with lots of luggage. They don't pay attention to what they are doing as if they were at the ATM line at Smallsville back home. They might as well have a sign on their foreheads that says "Robame". I have friends who were crime victims in MEX, they called me at my hotel for help, but it was no surprise what happened to them. They were stupid enough to board a street cab on Insurgentes Sur at 12:30 am. They were robbed at gunpoint and she was threatened with sexual assault. She is Mexican to boot, and she admitted their abject stupidity in taking a street taxi at that hour (or at any hour.) Bottom line to all travel, if you are stupid, you set yourself up to be a crime victim. All of the third world is less forgiving of such stupidity, because law enforcement is far below US standards and the countries have pervasive poverty. If you expect US security standards, visit small towns in the US or Canada. The third world is not Mayberry.

FWIW, it seems that if all the OP wants to do is stay in the nice areas of the city and visit the major tourist spots for three days, he will be fine unless he strays from the safe practices outlined in this thread (taking street cabs, walking around at night, etc.). Perhaps the best plan would be to hire a driver during the day and go to museums and any other sights during daylight hours. Then during the evenings, they could head back to the upscale hotel area, grab dinner at a nice restaurant, then finish up in one of the hotel bars - this would alleviate concern about drunken vulnerability in the streets, etc. That general plan probably would be safe.

As far as I am concerned, I drink bottled anytime I leave NYC much less the continental US...

That was my point. It is third world and NOT to be underestimated as if you are in the US/Western Europe/Canada.

I don't know of any political agendas of the US Consular except to provide information to US citizens for their own protection and awareness. It's a
'better safe than sorry' approach, of course.

The only reason I give warning is because it's supposed to be a wild 'guys weekend'. In my mind that involves drunk horseplay, chasing skirts, and everything else guys do when out on a warrior's weekend. THAT, I think can be a recipe for accidents. I doubt they are wanting to go to museums and such.

Hey, just my thoughts/opinion.

???? NYC has the safest water in the US? :confused:

Nope, just the best tasting tap water. Serioulsy, NYC has the best tap water around ^

(And I am with you MEX is a sh*thole)

^

We spent a substantial portion of our holiday budget on tourist taxis. This was mostly arranged by the hotel, and at times by an eager bellhop. Roughly, we spent 2x-3x on taxis than on meals. No, make that 4x. The one time we asked a cop to help us locate a cab, he flagged down a passing Nissan. It was when we got on that we realized how overpriced our hotel arranged cabs were compared to the "sitio" taxis. But with a little baby in our hands, better safe than sorry.

Mexico City is one of the most vibrant and artistic places in the world I've ever seen. There is art and culture wherever you look - even in the poorest of poor migrant basket weavers. We would return in a heartbeat. Hell, we would move there if I could find a relevant job.

its not like my trip is going to be a nutty vegas style "boys night out" type trip. we all came up with some free time last minute, and flights are either full or skyhigh. we are flying on Z fares for $600 and staying the nicest part of the city. i think it should be a cool trip. we all speak spanish fine.

my brother's and i have travelled the world. ive been to rio and morroco and barcelona, and returned home unscathed.

rio's safety concerns made like you couldnt where a damn watch. i felt more endangered in barcelona than i have anywhere else in the world.

well, actually, i will never visit morocco again.

we're staying at the W and plan on using their concierge for recommended trips, bars and restaurants.

i think well be fine.