5 tips for your safety in Mexico
Mexico is famous for many things: the beauty of its nature, the beautiful beaches, the friendly Mexicans, the delicious food, and much more. However, Mexico has not yet won a Nobel Prize for security in the country. Here are some tips to keep in mind.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Safety on the streets in Mexico
Especially after dark, safety in Mexico is often less than certain. Cabs stopped on the street are often in danger of being robbed, not only in Mexico. You should also be careful when you are invited to city tours, here the guide should always show an ID from "SECTUR".
In principle, in Mexico you should only get into registered cabs at official cab stands ("sitios") or from your hotel. Avoid traveling by rental car or bus and walking at night.
Deposit passport, driver's license, plane ticket, jewelry and cash in the hotel safe, rather carry only a photocopy of your identification documents on the way. You should also carry only necessary amounts of money and valuables with you.
When Mexicans drive their cars in larger cities, they usually lock the car's security latch from the inside. This way, when you stop at a red light, the car doors can't be opened by surprise from the outside. You should also try to avoid being approached by itinerant vendors, artists or beggars at intersections while your car is stationary – ignoring them is a good method here.
We have also observed that Mexicans in big cities do not stop for safety reasons when driving at night, even at red lights if the intersection is clear. This is the kind of driving behavior not only other drivers should expect, but especially nighttime walkers.
Theft in Mexico
Frequent thefts occur during rides on the subway or public transportation in Mexico City. In principle, handbags, photo equipment and valuables should always be firmly anchored to the body. There has also been a sharp increase in the number of credit card copying crimes.
When visiting a restaurant in Mexico, NEVER hang your bag over the back of a chair as you would at home. Always keep your bag on your lap or hooked on your arm, or use fanny packs.
When visiting the sanitary area in pubs, ladies should never hang their handbag on wall hooks on the door of the toilet cubicle if the door is open upwards. This also applies to airports, bus stations and all public areas.
Poverty in Mexico
Mexico is a beautiful country, but poverty is still a pervasive problem. We believe that it is unnecessary to hold the gold Rolex or family jewels in front of people with difficult life circumstances.
It is better to do without valuable items in your luggage and travel the world with inexpensive accessories that will not tempt anyone and whose possible loss will not hit you hard.
Beggars in Mexico
Anyone who decides to give a few pesos to beggars will immediately find themselves surrounded by a begging crowd from which there is almost no escape. Even if the sight of begging children is heartbreaking – in most cases they are sent to this work by their families, and often their earnings are immediately converted into beer and tequila by their father.
If you want to give these kids something, give them something edible. It's the only thing that helps the kids personally, because it will be eaten for sure and not delivered to wherever.
Drug War
Drug war in Mexico refers to armed conflicts fought by police and military units against the Mexican drug cartels and also between the drug cartels themselves.
However, these conflicts are mostly limited to the Mexican states bordering the U.S. because of the control of transit routes for drug smuggling, and possibly to the state of Guerrero because of old conflicts.
The touristically well developed zones of Mexico are located further in the south of the country and are normally not affected by the drug war. However, in light of these developments, you should check with your state department for more information about other security risks before traveling to critical areas.