Crime, Safety, and the Police

[SoCalOne]

First time for everything I guess.

I have been visiting Tijuana for 30 years. Just had my first stop and frisk with the Policia.

Had dinner at Caesars, then stopped by HK and Chicago for a peek, only briefly. Around 8 PM (Sunday) I hopped into one of the white / orange taxis for a trip to Pedwest. The unusual part was instead of a you-turn at the end of the bridge the taxi made a left to go around the block near the dropoff point. (Probably no big deal but never did this before).

As soon as we headed up the street to the dropoff point, which was perhaps 50 yards away at this point, the red and white lights lit up behind us. The taxi driver started saying "ahh man!, what's up? The cop came up to the driver door where they spoke for a moment and then the driver said we need to get out. Had to put our hands on the trunk lid while the cop frisked me and took everything out of my pockets. It was notable he did not pay much attention to the driver but the driver interpreted for me. The cop asked where I live, where I work, why I needed 20 Figrals (Generic viagra). Asked how much I paid for the pills. I told them $2 ea and because I have a demanding wife. (Got a bit of a laugh).

I only bring a passport, cash, and cell phone. Only had about $10 so perhaps he was disappointed. Anyhow, nothing in it for them and I played the bewildered but friendly tourist as best I could.

Then the cop motioned to my stuff spread out on the car as if to say here you go, take it. That was it.

Curious if this is becoming a thing now.

[Hargow20]

I heard a rumor that the police have been going around making random arrests for no reason. Or at least more arrests than usual. I believe that the police crack down more during the holiday season.

[Travv]

You might want to keep your door locked and window high enough to keep hands from coming in to grab stuff. Years ago, I used to play Yoko Ono music on my car stereo to get the border beggars etc to back off from my car. It worked! The "music" was so terrible, the border sellers / beggars would avoid my car! Downside is that you are forced to listen to Yoko Ono while waiting to cross the border. Most useful, keeping a pepper spray handy gets thieves to back off when they see you are ready for them.

Maybe a few months ago (3) there were stories about threats being made on SY border travelers by a group of people (at La Linea) pretending to be police and running extortion threats.

From a criminal point of view gringos sitting in slow moving vehicles are like sitting ducks. Think about it. You are a target just sitting there with nowhere to go.

When I arrive at the border in a taxi and some scumbag tries to handle my bags I tell them to get the fuck out of here. Believe it or not some people get offended by it. These guys look at us as dumb gringo prey. No mexican would deal with their bullshit so treat them the same way a local would. Have an element of surprise to your approach. Act on the offensive sometimes.

[Artisttyp]

So after an unsuccessful time in Tijuana and a slow drive of shame toward the San Ysidro Border I got caught up with some weird shit.

Right after lunch, I approached the border. I got near the line of cars where there was your typical collection of beggars and vendors wandering in the stopped vehicles. Some random guy in civilian clothes started calling me out in English and pointing at the nearby cops. As I pull into the line, he walks up to my vehicle. He starts telling me a story in pretty competent English about the border being close or something and points somewhere saying he knows another way in. I roll down my window a little, like the fucking idiot gringo tourist I am, as I figure there are cops right there within spitting distance with M4's so I should be safe. After some weird back and forth, with him directing me to move closer to the cops near the concrete barriers, which I actually do (again I am a fucking idiot), he suddenly tells me he'll show me another way across the border as he clearly gets frustrated when he's reaching the limit of his English.

Motherfucker reaches right into my car from the passenger window, unlocks it, opens the door and tries to jump in. Luckily I had all my luggage in the passenger seat so he wasn't able to really just jump in. I start screaming at the dude to GTFO. Loud enough the cops start to notice. He fucking backs off, closes the door and like leans on my window with his arms crossed and tries to intimidate me or something with "Calm down, you need to calm down. I'm the hefe around here, you don't act like this. " I tell him I am calm and he needs to fuck off right now. He eventually slinks away. The cops motion to me. Turns out neither of them speak a lick of English and my Espanol is pretty much non existent. I manage to at least confirm that his story is complete bullshit that's to some basic google translate. Its just pretty crazy that someone in broad daylight, in front of armed municipal police, literally at the border crossing would pull that shit.

Tijuana may be economically booming from medical tourism and maquiladoras but fuck man, I got to keep my guard up.

Maybe a few months ago (3) there were stories about threats being made on SY border travelers by a group of people (at La Linea) pretending to be police and running extortion threats.

From a criminal point of view gringos sitting in slow moving vehicles are like sitting ducks. Think about it. You are a target just sitting there with nowhere to go.

When I arrive at the border in a taxi and some scumbag tries to handle my bags I tell them to get the fuck out of here. Believe it or not some people get offended by it. These guys look at us as dumb gringo prey. No mexican would deal with their bullshit so treat them the same way a local would. Have an element of surprise to your approach. Act on the offensive sometimes.

[Dogers69]

So after an unsuccessful time in Tijuana and a slow drive of shame toward the San Ysidro Border I got caught up with some weird shit.

Right after lunch, I approached the border. I got near the line of cars where there was your typical collection of beggars and vendors wandering in the stopped vehicles. Some random guy in civilian clothes started calling me out in English and pointing at the nearby cops. As I pull into the line, he walks up to my vehicle. He starts telling me a story in pretty competent English about the border being close or something and points somewhere saying he knows another way in. I roll down my window a little, like the fucking idiot gringo tourist I am, as I figure there are cops right there within spitting distance with M4's so I should be safe. After some weird back and forth, with him directing me to move closer to the cops near the concrete barriers, which I actually do (again I am a fucking idiot), he suddenly tells me he'll show me another way across the border as he clearly gets frustrated when he's reaching the limit of his English.

Motherfucker reaches right into my car from the passenger window, unlocks it, opens the door and tries to jump in. Luckily I had all my luggage in the passenger seat so he wasn't able to really just jump in. I start screaming at the dude to GTFO. Loud enough the cops start to notice. He fucking backs off, closes the door and like leans on my window with his arms crossed and tries to intimidate me or something with "Calm down, you need to calm down. I'm the hefe around here, you don't act like this. " I tell him I am calm and he needs to fuck off right now. He eventually slinks away. The cops motion to me. Turns out neither of them speak a lick of English and my Espanol is pretty much non existent. I manage to at least confirm that his story is complete bullshit that's to some basic google translate. Its just pretty crazy that someone in broad daylight, in front of armed municipal police, literally at the border crossing would pull that shit..

Probably not car jacking. He was gonna have you drive a bit, then demand you pay his fee. If you had even more money than his fee, he may demand that too. If he liked your sneakers. There's no actual prison in mexico. Practically speaking. Another words anyone arrested is out of jail quickly. The actual prison rate, compared to USA must be 1%, on a per person basis. I'm just guessing since 99% of murders result in no jail time. So yeah, it's anything goes.

[GrassGirder]

So after an unsuccessful time in Tijuana and a slow drive of shame toward the San Ysidro Border I got caught up with some weird shit.

Right after lunch, I approached the border. I got near the line of cars where there was your typical collection of beggars and vendors wandering in the stopped vehicles. Some random guy in civilian clothes started calling me out in English and pointing at the nearby cops. As I pull into the line, he walks up to my vehicle. He starts telling me a story in pretty competent English about the border being close or something and points somewhere saying he knows another way in. I roll down my window a little, like the fucking idiot gringo tourist I am, as I figure there are cops right there within spitting distance with M4's so I should be safe. After some weird back and forth, with him directing me to move closer to the cops near the concrete barriers, which I actually do (again I am a fucking idiot), he suddenly tells me he'll show me another way across the border as he clearly gets frustrated when he's reaching the limit of his English.

Motherfucker reaches right into my car from the passenger window, unlocks it, opens the door and tries to jump in. Luckily I had all my luggage in the passenger seat so he wasn't able to really just jump in. I start screaming at the dude to GTFO. Loud enough the cops start to notice. He fucking backs off, closes the door and like leans on my window with his arms crossed and tries to intimidate me or something with "Calm down, you need to calm down. I'm the hefe around here, you don't act like this. " I tell him I am calm and he needs to fuck off right now. He eventually slinks away. The cops motion to me. Turns out neither of them speak a lick of English and my Espanol is pretty much non existent. I manage to at least confirm that his story is complete bullshit that's to some basic google translate. Its just pretty crazy that someone in broad daylight, in front of armed municipal police, literally at the border crossing would pull that shit.

Tijuana may be economically booming from medical tourism and maquiladoras but fuck man, I got to keep my guard up.

[Captain Solo]

One of my wingmen is a nice, generous, Spanish-speaking guy. He keeps hanging out with old putas with whom he no longer has sexual interests, only affinity of old friendships, buying them drinks, dinners, bringing them presents.

One is a skinny women in Chicago, skinny with lots of tattoos up to her neck. She used to work in HK years ago when she was young and attractive.

Per this wingman, last week she and a girl friend took a cab ride from Ensenada to Tijuana to work the week before Christmas, carrying 2 big suitcases full of clothes. The cabbie dropped them off in front of Chicago then quickly took off with the 2 suitcases. The 2 girls now how no change of clothes besides what they had on their backs. They would now have to buy new sexy working clothes or going to work in Chicago in their panties hehe.

This woman is a real friend with my wingman. I don't think she would lie to him, but I also got a lot of sop stories from girls trying to squeeze me for money at year end.

So be alert for cabbies trying to steal your luggage, but also don't trust sob stories by putas aiming to empty out your wallets.

[Captain Solo]

To Simon.

I traveled all over Aisa, Europe, South America ect. Never had anything stolen form me. All the thefts happened to me only in the US.

Years ago in NYC, a very pretty girl in an upscale hotel in Manhattan, stole my wallet from my jacket after a session, within a few seconds I turned away to take a leak in the toilet. She was standing in the room, waiting for me when I got out, everything looked normal but she was in a hurry to go. After she disappeared, I put on my jacket and found the wallet missing.

I had no ID, no credit cards, no cash left. I called the credit card companies from a pay phone to cancel the cards, then drove back to my hotel in New Jersey, on the way got pulled over by NJ state cops a few blocks from the hotel. They were understanding and let me go. I don't remember how I paid for hotels and rental cars on that trip. Months later the wallet with driver license, a few IDs and the SS card, was mailed to my home address by someone unknown, may have been NYC cops who recovered it in a trash dump.

Another very pretty girl at the Hilton LAX took my wallet in a few seconds I turned away from my clothes on the chair next to the bed.

Also got pulled into a dark parking lot off Sunset Blvd in Hollywood after midnight by a very pretty girl, got ambushed by her black pimp with a big Colt. 45 pressed against my head, took my wallet, car keys, warned me I would get shot if I tried to run out of the parking lot.

Fuck me, I am stupid, won't learn and keep letting my dick lead me into harms.

[Simonwagstaff]

I travel a lot and built up strategies to avoid being pickpocketed and also know a ways to pickpocket bec of my experiences. It should be a iron clad rule that you do not let anyone touch you without your permission, but that's a hard one to follow with chicas I'll admit. I carry one of those necklace wallets and those are impossible to steal. This may seem weird but I always keep my phone in my hand as often as possible because it's difficult to steal something that is in your hand; I've been pickpocketed in Barcelona recently and all they got was a few bills and not my necklace wallet or my phone in my hand.

I consider myself an experienced traveler and was also recently pickpocketed in Madrid. I don't carry much cash, getting the credit cards replaced was a minor hassle but I did get a nice new Spanish leather wallet out of the situation. I think you cannot let your guard down anywhere.

[ChinaMan360]

Well, after bragging for years, I suppose my luck ran out. Last night, while making a couple laps, I was pick pocketed. I will admit to being a bit tipsy. By no means was I drunk but probably not as aware as I should have been. I am 95% certain I know who it was. Walking along Ninos Heroes (on HK side), two SGs were all over me. Neither were attractive to me. They were uber aggressive in the front. But somehow, they took a little pocket wallet from my back pocket. Yes, many rookie mistakes. As I said, my guard was down. I walked away from them and then I actually turned around and went back in that direction and both were gone, which struck me as odd. But I still wasn't aware. But in hindsight, I am certain that is when it happened. One of them was practically jerking me off right there on the sidewalk and no doubt that is when the other lifted it.

I am very tempted to go back there tonight but I do not see a good outcome from that. Both are older chicas. One a blonde. She was the one that was super aggressive. The other was a dark haired girl, significantly overweight. Lesson learned. Thankfully, the important things like ID, more cash, phone, were not in that pocket. I hate to admit it but I do not always separate everything. But before I headed out last night something told me to do that.

I travel a lot and built up strategies to avoid being pickpocketed and also know a ways to pickpocket bec of my experiences. It should be a iron clad rule that you do not let anyone touch you without your permission, but that's a hard one to follow with chicas I'll admit. I carry one of those necklace wallets and those are impossible to steal. This may seem weird but I always keep my phone in my hand as often as possible because it's difficult to steal something that is in your hand; I've been pickpocketed in Barcelona recently and all they got was a few bills and not my necklace wallet or my phone in my hand.

[ScottHall]

That sounds like an old fashioned robbery. If you don't know the person, you should never let anyone put their hands on you in the middle of the streets. That's some pretty foul behavior. Whether they're putas or not, that's just a violation of common respect and space.

[Dogers69]

I am bit surprised to hear this. But one should always keep your guard up in the Zona. I always keep my wallet in my front pocket to keep from being pick pocketed. I have noticed that the girls on that corner are aggressive and will try and grab my arm. I always pull away to get them off of me whenever a SG does this.

Theft is normal in this game. In the best NYC strip clubs I've had girls steal my wallet, phone, girl in playboy club in Tijuana stole my phone wanted reward when selling it back to me. I told her take the 5 dollars or keep the dam 30 dollar phone. That's when I stopped going to playboy club. Got my phone back from club security in NYC when I told security get the phone from the girl or the feds will be here for a report since it's a government cell phone. Which was not true. Theft is also normal routine in California, car break ins aren't investigated, police won't even come to look, my stuff stolen at beach all the time when I go swimming. Called 911 while watching homeless steal tourists stuff police tell me 911 is only for emergency LOL. West coast is a different animal.

[Hargow20]

I am bit surprised to hear this. But one should always keep your guard up in the Zona. I always keep my wallet in my front pocket to keep from being pick pocketed. I have noticed that the girls on that corner are aggressive and will try and grab my arm. I always pull away to get them off of me whenever a SG does this.

Well, after bragging for years, I suppose my luck ran out. Last night, while making a couple laps, I was pick pocketed. I will admit to being a bit tipsy. By no means was I drunk but probably not as aware as I should have been. I am 95% certain I know who it was. Walking along Ninos Heroes (on HK side), two SGs were all over me. Neither were attractive to me. They were uber aggressive in the front. But somehow, they took a little pocket wallet from my back pocket. Yes, many rookie mistakes. As I said, my guard was down. I walked away from them and then I actually turned around and went back in that direction and both were gone, which struck me as odd. But I still wasn't aware. But in hindsight, I am certain that is when it happened. One of them was practically jerking me off right there on the sidewalk and no doubt that is when the other lifted it.

I am very tempted to go back there tonight but I do not see a good outcome from that. Both are older chicas. One a blonde. She was the one that was super aggressive. The other was a dark haired girl, significantly overweight. Lesson learned. Thankfully, the important things like ID, more cash, phone, were not in that pocket. I hate to admit it but I do not always separate everything. But before I headed out last night something told me to do that.

[Dogers69]

A lot of these girls are not really professional working girls, they just show up to scam you. Pickpocket, or otherwise. For instance I ask if they have I'd. Most say no. That's red flag. Maybe underage. Maybe failed HIV test. Maybe illegal alien. Maybe just scammer. One charged 20 for massage and CBJ. After ten seconds she stopped and looked at me like "I'm done and you can't do crap about it gringo" and she was right. And yes the girls last night also were grabbing me too. Nothings in my back pocket. Passport is in hidden pocket. Most money in sneakers. Every night girls and staff laugh at me, which is how I know Mexican crooks don't target locals much. Cause they never have problems.

[Goyo61]

Thanks for the post. Helps us all keep more aware! Had a jacket taken in HK a couple months back. My fault for not keeping an eye on it or taking it off in the first place. HK is a great place but.

Well, after bragging for years, I suppose my luck ran out. Last night, while making a couple laps, I was pick pocketed. I will admit to being a bit tipsy. By no means was I drunk but probably not as aware as I should have been. I am 95% certain I know who it was. Walking along Ninos Heroes (on HK side), two SGs were all over me. Neither were attractive to me. They were uber aggressive in the front. But somehow, they took a little pocket wallet from my back pocket. Yes, many rookie mistakes. As I said, my guard was down. I walked away from them and then I actually turned around and went back in that direction and both were gone, which struck me as odd. But I still wasn't aware. But in hindsight, I am certain that is when it happened. One of them was practically jerking me off right there on the sidewalk and no doubt that is when the other lifted it.

I am very tempted to go back there tonight but I do not see a good outcome from that. Both are older chicas. One a blonde. She was the one that was super aggressive. The other was a dark haired girl, significantly overweight. Lesson learned. Thankfully, the important things like ID, more cash, phone, were not in that pocket. I hate to admit it but I do not always separate everything. But before I headed out last night something told me to do that.