Crime, Safety, and the Police

[ScatManDoo]

If you are comfortable with losing everything and willing to hand over your passport and wallet with no hesitation then no need to take precautions. Because if you hesitate you will end up cut.

A bit paranoid, are we?

Please stop posting paranoid crap.

[TomJackin]

Common sense doesn't help if six people are jumping you for your wallet. Steps need to be taken prior to crossing that border. Secret pocket for the passport. Money in socks. Old cell not your new I phone. Take memory card out so they don't have your pictures and use a screen lock. As far as the trolley goes. Yeah that trolley is the most trashy sketchy group of people I've ever witnessed. If you look closely at the trolley crowd you will see many switchblades. People take them out in front of you.

A bit paranoid, are we?

Please stop posting paranoid crap.

[John Clayton]

Common sense doesn't help if six people are jumping you for your wallet. Steps need to be taken prior to crossing that border. Secret pocket for the passport. Money in socks. Old cell not your new I phone. Take memory card out so they don't have your pictures and use a screen lock. As far as the trolley goes. Yeah that trolley is the most trashy sketchy group of people I've ever witnessed. If you look closely at the trolley crowd you will see many switchblades. People take them out in front of you. I'm from Chicago but never noticed anyone with knives or crackpipes. You will see crackpipes every day walking in San Diego if you look at people closely.

Maybe it's a different trolley. I'll be riding it to San Ysidro Monday and back on Wednesday. I get the senior fare, so it's only $1. 25. I find the trolley to be clean, fast and convenient. I keep my wallet, phone and passport in my pocket. I can't put money in my socks because I don't wear them.

[Ctytek]

I agree, there is a lot of unwarranted fear mongering on here. But just because you had a uneventful walkabout today does not mean you will have the same experience tomorrow and every other time. Often times. It will be Tijuana police itself who will pull you ever for something stupid like crossing a street on red light, and will attempt to extract "a fine" from you. My point is. Don't get too comfortable and think that nothing will ever happen to you in Tijuana. It is no Beverly Hills or even San Diego.

I was in Tijuana this afternoon and evening (Wed). I was in the RLD and visiting Hong Kong and a couple other places on the block. There were a couple of policemen in the alley with assault rifles but other than that everything looked pretty normal. Just another day in Tijuana. I walked over to Revolution around 7:30 pm and up a couple kilometres to Calle Once. Nice walk! No one accosted d me or gave me the evil eye. I think there is some scaremongering going on about Tijuana that seems a bit unwarranted. In the RLD you have to keep your guard up. But once you away from the RLD Tijuana becomes just another tranquil Latin American town.

[Cheerfull]

When I took uber back to the border last night, I typed "frontera" and the uber driver said Uber understands this word as the name of a storefront. He said I should type "frontera San Ysidro" to go to pedwest. Does this mean I type "frontera San Pedro" to go to pedeast?

When returning to USA, the border guys ask if I have anything to declare. Should I declare any Figral (viagra) tablets I bought? Where is the best place in Tijuana to buy this brand?

Thanks!

[Dcrist0527]

Agree 100%. Lots of fear mongering. As I've said, I've walked Revolucion literally hundreds of times, day and night, without any issue. The only issues I've had were away from Revo and away from the zona, near the bridge, at night. There are no guarantees in life. The next time I make that walk might be different. But I've not personally experienced or witnessed anything that would cause me safety concerns if you have a reasonable amount of awareness. In fact, the scariest encounters I had this past visit were on the trolleys in San Diego with some clearly mentally disturbed riders.

With respect to others that have had issues occur to them in Tijuana, I would very likely feel like you do. When I've had a scary issue or two stateside, I too generalize about a city, or an area. But we all need to remember, YMMV. And you can take common sense steps to mitigate those concerns.

I was in Tijuana this afternoon and evening (Wed). I was in the RLD and visiting Hong Kong and a couple other places on the block. There were a couple of policemen in the alley with assault rifles but other than that everything looked pretty normal. Just another day in Tijuana. I walked over to Revolution around 7:30 pm and up a couple kilometres to Calle Once. Nice walk! No one accosted d me or gave me the evil eye. I think there is some scaremongering going on about Tijuana that seems a bit unwarranted. In the RLD you have to keep your guard up. But once you away from the RLD Tijuana becomes just another tranquil Latin American town. I noticed a lot of nice shops, restaurants, and bars walking up Revolution, and plan to return soon. Took uber back to the frontera (San Pedro) around 11 pm. No complaints great Uber service.

[Cheerfull]

While I understand people have different comfort levels with what they wear, dressing "upper class" or anything close is just advertising for trouble. I try to dress like the locals as much as I can. I'm not fooling anyone into thinking I am a local. But wearing nice shoes or dress clothes is a statement. Just not one I care to make walking around Tijuana.

I was in Tijuana this afternoon and evening (Wed). I was in the RLD and visiting Hong Kong and a couple other places on the block. There were a couple of policemen in the alley with assault rifles but other than that everything looked pretty normal. Just another day in Tijuana. I walked over to Revolution around 7:30 pm and up a couple kilometres to Calle Once. Nice walk! No one accosted d me or gave me the evil eye. I think there is some scaremongering going on about Tijuana that seems a bit unwarranted. In the RLD you have to keep your guard up. But once you away from the RLD Tijuana becomes just another tranquil Latin American town. I noticed a lot of nice shops, restaurants, and bars walking up Revolution, and plan to return soon. Took uber back to the frontera (San Pedro) around 11 pm. No complaints great Uber service.

[Travv]

I think I saw you today with your buddy pulling up to the HK valet station in a car with a big American flag with an eagle logo on the rear window around 1 pm. You were wearing a dirty T-shirt and black baggy shorts and were barefoot walking from the car to HK valet station with your suitcase, which was an old Apple computer cardboard box wrapped with tape. I think the valets were struggling to keep from laughing. But looking like you just spent the night sleeping in a Tijuana alley or sidewalk with the locals might be going to far for most posters here. The upside is that the Rateros would never suspect you were worth robbing since you weren't wearing nice shoes or any shoes at all. What surprised me is that you didn't look like you were burning your feet on the hot asphalt.

While I understand people have different comfort levels with what they wear, dressing "upper class" or anything close is just advertising for trouble. I try to dress like the locals as much as I can. I'm not fooling anyone into thinking I am a local. But wearing nice shoes or dress clothes is a statement. Just not one I care to make walking around Tijuana.

[Ctytek]

I don't know what all this "upper class Mexican man" nonsense all about. But there is really no "dress code" when it comes to Tijuana streets or clubs. I'd agree that one shouldn't dress to stand out or attack unwanted attention, but you do need to dress like you're a real estate agent going to a realtor convention on a hot summer day.

T-shirts, jeans, quality sandals. All just fine. If you're a gringo. You're not going to fool anyone into mistaking you for a local anyway. Just wear nice clean clothes, which make you comfortable and that don't attract attention or scream that you're cash loaded tourist. You will do just fine.

[Dcrist0527]

While I understand people have different comfort levels with what they wear, dressing "upper class" or anything close is just advertising for trouble. I try to dress like the locals as much as I can. I'm not fooling anyone into thinking I am a local. But wearing nice shoes or dress clothes is a statement. Just not one I care to make walking around Tijuana.

I will be in Tijuana Monday-Wednesday (staying at Ticuan) and I walk everywhere. I wear shorts, a nicer shirt and Teva sandals. Although I don't really care, I have never been shown anything but respect. BTW, a lap dance is 100% more fun if you're wearing shorts.

[John Clayton]

I will be in Tijuana Monday-Wednesday (staying at Ticuan) and I walk everywhere. I wear shorts, a nicer shirt and Teva sandals. Although I don't really care, I have never been shown anything but respect. BTW, a lap dance is 100% more fun if you're wearing shorts.

[Simmer]

Generally IMO, if you are visiting Mexico, Do As The Mexicans Do! Mexican upper class men usually wear long sleeved shirts and pants with quality leather boots with a hat or baseball cap. If you want to dress like Bozo the clown or the 50 Cent Rapper prison costume with saggy shorts, you can do so in Zona Norte at your own risk. Looking like an Ugly American with too much money will not go well if the Rateros notice your bad taste in clothes. So to blend in, dress like a Mexican. This advice applies to all European countries. Ugly Americans wonder why waiters and clerks ignore them in Hawaiian shirts and flip flops and the men who dressed well get treated well by the staff. Many Europeans and Mexicans judge you by your clothes, unlike the USA today where criminals are glorified and baggy Rapper shorts are "in".

Well said. The less obvious, the more "local" you look (within reason), the better. Regarding the service, it's fairly well known that at least attempting to speak a little French in France *usually* goes a long way to better relations with your waiter, and similar applies elsewhere.

That said, I don't speak Spanish more than words (not sentences) but I certainly wish I did. I was in Rio once and met up with an American who happened to speak a little Portuguese. We were drinking beers by the beach when he said "drink up, let's go, vamanos, don't turn around". I later learnt that he'd overheard a couple of men nearby planning how to rob us. Had he not understood any Portuguese (like me), we would have at least been somewhat less rich that night, at best.

[ScatManDoo]

Generally IMO, if you are visiting Mexico, Do As The Mexicans Do! Mexican upper class men usually wear long sleeved shirts and pants with quality leather boots with a hat or baseball cap. If you want to dress like Bozo the clown or the 50 Cent Rapper prison costume with saggy shorts, you can do so in Zona Norte at your own risk. Looking like an Ugly American with too much money will not go well if the Rateros notice your bad taste in clothes. So to blend in, dress like a Mexican. This advice applies to all European countries. Ugly Americans wonder why waiters and clerks ignore them in Hawaiian shirts and flip flops and the men who dressed well get treated well by the staff. Many Europeans and Mexicans judge you by your clothes, unlike the USA today where criminals are glorified and baggy Rapper shorts are "in".

I agree with you Travv. To a point.

Probably our biggest difference if that I don't want to appear to be "Upper Class" to just about anybody I'm likely to run into (or be observed by) when I'm in Tijuana.

So it's always t-shirts and jeans for me. That's the class I want to blend in with.

[Baxter Slade]

And people always ask me why I dress "up" all the time.

I am closing in on 49.

When do we start planning the grande fiesta for the big 50?

[Artisttyp]

Generally IMO, if you are visiting Mexico, Do As The Mexicans Do! Mexican upper class men usually wear long sleeved shirts and pants with quality leather boots with a hat or baseball cap. If you want to dress like Bozo the clown or the 50 Cent Rapper prison costume with saggy shorts, you can do so in Zona Norte at your own risk. Looking like an Ugly American with too much money will not go well if the Rateros notice your bad taste in clothes. So to blend in, dress like a Mexican. This advice applies to all European countries. Ugly Americans wonder why waiters and clerks ignore them in Hawaiian shirts and flip flops and the men who dressed well get treated well by the staff. Many Europeans and Mexicans judge you by your clothes, unlike the USA today where criminals are glorified and baggy Rapper shorts are "in".

And people always ask me why I dress "up" all the time.

I am closing in on 49. I wouldn't be caught dead in public with a shirt and no collar. Sandals? Would love to but wouldn't dare. That is the ultimate disrespect in Mexico. I won't lie though the summer is BRUTAL in latin countries but I finally found pants I can wear.

JC Penney makes super thin dress pants that can withstand the high 80's and a decent amount of humidity. You will still feel warm but so much less than other pants. And they are surprisingly durable.

Now if only I could find replacements for my Dickies 60/40 % Poly Cotton shorts.