Mexico: Is it really that dangerous?

MmmmmCheese

Hello all,

I've just had an interview for teaching English in Mexico for 6 months from January-June. I'm hoping I'll get it but I have a few concerns. My mam has been telling me horror stories about the amount of crime in Mexico and after some googling I have found out the rates of kidnapping, rapes and murder are horrendous! Is it really that dangerous over there? I'll be going over by myself and wont know anybody and I imagine that I'll be pretty terrified over there If anyone has ever been to Mexico I'd appreciate hearing about their experiences.

hobochris

Sure your from Limerick, They'll pick up on the accent and soon figure out who is the dangerous person.

MmmmmCheese

Haha you know I was actually thinking that since people say Limerick is a lot worse than it actually is, the same would be true of Mexico!

bullpost

I'd steer clear of anywhere near the US border. Thats where all the drug wars/killings are happening. Though I believe its spreading southwards. If its Mexico city then afaik you just need to watch out for kidnappers looking to take you to an ATM and get some quick cash.

Beruthiel

Stuff like this reminds you that the drugs war in Mexico is pretty bad.
A large poor population means you are going to get a lot of petty crime.
You would have to be smart, not be out at all hours and not be wandering down any dark alleys.
You would say that about just about any city though.

schemingbohemia

If you googled Limerick what would come up? I think your mum is just worried about you fleeing the nest.

I was in Mexico 10 years ago and it was grand, no problems at all. As others have said steering clear of the border would be a good idea. The thing to remember is it's a huge country with very different areas from the beach resorts of Cancun to mountainous areas like San Cristobal de las casas (I'd love to work there).

Best of luck getting the job.

dooksgolf

Hi there
I think a little perspective is required here.I'm just back from spending 3 weeks travelling around Mexico.
I spent time in Querataro(a city 3 hrs north of Mexico City),Mexico City & the Yucatan.I was visiting friends who got married in Querataro.
Not at any stage did I feel threatened or in danger.Most of the stories relate to drug-related crime in the north while yes some innocent bystanders have been affected & it has spread south.
I would say trouble finds people if they go looking for it.
Bottom line,I thinnk you would be crazy not to go because of possibly irrational fear re a crime in a county of in excess 100 million people.

baztard

Your mother reads the bad news that happens in Mexico every now and again. Tell her to go read the normal and good news that happens 99.99% of the time.

I was in the south of Mexico, Central America and Colombia, last year. The silly stereotypes of drugs gangs running the streets and taxi kidnappings and all that shite that we hear here, is way off the mark. If you go there and stay away from the bad areas, don't go flashing your cash or walking home locked out of your mind at 3am, and all that other commons sense stuff, i see no reason why you wont be grand. The vast vast majority of people in Mexico are nice decent people, like just about any country in the world.

From my experience the danger factor of these places is always way over exaggerated here.

thirtythirty

I hope I'm not going to dampen your spirits, but i figure an honest response rather than a "nah, it's grand" response will be worth more to you.

The good news:
I know a girl that lived there for a year and had zero issues.

The Bad news: That was 2 years ago when it was a very different landscape. I was in San Diego recently and the view on whether to go there has drastically changed - "TJ frequenters" wouldn't even consider going there at the moment.

I also know a guy who was picked up by a van, taken back, stripped, beaten, and demanded cash. However once they saw he was Irish (and not american which are the targets), they dumped him on a road with his passport and he was fine (obv shaken up a bit).

My opinion:
Mexico is experiencing a dramatic increase in gang-related crime. But that's precisely it, it's gang-related. It is unlikely that you personally would ever experience any spill-over. It is probably akin to Limerick tbh - you hear lots of stories and it does happens a lot, but rarely outside of those involved.

So IMO, kidnapping is the only thing you would need to worry about. And in that, kidnapping isn't spiralling out of control like gang crime. It's the same as ever, perhaps a slight increase. So no walking along alone at night pretty much reduces that down to zero. The guy i know was doing exactly the wrong thing - strolling along pissed by himself at night!

If I was in your position, I'd have similar apprehension which is only normal. However I would think that i'd still go for it. Not being silly over there should keep you safe.

I can't tell you yes or no. You need to weigh it up and make up your own mind. Remember, there's always South Korea which is screaming out for english teachers. Similarily in Dubai, Sharjah and those areas. So if you decided against Mexico, there's still plenty of options.

shomrockkid

I spent 4 months living in Mexico teaching english and learning spanish about 3 years ago. I was based in Mexico city and Ciudad de Puebla in the centre of the country. In regards to Mexico city i can highly recommend it. It is an truely enormous city. Yes certain subarbs or barrios like Tipito and Plaza de la Computation are dangerous but they are the exception. There is no point going there with the attitude that it is dangerous. Its the type of place where you have to go with the flow. There are certain steps that you can take and after that go with it. If you are getting a taxi ensure to get a sitio or licenced taxi. Don't hop in the volkswagon green and white cabs from the street. Then all the usual precautions with your wallet etc. People will automatically think you are american so being irish is really different and fascinating for them. Most of them have heard of ireland. A big commonality between ireland and mexico are the san patricios who fought for mexico during the mexican/american wars. Mexicans like to party and drink alot. They speak spanish slowly and without the very strong accent of the spaniards. So they are easier to understand.
One issue I wasn't really aware of until I lived there was racism. It is quite shocking on first arrival. Mexico is a third world country. There are the haves and the have nots. The extremely wealthy, a small middle class and the extremely poor. Those at the top of society are white whilst those at the bottom are mixed race (mestizo) and native. Walking the streets of Mexico city the majority of people are native yet on the tv they are mostly white. It is all through the society where certain jobs are only open to people of a certain colour. It is totally injust.
On the whole though I cannot recommend Mexico enough and wish you all the very best on your travels. My advice is to go with it. Eat everything over there. I can only eat my food now with spice and chilly sauce. Try chillaquilles in the morning and chile enogado at lunchtime. The mexican people are very friendly and will love to hear about where you are from. I also would not by any means be intimidated about going alone. You will meet lots in the same boat.:):)