Tranquilo - Safety in Yucatan
We're willing to bet that if you've read anything about Mexico in the mainstream media lately, you've read something about either the violence in Oaxaca or murders in Ciudad Juarez or the contested presidential election that left the losing candidate declaring fraud and not recognizing the decision of the election commission. The papers are always happy to print bad news about Mexico.
And if you're like most norteamericanos, these news stories have probably left you feeling uncomfortable about traveling to Mexico and especially about living here. Reading the U.S. State Department's Travel Tips might give you pause for thought, as they warn against crime "in Mexico" and encourage you to register with the embassy whenever you travel to Mexico so they can contact you in an emergency.
But we invite you to imagine that you are a foreigner contemplating a trip to the United States, knowing as much about it as you do about Mexico. You might read headlines about snipers randomly shooting people near the nation's capital, or men locking themselves in classrooms to rape and kill schoolgirls, or drive-by murders between gang members, or mothers drowning their babies. You might read about brutal police tactics using rubber bullets, tear gas and Tasers against peaceful demonstrators. You might read about drug enforcement officers mistakenly breaking into the wrong homes and killing the inhabitants. You would read how business executives become politicians who make laws legalizing corruption and then retire to become lobbyists (or vice-versa). You might also read how a majority of people voted for a presidential candidate who subsequently lost due to questionable election rules and court decisions.
As a U.S. citizen, you might be offended to learn that the country of apple pie and baseball does not seem so wonderful when a foreigner reads about it in the papers. You might want to say, "wait a minute, that's not my country!" As a U.S. citizen you know these incidents - while unfortunate and true - do not affect everyday life for the majority of people. You know that there may be problems, but there is so much more to experience in the U.S. than these stories tell.
We have lived in Mexico for several years, and we know that everyday life here is not affected by the headlines. There is so much more to life in Mexico than the stories told in the newspapers.
We have lived in the heart of a Mexican city, in the Centro Historico, just five blocks from the zocalo, in Merida. This city's population is approaching one million. We live on a busy block that has private homes as well as businesses ranging from dental equipment suppliers to doctor's offices to a printing press. On the corner is a local cantina, La Bar Negrita. On another corner is a tendejon, El Motor Electrico. There is also a bed & breakfast called Hotel Marionetas and a public parking lot.
We have a simple lock on our front door. We leave our interior doors to the patio and back yard open, unless it rains. We park our SUV on the street. We walk to and from our office, the zocalo, Paseo de Montejo, and any other number of places at all times of night and day. When our 16-year old daughter lived here, she would walk to and from a friend's house at night by herself. Now and then, we absent-mindedly forget our purse or wallet in the car. Other times, we have left something valuable in the car, like a camera, while we do our errands around town. We aren't stupid about it... we just aren't paranoid.
We have never been accosted. We have never been robbed. The worst thing that's happened to us is someone "collected" our California license plates. But nobody bothers to take our new Yucatan license plates.
We have been stopped by policemen on occasion for minor traffic "misunderstandings". Most of these were legitimate, while a couple seemed inappropriate, but we were always treated with the utmost respect by those policemen and have never been in a situation here in Yucatan where anyone expected us to pay la mordita (a bribe).
Sure, you can find stories of people who have been robbed. There have been several murders in Merida since we moved here, but these are surprisingly few given Merida's size. There was some violence around one of the local newspaper offices a few months ago involving a home-made bomb. There are often political rallies and demonstrations, almost always peaceful. The most violence we've seen was when the city wanted to change the local bus routes and the workers from the surrounding pueblos arrived at the zocalo armed with stones to protest. A tear gas canister was fired at the crowd, but by midnight the mayor had restored the original routes and the protesters went home. It's not always tidy in Mexico - this isn't Switzerland - but the problems in Mexico that we confront are nothing compared to what U.S. citizens living in big cities accept and live with every day.
Yucatan has something special going on. There's a peaceful co-existence here between people from many different cultures and walks of life that you seldom find in other parts of the world. Yucatecos live and let live. Little has changed and much has changed, producing a culture of tolerance, patience and amable (kindness). Why has Mexico in general and Yucatan in particular developed in this way? Maybe it has to do with the relative isolation this part of the world has endured for many years, but is enjoying now. Maybe it has to do with learning the lessons of their violent history or maybe it's the survival of their indigenous traditions or the ingredients in the food or the dawn of a new Mayan age in the year 2012. Maybe it's because it's really hot here for half the year and nobody can get up the energy to cause trouble. Quien sabe?
Whatever it is, if you are inclined to explore Yucatan, please read those news reports about Mexico with un grano de sal. Remember that Mexico is a very large country and places like Oaxaca and Yucatan are farthar apart than France and England, not just geographically, but culturally as well. Don't take the word of a few journalists wearing gringo-tinted glasses whose job is to write stories that sell papers. Come down to the Yucatan and find out for yourself what life here is really like.
Yucatan and Merida remain as they have been: muy tranquilo.
Want to know more about safety in Mexico? Read this fabulous article by a former television producer who now makes his home in Queretaro.
Comments
Yucatan Living - Lots of Good Yucatan News 16 years ago
[...] all safe and happy in Yucatan, no matter what your media fabricates to the contrary. We stand by our article about the Media’s penchant for scaring their readers about Mexico that we wrote almost three years ago.We have expressed our frustration with the current escalation [...]
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Working Gringos 16 years ago
Not to worry, Halina. You can read about how to report your stolen plate here:
http://www.yucatanliving.com/yucatan-survivor/yucatan-license-plates.htm
You can drive with the front plate only, but it is probably only a matter of time until it gets taken also. You might try printing a copy of your plate and putting THAT on your car and keeping the actual plate inside (in case you are stopped).
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halina 16 years ago
Hola,
just this morning we woke up to find out that our license plate (from the back of the car) is gone. No wonder it is from British Columbia! So what should be done? Do we report to police? Can we drive with the front plate only? How did you solve the same problem?
We will really appreciate your comments.
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Working Gringos 16 years ago
Thank you, Joanna. We knew there must be a statistic like that somewhere but had not been able to find it.
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Joanna Maria 16 years ago
Another great article. You are so right about the media. My personal view is that big media companies are paid to write up stories about all wrong going on outside of their back yard to get people re-focused on something other than their national problems. I apologize for the long post but I think its fair that people know where the crime really is. Seventh United Nations Survey of Crime Trends and Operations of Criminal Justice Systems posted a list of total number of crimes (per capita) by country, on it US is # 8, Canada # 12 and Mexico ranked #39 and I can tell you from experience that I feel safer in Mexico than in Toronto especially when I'm working later than 5pm and have to take public transit.
Being a Canadian I hear all the time, oh you're going to Mexico, but haven't you heard about all the crime against Canadians? That just makes me laugh and point out the obvious. Crime happens everywhere. As sometimes I travel alone for lenghts of time I do a lot of research to make sure I won't find myself in a dire situation, of course I can't be 100% sure that nothing will happen, but after much research I've determined that Yucatan is one of the safest places to visit. I will be in Merida, and area for 2 weeks in a couple of months and am really looking forward to the visit.
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Working Gringos 16 years ago
Well, first of all, we should point out that the title of this is Tranquilo in YUCATAN, not Monterrey or Morelia. On the other hand, we cannot deny that the violence is escalating in Mexico around the drug trafficking. There is violence everywhere in the world, but still, the Yucatan seems to be a corner of the planet where there is less of it. Perhaps it is just too hot here!
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Jose 16 years ago
Until 2 days ago when unknown gunmen opened fire on the US embassy and hurled grenades at the gate, critically injuring a 12 year old boy nearby. Yep safe all right.
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Debra 17 years ago
With the exception of being born in Germany, I have lived in the US all my life. As an adult, it took many years for me to make enough money for the luxury of travel. All but 2 of my adult trips have been to the Yucatan area of Mexico. I do not speak spanish, yet have never been made to feel uncomfortable or uneasy. I was raised by my grandmother who has high morals and follows God faithfully. My grandmother raised me to think of others first and treat others the way I want to be treated. I may be unrealistic, but feel that people in Mexico (touristy areas or not) were raised this way too.
Living in the United States is the only life I have known. Lately I have become increasingly disallusioned with the quality of life here. I am a professional, single woman, 50 years old and my only child is now on his own. I am researching relocation to Merida. I do read press reports...if so I would never live in the US if I was not from here. The US may be prosperous, but the quality of life has disappated significantly. Merida is not perfect, but it is closer to perfect than any city in the US.
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Art Couture 17 years ago
My wife and I just finished a two week trip through the Yucatan peninsula. We drove from Merida to Isal de Mujeres, then to Xpijil (Rio Bec Dreams), then through Mahahual to Placer (Mayan Beach Garden), then to Santa Elena and finally returning to Merida. our experience with the police and military was 100% positive. Our experience with to Mexican people with terrific; they were warm, welcoming and always helpful. Unlike us Americans, they seem culturally attuned to being patient and appreciative of our efforts to learn their language and find our way around their beautiful country.
Go there and enjoy! Just remember if driving that their rules of the road are a bit different than ours.
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CasiYucateco 17 years ago
Yes, I much prefer 'bolillo' which is a white bread roll. Sort of the equivalent of "whitey" or "honkie." ;-) Working Bolillos! mmmm.... fresh bread!
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=bolillo
Or our dear friends could be known as the 'Working Gabachos.' Now there's a perjorative name!
But seriously, Simon, what should all non-Mexican people from the USA and Canada be called? What short-cut name can you use?
"all non-Mexican people from the USA and Canada" is sort of unwieldy.
At any rate, I'm perfectly happy to be a gringo. My friends call me by my name, but I am a gringo. And gringo is better than "whitey" in my book. (Some friends from India have some old-school parents who literally say "whitey" in a very derogatory way.)
Anyway, can't we all get along. Signed, unalienated
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Simon Park 17 years ago
'Gringo' is a pejorative term to the people who it is supposed to describe. The only people who addressed me as 'gringo' in my many trips through Mexico were those who wished to offend me. Better not to use the term. It alienates too many of your readers.
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