BajaNomad - Sea change in philosophy or "Dirtbags on the loose".

Sea change in philosophy or "Dirtbags on the loose".

elgatoloco - 8-20-2006 at 11:18 AM

:no:

Sad.

Glad to hear your friends made it.

Bob H - 8-20-2006 at 11:29 AM

Looks like a regular occurance on the pay road lately. Hoodlums looking to rob someone. And Mexican law enforcement looks the other way. This is very sad.

Driving at Night

MrBillM - 8-20-2006 at 12:02 PM

Back when I was still working, I used to leave for San Felipe on Friday night, arriving in Percebu at 1-2 a.m. During the mid-80s, there were a rash of robberies on Hwy 5 at night. The bad guys would put up a barrier on the road and rob the vehicles that slowed or stopped. Adding to my discomfort with driving that road at night was one instance when I almost drove into oblivion because a flood had washed out the highway and no warning barriers had yet been set up. Not to mention the times that I came around a curve to find a vehicle "parked" on the highway while the occupants were taking a "Potty" break. I decided that there were simply too many uncertainties to continue driving the highway at night.

longlegsinlapaz - 8-20-2006 at 12:12 PM

Sad & scary!!!! Looks like I've made my last solo drive up north for a while!!! Now it makes a little more sense as to WHY all the check points always asked me "Donde es su esposo??" on all of my solitary trips! Though it doesn't sound like there is too much safety in numbers lately! One thought would be for gringo's to see if it would be possible to designate "Safety in Numbers" spots both north & south bound where you could wait for several vehicles to caravan together through that toll road area....I wouldn't think it'd be too long a wait!

Judas Monster, Soulpatch------------

Barry A. - 8-20-2006 at 01:34 PM

-------things are REALLY getting "out of control" down there.

What a story---------Personally, I am NOT exposing my wife and friends to this type of run-away brutality and crime, with NO way to protect them (and me) other than a lot of luck and fast thinking.

I am not sure that the border guards/agents (Border Patrol and Customs) have EMS training, or even EMT. Still, your right, they should have used the 911 system ASAP, it seems to me-----that is what it is for. This true "victim" is one lucky guy, I am thinking.

Bedman - 8-20-2006 at 06:20 PM

I am still appalled with this incident. A man is Shot!! An attempt to kill him and possibly his family!! These are Statements and Not Questions!! Two Assaults on the Toll road in the last 4 days and One Extortion Downtown Ensenada!!

Will it get worse before it gets better? Will somebody have to Die befor the Authorities do something.

Are there ANY authorities Willing to stop this? :fire:

Bedman

BornFisher - 8-20-2006 at 06:52 PM

This is getting scary. Several years ago, just north of Rosarito Beach, I was waved down by a Gringo who told me he just got carjacked! Some guys pulled up beside him and yelled he had a nearly flat tire. He pulled over, and they pulled beside with a gun. He hesitated, they nearly shot him in the foot, he surrendered his rig, then flaged me down. He wanted me to try to catch them but I wasn`t about to!!!
Anyway this happened about 3 years ago, in the late afternoon, on the toll road north of Rosarito Beach. I`m starting to wonder!! All these reports, and an incident a few weeks ago (local murdered) have left me with some reservations.
Won`t change my ways for now, just hope this chit stops!!!

Tomas Tierra - 8-20-2006 at 07:23 PM

How many more such incidents happen that don't make it to this board I wonder??

Drive a piece of chit truck if you want to be safe I guess..

Frank - 8-20-2006 at 08:08 PM

Hope you guys dont mind I posted a copy on BD.

See my post on Robbed in Rosarito

Baja Bernie - 8-20-2006 at 08:39 PM

I started tallking about the violence in this area over a year ago but just kept gettingt po-pooded until I shut up. Now it has spilled over to affect the average tourist. Night time driving is just plain 'not smart' and we all need to know what is going on around us at all times.

Tom had great senses and did what was needed to take care of his family. Very few of us could have done as well once the sh*t hit the fan. Hope he is okay.

The expansion of Homeland Security has caused the border to be staffed by folks who do not know their______from a hole in the ground. A few senior people are the exception.

Almost all of us know business people in Baja Norte and we should be telling them how this crazy violence is affecting 'us,' the paying tourists. We should be writing letters to the editors in all of our local papers and to the Gringo Gazette and the Baja Times etc.

It has gone past the point where we used to say--this too will pass--it will not unless we start putting pressure on the only government that will listen to us--OURS!

Frank - 8-20-2006 at 09:06 PM

BD is Bloodydecks.com, its a fishing website based mostly out of San Diego, but with 15,000 members they do get around.

Dave - 8-20-2006 at 09:09 PM

I sent a copy of this post along with the others to the Gringo Gazette. I hope they publish them. I need to go in to Rosarito to do some banking but the traffic has been unbearable. This should cure it.

Dave

Baja Bernie - 8-20-2006 at 09:39 PM

Nancy at GG is just crazy enough to run with it.

All of these posts about violence remind me

Baja Bernie - 8-20-2006 at 09:44 PM

of a saying---You deserve that which you will tolerate.

School marm to the rescue

thebajarunner - 8-20-2006 at 10:06 PM

"If you don't read the newspapers you are uniformed--if you do then you are mis-informed"--Will Rogers

Uhhhh, Bernie... the word is 'uninformed,' the spell checker let you down....

'uniformed' has a certain edge to it, but hard to tell just what that edge might be....

(sorry friend, could not resist)

Baja violence

cardonhugger - 8-21-2006 at 09:32 AM

I wonder of the reception us gringos will receive in Baja when the U.S. completes the "Border Barrier". While some solution is needed to the ongoing immigration problems, will this FENCE also have the effect of increased intolerance by some Mexican citizens to our big expensive trucks, toys and houses in THEIR country???

As this violence continues, us touristas will be the ones hiring "coyotes" for guidence and protection on our once idyllic Baja journeys!!! I hope not in my lifetime!!!

trips to LA bay

lewm - 8-21-2006 at 12:19 PM

All through the 80's & early 90's we did a twice a year trip to LA Bay. We always left Huntington Beach at midnight. This would put us down there in the afternoon.
I was asked several times was'nt it dangerous to drive through TJ at that hour. My answer was that we felt the fence jumpers had already jumped & as an extra precaution we unplugged one of the headlights to make us appear to be local.
I have great memories of those many trips & the wonderful people we met on the way. This crime scene really bugs me.

bajalera - 8-21-2006 at 12:32 PM

Bugs me, too. We no longer feel comfortable when camped out--in what used to be a safe part of t he world.

jimgrms - 8-21-2006 at 12:54 PM

I think the day,s of safely traveling alone are over in the states as well as mexico , when i take trips in the states i always carrie a pistol the bandidos know we are unarmed and as the majority of us are elderly we are looked at as fair game , the police don,t care and aren,t about to risk thier life for a gringo , and until rich mexicans start getting robbed nothing will change , jmho

Amen Pistolero

MrBillM - 8-21-2006 at 01:04 PM

I have commented time and again that the biggest difference (for me) between encounters with the bad guys in Mexico or the U.S. is that, when I'm in the U.S., it is a rare moment that I am on the road (even down to the local store) without a Pistol within close reach and I have never had occasion to regret that in over 40 years.

Frank - 8-21-2006 at 03:30 PM

Still not on the news..........

Cypress - 8-21-2006 at 04:41 PM

This sort of thing is very bad for business. It will have an negative $ impact. Drug dealers offing each other is one thing, but when they start messing with tourists? Look out. The perps will end up stretched out alongside the HWY or somebody's gonna be looking for a job.

Roberto - 8-21-2006 at 04:45 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jimgrms
I think the day,s of safely traveling alone are over in the states as well as mexico , when i take trips in the states i always carrie a pistol the bandidos know we are unarmed and as the majority of us are elderly we are looked at as fair game , the police don,t care and aren,t about to risk thier life for a gringo , and until rich mexicans start getting robbed nothing will change , jmho

I guess you haven't been reading about the kidnappings that have been going on for months? It's at a point where many Mexican businessmen are moving to this side of the border.

You know, folks, just because someone reports a problem, it doesn't mean that every Tom, Dick or Harry has to throw their two cents in. It's INFORMATION, do with it what you will.

Tomas Tierra - 8-21-2006 at 10:18 PM

ok Dick-o

Roberto-----

Barry A. - 8-21-2006 at 10:25 PM

----I think that we "throw our 2 cents in" to show support, or opposition, for what is said------------if we did nothing, then whoever is posting these reports would just give up, thinking that nobody cared. It is called, "communication", I believe.

Wow, ahhhhhhh, OK

Barry A. - 8-21-2006 at 10:32 PM

I get the message,--------sorry about that.

Roberto - 8-22-2006 at 09:33 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Barry A.
----I think that we "throw our 2 cents in" to show support, or opposition, for what is said------------if we did nothing, then whoever is posting these reports would just give up, thinking that nobody cared. It is called, "communication", I believe.

No, in cases like this it's not communication. A term I have not heard around here for a while comes to mind - chicken coop. Cluck cluck cluck!

Roberto - 8-22-2006 at 09:34 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Tomas Tierra
ok Dick-o

Thanks a-ho. :lol:

So, Roberto-----what do you propose?

Barry A. - 8-22-2006 at 09:42 AM

------If responding to NOMAD's posting "news" is not "communication", and therefore not worth responding too, then what should we do???? Just ignor it????

That sounds like a lot of fun-----------

I cannot tell you how relieved I am that I no longer have to read about "chicken coop" stuff. As much as I loved JR's posts when they were informative, I really did not like the "chicken coop" part of it, and I never thought he was talking about me (tho he may have been).

Roberto - 8-22-2006 at 10:37 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Barry A.
------If responding to NOMAD's posting "news" is not "communication", and therefore not worth responding too, then what should we do???? Just ignor it????

That sounds like a lot of fun-----------

I cannot tell you how relieved I am that I no longer have to read about "chicken coop" stuff. As much as I loved JR's posts when they were informative, I really did not like the "chicken coop" part of it, and I never thought he was talking about me (tho he may have been).

Barry, what I'm saying is that this is an information post - debate is not necessary. Each one of us will do with it what they will and use it (or not) as they think is most appropriate. What's the point of going on-and-on-and-on about it? The initial info is not going to change - you either believe it (and care) or not. End of story.

I know I irritate you with my posts, I would apologize for that, because you seem to be the genuine article, but the truth is that there is SO much cluck-cluck-cluck going on on this board. You could ask - why do I bother posting (and reading it). And that would be a good question. One that I do not have an answer for beyond a temporary cure for moments of boredom.

Be good.

Roberto

Sharksbaja - 8-22-2006 at 11:32 PM

I think we should meet.

cluck!

Roberto/Grover-----

Barry A. - 8-23-2006 at 09:17 AM

good response, and I appreciate your feelings.

However, following your logic------the recent "informational" post about Rachael and Larry, and the apparent death of Rachael--------------------is it "clucking" for some to respond?

I think not-----how about you guys?

Roberto - 8-23-2006 at 08:00 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by grover
I'll venture an armchair psychoanalysis; would it be because you are concerned about our naivete? I'll admit to it.

But there is one poster who truly craves (giving)a good pedantic lecture. I think we'd need more than armchair-calibre expertise to sort that one out.

Frankly, Grover I don't give a chit about your naivete'. But, you make a good point about armchair lectures. Touche'. And that pretty much closes the loop on if/when/why I read/post on this bored. I have nothing in common with the folks on this board and it makes no sense for me to be here. Don't wave if you cross me down south, and I won't let the doorknob hit me in the ass on the way out. :lol:

Saludos!