BajaNomad

Baja vs Mainland MX

absinvestor - 3-20-2013 at 01:22 PM

We just returned from a short trip to the Guymas area of Mexico.. Specifically we were looking for a location to set up a beach palapa on the beaches surrounding San Carlos. (San Carlos is an easy 4 hour drive from the border on a nice 4 lane road.) We found some beautiful beaches but we had to hunt to find one person that had not had a car or house broken into!! I mentioned to one person that I might just visit/live in our motorhome and build a block type building with no windows etc for storage when we left. He stated that he had a steel door on a similar building and the burglars somehow pulled the door off the hinges and stole his boat motor etc. We have lived in Punta Banda in north Baja and on the beaches near Mulege and seldom even locked the doors of the car or home??? What a difference!!!

DavidE - 3-20-2013 at 01:58 PM

So true!

And it's not just limited to one area. There are burglary problems in Mazatlan, Barra de Navidad/Melaque, Zihatanejo and Puerto Escondido. Inland, Patzcuaro, Ajijic, and other gringo enclaves have their platoons of ripoff artists.

The cape region is rife with uñados, Todos Santos and El Pescadero in particular.

But things have deteriorated greatly in just the last couple of years. So the places you remember as being ripoff-free a few years ago may have changed.

Vigilant neighbors seem to be my best defense. Chihuahua On The Roof® alarms really work at night. So does adding a cup full of nitric acid to a Tequila bottle filled with strong tea.

I brought down several unbelievably loud 130 db battery powered alarms (lithium battery) that can be heard for about one mile at night. IR detectors, pressure mats, window vibration and doorknob rattling alarms. They were brought to "el otro lado" and by the time I left Mazatlan on my way south, every last item was purchased. I need to get more of those 130 db sirens though. One for the roof and one for inside a structure. Not even earplugs work to block earsplitting shrieks. A person simply cannot stay inside a structure with one of these babies at full bay.

bajagrouper - 3-20-2013 at 02:13 PM

In my house in Nayarit the "ratas con dos patos" even stole my burglar alarm,LOL

motoged - 3-20-2013 at 02:34 PM

"Rich gringos" are such easy targets....and it is a pity, when even Nationals are equally targeted....we just don't hear as much from them on these forums.

I spent several weeks traveling from Toluca through Michoacan (loved it), down to Zihuatanejo, and up the "Highway of Death" (Hwy 134) to Taxco and back to Toluca.

I never had one moment of real concern regarding my personal safety, and found secure parking in larger centers for the motorcycle (easy target).

The locals sometimes were concerned for my safety and we talked about theft and narco-issues....and it was noticeable that Nationals were/are concerned about various sorts of crime in Mexico.

The guy running the small hotel in Troncones warned me to not travel on Hwy 134, but when I asked the guys at the Pemex they said it was no problem....and when I asked the Federales the same question, they assured me it was safe to travel.....and it ended up being some of the best two days of riding EVER....

There is sometimes such a difference between the "haves" and "have nots", that crime seems to be the answer for many.

Que lastima...:(

However, my recent travel experience has me eager to explore more of the mainland....and it is a toss-up for my next Mexico travel....Baja or mainland.....either way, I like to get at least several hundred miles south of the border before I get into the groove.

[Edited on 3-20-2013 by motoged]

Not racial profiling but ...

durrelllrobert - 3-20-2013 at 04:33 PM

Last week a friend of mine was using his brand new electric jack hammer to break up an asphalt parking lot in Chula Vistawhen he was approached by 2 "Hispanic looking" men that asked him to hire them "for almost free" to do that job. After finishing for the day they apparently followed him home unoticed and he parked in his driveway and locked the jack hammer in the cab of his truck. Later that night "SOMEONE" broke the window of the truck and took it and even though he had hundreds of dollars worth of other tools unlocked in the bed nothing else was stolen.

Bajafun777 - 3-24-2013 at 05:02 PM

While living in Baja it helps to have watchful neighbors and even living in a gated community adds to at least feeling your stuff won't just walk off. We live in Las Gaviotas just outside of Rosarito and we love it as my wife feels safe there so I can enjoy my Baja times easier. Now, things can still happen on occasion but not like living in town or just outside of town where the pickings seems to increase your chances of a theft happening.

We are in Baja for about 5 months sometimes a little less with our home in California left alone with family and friends checking on it. Had security but when the front door was kicked in the frame went with it, so the alarm was not functional as it never disconnected from the door opening. New steel door and frame should keep that from happening again along with all the extra stuff we had installed.

No problems for the last 4 years doing this routine, until last year and we got our home burglarized in California. It seems the early release from prisons in California is returning criminals intent on starting right back to where they left off. Gangbangers and criminals take kindness for weakness with their laugh now cry later mentality when doing crimes. Some sources on the streets and finding a witness to the crooks selling things got one of the past probationers identified. However, he took off to Mexicali but warrant is waiting for his next crossing. So, had to double up on cameras with night vision, motion detectors, video recordings for night time and registering with police when out of town so they know alarm means now please.

Our world is changing more and more, so be prepared to do whatever you have to secure your items and yes the installing of security isn't cheap but having your home messed up, keepsakes destroyed and anything of value stolen isn't cheap either. You can't always be home and even when you are at home it doesn't mean some crook won't try something. So you will have to make choices to do what you have to do to avoid being a victim, as even if victims comply that doesn't mean bad things still don't happen to them. Take Care & Travel Safe------ "No Hurry, No Worry, Just FUN" bajafun777

Jim/Liisa - 3-24-2013 at 09:35 PM

In San Felipe, you see windows and doors with security screens and bars on the houses . All owned by the "locals"??? Oh!!! forgot to mention the broken glass on the top of the block walls. All this to keep the "locals" from breaking in???
Sorry forgot to mention there are houses here in southern Calif that have these same bars and security screens owned by the not so local, to keep the not so local from breaking in???

daveB - 3-24-2013 at 09:45 PM

We dry camped on the same coral beach in Jalisco for a year and a half over a span of seven years, never had anything taken, nor had any of the other 12 or14 rigs that anually stayed there, we only remember one or two incidents. But there was always someone around. We did trips out to other locations but limited time away to three nights. One time a car was stolen from a camper there who had left keys in during the day, apparently had them taken. That evening the car wasfinally locked up and owners turned off the lights in their rig, only to hear their car start up and drive away, never to be seen again.

[Edited on 3-25-2013 by daveB]

[Edited on 3-25-2013 by daveB]

Lee - 3-25-2013 at 10:32 AM

Forgot to mention this: a MX family I lived with this year got hit too. Mama had a bad habit of leaving laundry on the line for days. One night, thief's got 6-8 designer jeans and assorted other clothing. (Mama, at last view, had not learned the lesson.)

I use to think hey petty crimes and no one hurt. Since the Las Tunas shooting (intruder taking a shot at gringo in a dark room?), I've become aware of another armed robbery that I think only made local news. A gringo, near Rancho Pescadero, at home when 2-3 MX approach him about work, or something. Some chit chat and one pulls a gun putting it to the head of the gringo then demanding money. Guy gave what he had in his pocket and the perps left.

No one is happy about armed robbers in the 'hood.

(The upside is these pachucos are probably not trained in handling guns. Taking one away would be easy followed by a severe butt whupping.)

Then I'd leave town for a few months.

DavidE - 3-25-2013 at 10:56 AM

A crossbow or double band spear gun is a hell of an effective close-in weapon if defending yourself in a house (just don't miss!).

I rant horribly at uñados on this forum because most of them have wads of high denomination bills stuff in their pockets, gold jewelery and personal electronics worth hundreds if not thousands of dollars and they STILL insist of victimizing the innocent. These are not crimes of "little old poor starving me". They are sharks looking for prey. Mexico has "lost" what 70,000 sicarios in the drug war? Maybe they need to lose 800,000 more. Whatever it takes.

I agree. Whatever number of gringos you hear about being victimized the number of Mexicans must be a hundred times greater. I become enraged getting ripped-off because with my poverty level pension some articles are irreplaceable. But then I have to stop and ponder the truly poor that lose a refrigerator or stove to the rats.

I hired a dirt-poor couple in "southern Baja (no more place bashing") because wandering Seventh Day Adventists recommended them personally. This couple ripped me off of many hundreds of dollars worth of stuff. How can I be sure it was them? The last time I saw them they were carrying on their backs loads of stuff from my bodega down the dirt road. I was using a cart to walk so chasing them was out of the question. With a pair of 20X50 binoculars I could count the whiskers on his face, and the barét's rhinestones. This was the 1st day of the week that I had paid them "en adelante" in advance.

It is a sickness. I do not know if drugs were involved in this case.

MitchMan - 3-26-2013 at 12:02 PM

Had a break-in at 3:15am on a Tuesday in January in La Paz. I made a mistake at my Kitchen door that night and didn't lock the door with the key to slide the bars thru into the wall. Only the tongue was locked and the burglar broke the louver glass window next to the door, put his arm thru and squeezed the tongue release on the lock from the inside. I heard the glass break, woke up and confronted the guy when he was half way thru the door, waving my 3 foot machete at him. As soon as he heard me yell at him, he split.

When I bought the house, I replaced the flimsy yard fence with an 8 ft high cinder block fence topped with broken glass and circular razor barbed wire, locked the front two door gate with double wrapped very, very thick chain and the biggest padlock I could find. The front of the house had no barbed wire, just a metal yard gate and that's where the burglar (or potential murderer; who knows?) hopped the fence. That particular night/morning, the street lights were out.

I have since welded horizontal bars to my vertical bars on all windows already covered with horizontal bars, particularly to louver window and kitchen door windows. Now no hands or arms can fit in thru those narrow width bars. Had an iron door made and installed on front wooden door and put two massive locks on it. Also, I put a high watt security light on roof in front of house, an extra lock on front gate, and an additional double wrapped chain and big pad lock on front driveway double metal door gate.

I know of no practical way to achieve 100% security, but every little bit contributes to deterrence. I like the loud alarm idea. I'm going to look into that.

I have read on this forum that if you injure or kill an intruder in the house that they or their families most often prevail in Mexican court against the victimized homeowner.

bajamedic - 3-26-2013 at 12:40 PM

I hope I am not hijacking this thread, but… I made a trip to San Felipe in February; I stopped at Costco in Mexicali and loaded up the back of my truck with food and staples for one of the local orphanages, the back seat was full of special things that I had brought from the states. I stayed in a San Felipe hotel the night that I got into town; I left all of the goodies in the back of my open truck, fully expecting to have it all taken during the night with all of the stories that I have heard. I reasoned that me bring the “stuff” was for those less fortunate than I and if it was gone when I awoke the next morning, then so be it. The idea of me bringing “stuff” was more about me giving than those that receive. When I awoke the next morning, to my amazement, nothing was touched, everything was sitting just the way I had left it, so off to deliver it to those that were in need.
Although my experience was a just a short visit verses those of you living in an area and feeling violated by those that you trust and live around, I left there knowing there are still some good people you might just need to look through the few bad ones to see them. JH

Lee - 3-26-2013 at 02:43 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by bajamedic
Although my experience was a just a short visit verses those of you living in an area and feeling violated by those that you trust and live around, I left there knowing there are still some good people you might just need to look through the few bad ones to see them. JH


I think everyone knows the world, including Baja, is filled with good people.

You were lucky. Nothing more.

Leave your truck loaded in Pescadero, stuff will be stolen, maybe the truck too.

vandenberg - 3-26-2013 at 02:54 PM

Mitchman,
The way you have that house secured, you maybe able to interest the local authorities in buying it, if you ever intend to move. Would make a great "Slammer":P:biggrin:

Bajafun777 - 3-26-2013 at 06:16 PM

Mitchman, I always thought if I owned a house in Baja I would put electrical cattle boxes attached to thin wires on the fence at top and bottom areas to deter people. I even thought about using them on the bars attached to windows or doors. So, when you go to bed the boxes come on and I would have a generator connected to the house and boxes just in case the electrical went out, now that is sleeping tight, LOL. Anyone that has had an experience with these electrical boxes know you don't go back for seconds!!

A stun gun is also a good way to protect yourself and if you have it shipped into Mexico through the company that can sell them in Mexico you are good to go. Pepper Spray and stun guns are no problem in Mexico from what updates and regulations I have read on them in the past unless something has changed I am not aware of. Take Care & Travel Safe---- "No Hurry, No Worry, Just FUN" bajafun777

CarlVon - 3-29-2013 at 02:25 PM

Here is an excellent place to check out. It is just south of Puerto Penasco, and is a 4 hour drive from Phoenix.

Bahía De San Jorge / Sonora / Mexico

There are quite a few places that you describe, Storage room with bath, and pad for RV

CarlVon - 3-29-2013 at 02:27 PM

Sorry, forgot to add this link.

http://www.chinci.com/travel/pax/p/3986497/Bah%C3%ADa+De+San...

stanburn - 3-30-2013 at 06:14 AM

Been in Manzanillo full-time for 6 years now. I have had no problems...i think the key is being with your stuff full-time. Otherwise it is just an opportunity for someone. Good neighbors will help alot....

absinvestor - 3-30-2013 at 08:48 AM

CarlVon-thanks for the info and link. Ron

Osprey - 3-30-2013 at 12:17 PM

Can't say we've had much crime problems here in East Cape. I will admit that when my wife was in the states I did take some clean clothes off my neighbor Tom's clothesline. We're about the same size and he has nicer chones.

And I guess you could call this a almost crime when I borrowed a wheelbarrow from another neighbor (a Canadian I share emails with almost every day)

I have a lot of fishing gear (and a lot of lures) in my bodega that really belong to Joe next door but he spends less and less time here. I have his keys to look after his place and I figure if he trusts me with those, then he should trust me with his spendy Avets and line and end tackle.

I guess it's "Nothing to see here. Move along."

vandenberg - 3-30-2013 at 12:54 PM

Well Jorge, as long as you don't "borrow" his wife while he's out fishing!!:biggrin::biggrin:

absinvestor - 3-30-2013 at 01:57 PM

Based on the various comments it does seem to vary by area. In Punta Banda I did have close neighbors but in El Burro there are seldom more than 4 or 5 of the 23 residences occupied at any one time. In El Burro my doors were seldom locked and it was not uncommon to have a couple people on my patio when I returned from town. Many times I had left the door wide open with easy access to a portable generator, binoculars, fishing poles, full gas cans etc etc and I never lost one item. I will say that I always try to hire the local Mexicans for any construction needs etc and I don't beat them up on price. Although we are only in the Mulege area a few months of the year I consider many of the locals to be good friends that I trust as I would a family member. Maybe I have just been lucky.