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barcodemarco
Junior Nomad
Posts: 58
Registered: 6-14-2015
Location: Oceanside
Member Is Offline
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Shennanigans in El Rosario
Hi folks,
My brother and I just returned from a trip to BOLA + Animas Bay. Overall it was a great trip and I plan to post a quick summary in the trip section
soon. However, I first wanted to post about some unusual sightings near El Rosario as a warning to other Nomads…
Heading down to BOLA, about 5 miles outside of El Rosario, we saw two Mexican women next to an old beater sedan who appeared to be broken down off the
side of the road frantically waving an empty water container at us as we passed by. One was middle aged, the other 10 – 20 yrs younger. I considered
stopping to help but something in my gut told me to keep going. After all, it was the middle of the day and being close to town, it shouldn’t be
difficult for them to find support from locals.
We fueled up in El Rosario and continued on our way through town and across the bridge. About ¼ mile up the hill past the east side of the bridge we
saw the same two women again waving the empty jug and imploring us to stop. I’m guessing they didn’t recognize us??? At this point, we assumed that
it was likely a scam or worse, and were relieved that we didn’t stop the first time.
Unbelievably, 5 days later, on our return to the US, we saw them again on the outskirts of El Rosario with the same car, same empty jug and same
behavior. All three times they seemed to be acting desperate and “broken down” but comfortably parked off the side of the road. Don’t know what the
scam could be?
Given that we saw them 3 times in our round trip through town, I have to believe some other nomads have spotted them. I wanted to post mostly as a
warning to others but also to see if anyone else has seen this?
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mtgoat666
Select Nomad
Posts: 17387
Registered: 9-16-2006
Location: San Diego
Member Is Offline
Mood: Hot n spicy
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I have been flagged down a number of times with same plea for gas money. kids in their 20s. I always stop give 20 or 50 pesos. I dont care if its a
scam, as i am fortunate to have enough money to give to beggars i run across, the money is irrelevant, and if truly in need then the money is well
given, and if a scam, i figure they are poor anyways, so its for the poor.
Btw, i think once i was flagged down just south of ER, maybe its a local custom.
[Edited on 6-6-2016 by mtgoat666]
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Barry A.
Select Nomad
Posts: 10007
Registered: 11-30-2003
Location: Redding, Northern CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: optimistic
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Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666  | I have been flagged down a number of times with same plea for gas money. kids in their 20s. I always stop give 20 or 50 pesos. I dont care if its a
scam, as i am fortunate to have enough money to give to beggars i run across, the money is irrelevant, and if truly in need then the money is well
given, and if a scam, i figure they are poor anyways, so its for the poor.
Btw, i think once i was flagged down just south of ER, maybe its a local custom.
[Edited on 6-6-2016 by mtgoat666] |
Goat, ol buddy--------you actions are normally referred to as "enabling", and encourage bad behavior in others. Just so you know-------------
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BornFisher
Super Nomad
Posts: 2103
Registered: 1-11-2005
Location: K-38 Santa Martha/Encinitas
Member Is Offline
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Were they ummmmm, attractive???? JK
Does seem a little fishy!!!!
"When you catch a fish, you open the door of happiness."
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barcodemarco
Junior Nomad
Posts: 58
Registered: 6-14-2015
Location: Oceanside
Member Is Offline
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Not attractive enough to ignore my gut...but close!
I'm happy to give money to the kids in ER that wear white and hold the can in the middle of the road but I don't care for the lying sort.
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mtgoat666
Select Nomad
Posts: 17387
Registered: 9-16-2006
Location: San Diego
Member Is Offline
Mood: Hot n spicy
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| Quote: Originally posted by Barry A. | | Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666 | I have been flagged down a number of times with same plea for gas money. kids in their 20s. I always stop give 20 or 50 pesos. I dont care if its a
scam, as i am fortunate to have enough money to give to beggars i run across, the money is irrelevant, and if truly in need then the money is well
given, and if a scam, i figure they are poor anyways, so its for the poor.
Btw, i think once i was flagged down just south of ER, maybe its a local custom.
[Edited on 6-6-2016 by mtgoat666] |
Goat, ol buddy--------you actions are normally referred to as "enabling", and encourage bad behavior in others. Just so you know-------------
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Barry,
Have you ever been poor, like dirt poor?
My few dollars may "enable" them to get a beer, and thats fine by me.
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Bajaboy
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4375
Registered: 10-9-2003
Location: Bahia Asuncion, BCS, Mexico
Member Is Offline
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Drove through today but didn't see anything. But it was an unusual drive. First, there was only one officer at Chapparral and we weren't sent to
x-ray. Next the first checkpoint south of San Vicente was not manned nor was the El Rosario one. The check point north of Villa Jesus y Maria only
had one soldier. Very quiet on the highway, too.
Settled in now and read to enjoy a cold Stone Coffee Stout. Good to be on Baja time.
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BooJumMan
Senior Nomad
Posts: 880
Registered: 8-11-2007
Location: San Diego
Member Is Offline
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Yep, I saw this same thing my last trip in that area. It was a woman in her 40s or so and her kid who was probably 10-12. It looked way too desperate
to me and seemed fishy.
In that pre-Google Earth and social media epoch, The Code was adhered to. It was based on a simple verity: if a locale had been transformational for
you, and you had put the hard yards in to get there and to learn it, to know it, why in god�s name would you broadcast the news, thus ruining the
future experience not only for yourself, but for future adventurers?
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4x4abc
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4199
Registered: 4-24-2009
Location: La Paz, BCS
Member Is Offline
Mood: happy - always
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I am totally with Borrego
Harald Pietschmann
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fdt
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4059
Registered: 9-7-2003
Location: Tijuana, Baja California
Member Is Offline
Mood: Yeah, what if it all goes right
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| Quote: Originally posted by Bajaboy | Drove through today but didn't see anything. But it was an unusual drive. First, there was only one officer at Chapparral and we weren't sent to
x-ray. Next the first checkpoint south of San Vicente was not manned nor was the El Rosario one. The check point north of Villa Jesus y Maria only
had one soldier. Very quiet on the highway, too.
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Very few people were out today in the State of Baja California, reazon 1- it was election day, reazon 2 México vs Uruguay at the Copa America, played
in Glendale AZ, México won 3-1
A well informed Baja California traveler is a smart Baja California traveler!
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fdt
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4059
Registered: 9-7-2003
Location: Tijuana, Baja California
Member Is Offline
Mood: Yeah, what if it all goes right
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| Quote: Originally posted by barcodemarco | Don’t know what the scam could be?
Given that we saw them 3 times in our round trip through town, I have to believe some other nomads have spotted them. I wanted to post mostly as a
warning to others but also to see if anyone else has seen this?
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It's an old scam to get either some cash or gasoline, I've never seen them by El Rosario but have near La Paz and they go very inofensive looking,
like a family or a mother-daughter pair. They are parked by the side of the road and always have a plastic gallon container to make you think they
overheated, specialy on a hot day. Once you stop to help them with water they say that it's gas that they need, enough to get to wherever. So it's gas
or cash.
A well informed Baja California traveler is a smart Baja California traveler!
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dtbushpilot
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3288
Registered: 1-11-2007
Location: Buena Vista BCS
Member Is Offline
Mood: Tranquilo
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I believe we should help those less fortunate especially someone in desperate or immediate need. It would be a shame to let someone suffer because of
fear or suspicion. It's hot out there, even if they weren't broken down it's still a tough way to make a living. Stop next time and chat them up,
practice your Spanish, share a cold bottle of water and maybe even give them a few pesos. Some day it may be you, every Mexican vehicle will probably
stop and ask if you need help even if you do look suspicious to them.
On the other hand if your gut tells you something is fishy as in if you stop banditos will come out of the bushes and rob you then maybe it would be
best to keep going, every situation is different.
"Life is tough".....It's even tougher if you're stupid.....
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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 29510
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
Member Is Offline
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Used to be [maybe still] an old man on crutches who would stand on the bottom of the toll road on-ramp, north end of Rosarito, thumbing a ride north.
The ol' cripple never had to stand there long before someone would pick him up, and off they would go, he panhandling all the way to SDM where he
would get out and go to the other side of the road.....same position on the south on-ramp, and thumb his way back to where he started, panhandling all
the way.
This was his all day job.
"YOU CAN'T LITTER ALUMINUM"
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rts551
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6699
Registered: 9-5-2003
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: Originally posted by Bajaboy | Drove through today but didn't see anything. But it was an unusual drive. First, there was only one officer at Chapparral and we weren't sent to
x-ray. Next the first checkpoint south of San Vicente was not manned nor was the El Rosario one. The check point north of Villa Jesus y Maria only
had one soldier. Very quiet on the highway, too.
Settled in now and read to enjoy a cold Stone Coffee Stout. Good to be on Baja time. |
They were all pulled for election duty.
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larryC
Super Nomad
Posts: 1482
Registered: 8-11-2008
Location: BoLA
Member Is Offline
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I think it was about 10 years ago that there was a bandito that would act broken down and try to flag down help from motorists and then rob them at
gun point. This was going on between El Rosario and Catavina. They caught those guys fairly quickly. Probably not the same bunch this time, but ever
since then I have become very wary of helping someone beside the road out in the middle of nowhere. Especially if I am travelling alone. Sad, but
true.
Off grid, 12-190 watt evergreen solar panels on solar trackers, 2-3648 stacked Outback inverters, 610ah LiFePo4 48v battery bank, FM 60 and MX60
Outback charge controllers, X-240 Outback transformer for 240v from inverters, 6500 watt Kubota diesel generator.
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Bajaboy
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4375
Registered: 10-9-2003
Location: Bahia Asuncion, BCS, Mexico
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: Originally posted by rts551 | | Quote: Originally posted by Bajaboy | Drove through today but didn't see anything. But it was an unusual drive. First, there was only one officer at Chapparral and we weren't sent to
x-ray. Next the first checkpoint south of San Vicente was not manned nor was the El Rosario one. The check point north of Villa Jesus y Maria only
had one soldier. Very quiet on the highway, too.
Settled in now and read to enjoy a cold Stone Coffee Stout. Good to be on Baja time. |
They were all pulled for election duty.
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Made for an easy drive
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ncampion
Super Nomad
Posts: 1238
Registered: 4-15-2006
Location: Loreto
Member Is Offline
Mood: Retired and Loving it
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| Quote: Originally posted by larryC | | I think it was about 10 years ago that there was a bandito that would act broken down and try to flag down help from motorists and then rob them at
gun point. This was going on between El Rosario and Catavina. They caught those guys fairly quickly. Probably not the same bunch this time, but ever
since then I have become very wary of helping someone beside the road out in the middle of nowhere. Especially if I am travelling alone. Sad, but
true. |
In years past I would never hesitate to stop to check on or provide help for anyone stopped on Hwy 1, but in recent years with several instances of
people being duped by "stranded" motorists, I have not been inclined to stop. Too vulnerable to be taken advantage of. Sad but true.
Living Large in Loreto. Off-grid and happy.
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carlosg
Senior Nomad
Posts: 504
Registered: 5-28-2012
Location: chula vista, ca
Member Is Offline
Mood: Just like in Baja: No Bad Days...
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| Quote: Originally posted by ncampion | | Quote: Originally posted by larryC | | I think it was about 10 years ago that there was a bandito that would act broken down and try to flag down help from motorists and then rob them at
gun point. This was going on between El Rosario and Catavina. They caught those guys fairly quickly. Probably not the same bunch this time, but ever
since then I have become very wary of helping someone beside the road out in the middle of nowhere. Especially if I am travelling alone. Sad, but
true. |
In years past I would never hesitate to stop to check on or provide help for anyone stopped on Hwy 1, but in recent years with several instances of
people being duped by "stranded" motorists, I have not been inclined to stop. Too vulnerable to be taken advantage of. Sad but true.
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I went to college in Guadalajara (that was about thirty plus years ago), and I would drive South to just before Mazatlan and buy shrimp along the way
from the "changueras" and then sell it at school; once while driving at night going North up the grade in Plan de Barrancas, Nayarit there was a car
on a curve with a whole family standing around and the man working under the hood: they were stranded. I stopped and everyone ran to hide in the
bushes and the man rushed over to my car with a wheel iron in his hand and asked me what the !@%$^&# did I want, I told him I had sopped to help
to which he replied to be very careful because either I was stopping to rob them or it could be a sting on the road to rob passing drivers... I helped
them and went on my way... my car was a VW Caribe (Rabbit), the man was the service manager for the main VW dealer in Guadalajara.. after that I NEVER
had a problem that couldn't be fixed at the dealer.... even on a student budget... 
[Edited on 6-6-2016 by carlosg]
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4x4abc
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4199
Registered: 4-24-2009
Location: La Paz, BCS
Member Is Offline
Mood: happy - always
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love that Guadalajara story!
Harald Pietschmann
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Barry A.
Select Nomad
Posts: 10007
Registered: 11-30-2003
Location: Redding, Northern CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: optimistic
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That's probably because you, and other's here, have their heart in the right mode, and yes it is a great story. But as an ex-cop I don't advise it
unless you are able to fend-off trouble, and you are not putting passengers in your veh. in jeopardy. When alone, I help other's too under these
circumstances, but never with my wife or kids along-------I don't believe I have the right to endanger them unnecessarily. Just different
perspectives, I suppose.
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