BajaNomad - Caution to Single Women -- from the Onion. Real?

Caution to Single Women -- from the Onion. Real?

Lee - 4-14-2010 at 08:32 PM

''Caution To Single Women Travelling North - Recently while driving north from Loreto I was stopped by four kids in army gear and one man in shorts.(he spoke English) They ordered me to get out of the car and when my dog barked they threatened her with a knife. While I was tying her up to a post they quickly pounced on my car and managed to extract $3000.00 pesos and a red Swiss army knife. They were laughing and kicking the car and then told me to leave. I did not notice my losses until I was further up the road. So much for trusting the Mexican Military. Has anyone had any similar experiences? Thanks. - cosmic.cougar@gmail.com, Baja California Sur''

noproblemo2 - 4-14-2010 at 08:36 PM

Glad to hear you are ok, money is replaceable, life is not. Thanks for the warning.

BajaGringo - 4-14-2010 at 08:53 PM

I would be willing to bet these were not military but just some bandits wearing uniforms.

Paula - 4-14-2010 at 09:16 PM

Caution to Single Women -- from the Onion. Real?

It all depends. Is it from the real Onion or the Baja Onion?
:dudette:

gnukid - 4-14-2010 at 09:49 PM

cointelpro

rhintransit - 4-15-2010 at 06:54 AM

glad she's okay. but story is incomplete, where and why did she stop for four kids and a man in shorts? the advice might better be DO NOT STOP for anything other than official checkpoints, clearly identified and relatively stable in location.

Pescador - 4-15-2010 at 07:42 AM

Why is it everytime I hear one of these stories, they never manage to check out and the reality is always a whole lot different than the story that gets repeated. I suspect that is because it plays to that inner fear of the unknown which blows these types of things totally out of proportion. But isn't the Onion kinda the "National Enquirer" in a different cover?

Mulegena - 4-15-2010 at 07:43 AM

Agree in totality with Rhin-go.

When?
Where?
Report filed with nearest official local authority/military outpost?

Our family position is to not stop for anyone except the official police or military, EVER.

We are seasoned Mx-1 travelers and know the road pretty well and are prepared to turn around or go cross-country to evade a bad guy.

The times we've been shaken down was by real (but bent) TJ motorcycle cops on the take. There were a half-dozen or so preying on US-plated vehicles as they exited the tollroad headed north to the border. Now we avoid TJ.

That being said, we will and do stop for civilians in need, with reasonable caution and good sense.

toneart - 4-15-2010 at 11:00 AM

The Onion is an online satirical news source. This doesn't look like satire though. I tried to find this story in The Onion archives but couldn't find it.

A sparse report with lots of holes leaving lots of questions. Doubt it is real. :no:

If is is real there is certainly more to the story...ya think? I doubt they were Mexican Military.

Also, it is doubtful that any responsible journal would post the "victim's" email address. Speaking of which, "cosmic.cougar" is a provocative name. Cougar is a label for older women trolling for younger guys. Has anyone tried to email her?
Was it a military gear fetish or the man in shorts that allured her into pulling over.?

monoloco - 4-15-2010 at 11:05 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by toneart
The Onion is an online satirical news source. This doesn't look like satire though. I tried to find this story in The Onion archives but couldn't find it.

A sparse report with lots of holes leaving lots of questions. Doubt it is real. :no:

The notice appeared in The Baja Western Onion.

mtgoat666 - 4-15-2010 at 11:11 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Pescador
Why is it everytime I hear one of these stories, they never manage to check out and the reality is always a whole lot different than the story that gets repeated.

why is it that the first reaction of y'all is to question veracity of all stories about crime in baja? if it did not happen to a nomad, then it must be untrue :lol:

i wish y'all had been such great skeptics when GWB first told you his tall tales about WMDs and al queda in Iraq :lol:

Mulegena - 4-15-2010 at 11:23 AM

The post appeared as quoted by Lee in the Baja Onion yesterday. No, I've not emailed, and personally I think its spam/rubbish/bad joke. The name of the site is a whimsical send-up of newspapers (The Oakland Union Tribune comes to mind). However fanciful the name, I do find the Baja Onion a credible source of information about all things Baja--
trumped only by our own Baja Nomad site, of course, which is never, ever visited by creepy trolls.

Quote:

toneart - 4-15-2010 at 11:42 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by mtgoat666

Quote:

Originally posted by Pescador
Why is it everytime I hear one of these stories, they never manage to check out and the reality is always a whole lot different than the story that gets repeated.

why is it that the first reaction of y'all is to question veracity of all stories about crime in baja? if it did not happen to a nomad, then it must be untrue :lol:

i wish y'all had been such great skeptics when GWB first told you his tall tales about WMDs and al queda in Iraq :lol:

Goat-

...to question "Veracity";
...to question sources;
...to question authority;
...to question your government no matter which party is in office;
...to be "skeptics"

is a citizen's right and often a duty!

To link a "Nomad" reference or a "reaction" seems to me to be targeting without a basis.

While there is certainly a basis for railing against GWB, politics is irrelevant and misplaced here. Why not write a succinct piece in Off topic with this theme?

Furthermore, the originator of this thread, Lee, has asked for opinions relevant to the article.

toneart - 4-15-2010 at 11:49 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Mulegena
The post appeared as quoted by Lee in the Baja Onion yesterday. No, I've not emailed, and personally I think its spam/rubbish/bad joke. The name of the site is a whimsical send-up of newspapers (The Oakland Union Tribune comes to mind). However fanciful the name, I do find the Baja Onion a credible source of information about all things Baja--
trumped only by our own Baja Nomad site, of course, which is never, ever visited by creepy trolls.

Quote:

I agree, Mulegena! Lee only referenced "The Onion". The Baja Onion is a whole different kind of quasi source. That should explain the hokey appearance of this story. :yes:

Bajahowodd - 4-15-2010 at 01:23 PM

Personally, I don't really think the relevant issue is whether the story is true. From time to time, over the years, similar stories (road blocks, hijackings, shakedowns) have been posted here. Many, if not most appear to be apocryphal. But, as was noted earlier, they do serve to remind us that a certain amount of vigilance should constantly be maintained while traveling the peninsula, especially in the rural areas.

DENNIS - 4-15-2010 at 01:41 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bajahowodd
Personally, I don't really think the relevant issue is whether the story is true. From time to time, over the years, similar stories (road blocks, hijackings, shakedowns) have been posted here. Many, if not most appear to be apocryphal. But, as was noted earlier, they do serve to remind us that a certain amount of vigilance should constantly be maintained while traveling the peninsula, especially in the rural areas.

Someone has to write a manual for self-preservation in Baja. Otherwise, people don't listen or remember.

toneart - 4-15-2010 at 03:02 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DENNIS

Quote:

Someone has to write a manual for self-preservation in Baja. Otherwise, people don't listen or remember.

I don't need reminding. Do you guys? I guess the story is one example of possible trouble. It is always on my mind while traveling in Mexico. Any world traveler, or for that matter, city dweller in the U.S. always needs to be present and aware. Know who is in front of you and who is behind. Who is watching you? Having said that, you can't live in fear. Go ahead and travel. Avoid certain areas of certain cities. Live your life without fear.

If you find yourself suddenly in a dangerous situation, use your brains. Deal with it as you must, according to the situation.

I do think there is a legitimate interest in the story's authenticity. I study the writing style. Is this a first person experience? Where's the emotion? Where's the fear? I am looking for clues that the writer may not have even thought of, if the piece is hokey.

tripledigitken - 4-15-2010 at 03:08 PM

I'm giving "cosmic-cougar" the benefit of the doubt, just because I like her name. This is, only if it is a her. :cool:

Ken

Thanks tony for explaining what a cougar is. :lol:

DENNIS - 4-15-2010 at 03:32 PM

I sent her an email. We'll see if she responds.

Similar thought

bajaguy - 4-15-2010 at 03:57 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DENNIS
I sent her an email. We'll see if she responds.

I sent an e-mail at about 6:30AM today.....no response as of yet

mtgoat666 - 4-15-2010 at 04:00 PM

why would anybody respond to nut jobs like you?

tripledigitken - 4-15-2010 at 04:02 PM

because he/she is a "cosmic cougar". :lol:

bajabass - 4-15-2010 at 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by mtgoat666
why would anybody respond to nut jobs like you?

Well, we respond to all nutjobs, you, me, Mr. Bile. All nutjobs welcome on BN. :biggrin:

What Would Mr. Bile Do?

Bajahowodd - 4-15-2010 at 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by bajabass

Quote:

Originally posted by mtgoat666
why would anybody respond to nut jobs like you?

Well, we respond to all nutjobs, you, me, Mr. Bile. All nutjobs welcome on BN. :biggrin:

Perhaps that's the gold standard! :lol:

DENNIS - 4-15-2010 at 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by mtgoat666
why would anybody respond to nut jobs like you?

You just did. :lol:

durrelllrobert - 4-16-2010 at 10:03 AM

Quote:

[ Has anyone tried to email her?

Yup, just asked if she/he was real. email not returned so it is real address :bounce:

Stories aren't always reported -- except, maybe to the Baja Onion

Lee - 4-16-2010 at 11:10 AM

No reason to not believe Ms. Cosmic's story. Highway robbery might not always be reported to local authorities. The stretch of road North of Loreto would be an excellent road to set up a fake road block. The problem, in this case, assuming this situation actually happend the way it's been described, is Ms. Cosmic rolled up to the road block, then stopped, thinking it was real. I don't think she stopped at the ''real'' military checkpoint North of Loreto.

In my opinion, there are similarities between ALL the military checkpoints going North. To see what appears to be a military checkpoint but actually isn't, is a matter of Baja experience, and, perhaps, intuition?

What I'm trying to say is this. I know where the military checkpoint is North of Loreto. Coming up to a checkpoint at a different location, or without a similar checkpoint setup, would be a red flag and I'd be slamming on the brakes of my car. I'd then pull out my binoculars (within reach) and check things out.

That's just how I drive Baja. I expect bandits but hope they're sleeping when I cruise through.

So, I'm assuming the story in the BAJA ONION is real. Having your guard up is healthy paranoia.

toneart - 4-16-2010 at 11:49 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Lee
No reason to not believe Ms. Cosmic's story. Highway robbery might not always be reported to local authorities. The stretch of road North of Loreto would be an excellent road to set up a fake road block. The problem, in this case, assuming this situation actually happend the way it's been described, is Ms. Cosmic rolled up to the road block, then stopped, thinking it was real. I don't think she stopped at the ''real'' military checkpoint North of Loreto.

In my opinion, there are similarities between ALL the military checkpoints going North. To see what appears to be a military checkpoint but actually isn't, is a matter of Baja experience, and, perhaps, intuition?

What I'm trying to say is this. I know where the military checkpoint is North of Loreto. Coming up to a checkpoint at a different location, or without a similar checkpoint setup, would be a red flag and I'd be sla
mming on the brakes of my car. I'd then pull out my binoculars (within reach) and check things out.

That's just how I drive Baja. I expect bandits but hope they're sleeping when I cruise through.

So, I'm assuming the story in the BAJA ONION is real. Having your guard up is healthy paranoia.

I was skeptical, but Lee, your opinion also makes sense. Quien sabe? :?:

..."a matter of Baja experience, and, perhaps, intuition" is definitely what it takes. Without these tools, the unseasoned Baja traveler could find themselves in a jam after it is too late. So the reminders are important to them.

By the way, if a Cougar ever responded to me she would have to be in her 90s.

(Shuuut Up!) :lol:

Not my choice, but I have seasoned, just recently

and am prooooobably no longer considered a Boy Toy. :no:

Cypress - 4-16-2010 at 12:25 PM

A single women traveling most anywhere ought to exercise a little caution.

oladulce - 4-16-2010 at 01:41 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Lee
...What I'm trying to say is this. I know where the military checkpoint is North of Loreto. Coming up to a checkpoint at a different location, or without a similar checkpoint setup, would be a red flag and I'd be slamming on the brakes of my car.
So, I'm assuming the story in the BAJA ONION is real. Having your guard up is healthy paranoia.

Often times the army will set up impromptu checkpoints on dirt, and less-traveled roads in our area which are just as authentic as the established checkpoints on the main hwy. They had a favorite place to set up in an arroyo (before hurricane Jimena changed the landscape) and would appear suddenly from behind some bushes which was always a bit alarming, but I'm sure effective if you were a bad guy.

BigWooo is from a family of law enforcers and we are usually compliant first, and suspicious second. But if I didn't see a humvee parked nearby, I don't care what the guys were wearing, I'd have a baaad feeling!

I don't mind reading stories like this, true or not, especially if feasible. It's good to think "hmm, what would i do?" now and then to keep from getting complacent.

vandenberg - 4-16-2010 at 02:20 PM

I had an occasion where a pick up with about 6 to 7 guys in the dark blue uniforms ( fed. police ??) passed me coming back from La Paz, and several miles down the road , set up an impromtu check point. So, apparently, not that unusual.

Mulegena - 4-16-2010 at 03:47 PM

On checking my recent emails I find none from Baja Western Onion. I do find two links from Baja Pony Express, however this posting which was quoted here has been removed, I believe.

Maychance someone jests with us, yes?

At any rate, cougarly predators of the desert and their boy toys aside, let's all have our "street smarts" honed and our game on!

Who The #%## is The Baja Western Onion???

BCSTech - 4-16-2010 at 08:18 PM

OK, as "el jefe" of the Baja Western Onion, I'd like to help clear up some confusion here for some Nomads.

The Baja Western Onion is an Email newsletter providing community news, mainly in BCS, and is not affiliated with "The Onion," http://www.theonion.com a well-known satirical publication originating out of the US.

To avoid confusion, we'd prefer it when people reprint articles from the Baja Western Onion that they identify the source - "The Baja Western Onion." We also ask that Email addresses appearing in the Baja Western Onion Email newsletter not be reprinted on public web sites like Baja Nomad, or at least alter the address enough so that it can't be picked up by spam harvesters.

The Baja Western Onion operates a lot like an electronic community "bulletin board," and each week its content is created almost entirely by its subscribers. We normally don't research articles submitted to the Baja Western Onion to verify the facts and we had no reason to doubt this story. Readers are free to judge for themselves. This article ran in our Wednesday, April 14, 2010 issue, which you can read here: http://www.bajawesternonion.com

Normally, if someone wanted to spoof an article, they wouldn't include their real name and Email address. The submitter is one of our 2,500 subscribers, has a valid Email address, and has posted other articles in the Baja Western Onion unrelated to this. She's probably wondering why the hell people she's never heard of are now sending her Email.

Also, if somebody wanted to cook up a real humdinger of a story, don't you think they'd write that they lost a lot more than 3,000 pesos and a pocket knife?

Most of us have read real stories about robbers in Baja pretending to be police and then assaulting people. We've also heard many stories about soldiers at military stops rifling cars and stealing stuff. Is it too far a stretch that some robbers would pretend to be military for the same reasons they pretend to be police?

[Edited on 4-17-2010 by BCSTech]

gnukid - 4-16-2010 at 10:43 PM

As a rule, nowadays there are many people paid to post on internet web sites with misinformation, disinformation, distractions, this has been a documented policy to create chaos as a precursor to solutions, otherwise known as a policy of order from chaos or Latin ORDO AB CHAO which is the motto of many or most government and political institutions. It's also known as the Hegelian dialectic technique, or antithesis, thesis, synthesis. Even though this social engineering policy has occurred for decades and centuries and is well documented, for example in the US Church Congressional investigations noting influence on media to create chaos and distractions in media by rogue factions of the US government with Operation Mockingbird and by rogue foreign governments the average person seems to forget and becomes vastly confused by obvious misinformation. Modern main stream media examples are prolific such as Beck, Cooper, Palin, Oreilly etc.... ad infinitum.

Considering most members here average in their 60's it seems and therefore are each familiar and recall in detail the US Congressional Church Committee Investigations which detailed these policies in detail many seem to forget this as the past, among many projects detailed was the Iran Contra case which was a case of US Government employees using their influence to cause massive disruption of both foreign and domestic policy while illegally trafficking arms and drugs with US government planes on US and foreign soil using US Administration offices and equipment, which subsequently resulted in prosecutions, these however are often forgotten following subsequent Presidential pardons and those criminals are still working in the similar roles today. This memory hole, or tendency to quickly forget is a US distinction which further reduces our ability to understand the facts. Gosh.

Take a moment and consider the source of any post, consider the number of posts high or low as a factor, consider how well you know the history of the source, if a poster has a limited history and posts stories which are inflamatory, fear based, specious, suspicious or unsubstantiated, even while stating gee I don't know if this is true, then certainly one should give little credence to the story as in this case.

As a rule, main stream media is losing its audience and therefore its influence so trained Communications Specialists both Civilian and non-Civilian are increasingly paid to post on public forums to influence the audience, partly as social experiment, partly as social control and perhaps it seems partly to simply cause confusion. This is known as a truth-lie sandwich which preys upon human's irrational psychology which has been well documented in the research and published works of Edward Bernays, the nephew of Sigmund Freud. Bernays seminal work is titled Propaganda and is largely the most influencial upon US political and media policy and should be common knowledge to every person. If not take a moment to watch the documentary about Bernays titled Century of the Self.

As a long time forum admin and participant, having experience with the DOD and the ARPANET, it's clear misinfo agents are prevalent and generally anyone with theirs ears "up' can identify them too like pesky mosquitos, so be aware, they are obviously here, they post often, you know who they are. You can reduce their influence by checking the source, considering the poster and recall their history, and generally discount and disregard any and all posts until you have had a chance to consider these issues in depth.

As participants here, we see an increasing number of both paid and volunteer posters posting misinfo, generally its fear based lies to discourage Mexico travel and migration. I remind readers of the well known history of disinfo by media propagandists with an agenda. As a reminder to those who do, there are laws against Gov funded propaganda in order to influence US or Mexican Government policy by foreign or domestic agents of said Governments such as 5 U.S.C. 3107 and you can will be identified and maybe prosecuted. The benefits to agents of propaganda are few and the risks are high, unless you relish the notoriety of agents like Lt Col North, consider your allegiance, your duty to your country, family and community. Propagandists, agents of disinfo will always stick out like a sore thumb by your errors, its a sad loner life, you will always be identified, you will lose everything and like in every case historically you will be the first to be offered up, like Hitler's Brown Shirts in the night of the long knives, for sacrifice by your masters. Know your history.

[Edited on 4-17-2010 by gnukid]

DENNIS - 4-17-2010 at 07:28 AM

WOW...That was a lot to start my day with. I think I'll just throw away my list of "Things To Do" and go get drunk.
SALUD

Bajaboy - 4-17-2010 at 07:32 AM

Dennis-I was paid to stir the pot...Gnukid is on to me....guess I've been outed.

zac

DENNIS - 4-17-2010 at 07:38 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bajaboy
Dennis-I was paid to stir the pot...Gnukid is on to me....guess I've been outed.

zac

I had no idea that posting on a Baja forum could be so...uh...Freudian.