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Peloncito
Junior Nomad
Posts: 66
Registered: 1-9-2007
Location: Los Gatos, CA - Los Barriles, BCS
Member Is Offline
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Interpretation of Current Events
To start off, I am not trying to start a debate over what has been reported in the last few months regarding the on goings in Tijuana, Rosarito and
the road in between. I make it a practice of driving down to our house in southern Baja at least twice a year. That time is coming up for me.
I just wanted to get a consensus of what your opinions might be regarding the safety of the drive in the " alleged targeted" sections of Highway 1. I
have made the drive at least 25 times in the past without incident. My normal routine is to drive from my house in the Bay Area, cross the border
around 12:00pm and stop in Rosarito or Ensenada for the night. I guess I am asking for recent experiences of Nomads traveling in the daylight hours
and those of our friends who currently live in these areas of reported events. Suggested alternate routes, stopping points, etc.... would be helpful.
I appreciate any & all input regarding any experiences you may have had recently. I will report on my experience after I arrive in my destination.
Thanks,
Mike
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Aventurera
Junior Nomad
Posts: 58
Registered: 1-25-2008
Location: California
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I was in Rosarito at the end of October and again in Dec./Jan. I got there a week after the attack on the police station (and knew the officer who
was assassinated, so that hurt), but during the weeks I was there, everything was quite calm on the surface (of course the police were all losing
their guns, but that didn't affect the rest of us.) Lots of Army and federales wandering around, but they were quite friendly. My friend in Ensenada
says things are very calm down there. So I wouldn't sweat it at all, but if you're really worried about safety, I'd say continue on to Ensenada to
spend the night.
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Cervisin
Nomad

Posts: 176
Registered: 8-13-2007
Member Is Offline
Mood: Mañana... quizá
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Quote: | Originally posted by soulpatch
Quote: | Originally posted by gnukid
The situation is not much different from the USA where there is an increase in reported crimes and many reports of cops shooting people for reasons
which seem reactionary and unexplainable?
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Are you on crack? That is an asinine statement.
What an buttcrackstatement. This kind of statement undermines anything credible you might have to say.
Drive in the northern corridor anytime during the day and I wouldn't sweat it. |
Soulpatch: your reply is bad because 95% it will give you a lecture.....
But I want to congratulate you to your initial question... I was asking myself the same in connection with that nickname.... Guess he's shifting north
now..... r.o.f.l.m.a.o.
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bajaguy
Elite Nomad
    
Posts: 9247
Registered: 9-16-2003
Location: Carson City, NV/Ensenada - Baja Country Club
Member Is Offline
Mood: must be 5 O'clock somewhere in Baja
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Drove to Ensenada along the toll road at 10PM on Friday night, February 1st. Stopped at La Mission for dinner (Closed). drove into El Sauzal and had
an excellent taco dinner at El Traliero (sp??). Proceed to our house and arrived at 11:30PM.
No bandits, no police, no problems.
Come on down!!!!
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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
      
Posts: 29510
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
Member Is Offline
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Your plan is fine. Daytime travel is as safe as it will get although there's no accounting for predatory TJ cops. Drive slowly to the toll road and
you're out of their reach.
Caution is good but, excessive worry will ruin a good trip so, don't worry.
I also suggest a radar detector and knowing the posted speed limits.
Have fun and lots of Pacifico.
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Pescador
Ultra Nomad
   
Posts: 3587
Registered: 10-17-2002
Location: Baja California Sur
Member Is Offline
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Hopefully Peloncito can just disregard Gnukid's take on the safety issue. The real issue is that there should be a healthy amount of awareness on the
part of anybody driving in the northern zone from Tijuana to Rosario. There have been some reported problems that justify increased sensitivity but
it is also a real waste of time and energy to see every policeman and federal agent as out to get you. I read the postings and the newspaper
articles, but I also live in Mexico half of the year by choice, so I maintain my positive attitude and when I interact with police or military I
assume, until proven otherwise, that we are both people going about our lives. It is, in my opinion, a form of prejudice, that we see everyone out
to get us because they are from a different country with a different language.
So drive down, have a great trip, enjoy the sights, sounds, and the aromas, but keep one eye open just in case.
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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
      
Posts: 29510
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
Member Is Offline
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Quote: | Originally posted by Pescador
It is, in my opinion, a form of prejudice, that we see everyone out to get us because they are from a different country with a different language.
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Well, I wouldn't call it prejudice. More like clinical paranoia, something one can take medication for. You can't do that with prejudice.
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shari
Select Nomad
     
Posts: 13050
Registered: 3-10-2006
Location: bahia asuncion, baja sur
Member Is Offline
Mood: there is no reality except the one contained within us "Herman Hesse"
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Don't sweat the small stuff...if I let my darling 18 year old daughter drive around there...cross the border at TJ by herself...etc....it must be
relatively safe for you to do it too..just drive past the northern area so you can relax sooner...enjoy your trip...baja rocks!
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Hook
Elite Nomad
    
Posts: 9011
Registered: 3-13-2004
Location: Sonora
Member Is Offline
Mood: Inquisitive
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In all probability, the possibility of an accident on the highway south of The Gauntlet is probably the greater danger.
What increases your risks are driving at night or driving/towing something that the bad guys want.
But it's still probably not close to the odds of getting in a serious accident on Hwy 1.
I would not stay in Ensenada, though. Blast through to at least El Rosario.
Come on, gnukid. Try and maintain some credibility for those of us who are willing to accept your accounts of the way things are in La Paz. Your
statement is not supported by the facts anywhere north of the border except maybe Richmond, CA or Detroit, MI. Crime rates are dropping all over the
US, especially violent crime.
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wilderone
Ultra Nomad
   
Posts: 3881
Registered: 2-9-2004
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"El Sauzal and had an excellent taco dinner at El Traliero"
They are good aren't they. Fish tacos are superb.
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Peloncito
Junior Nomad
Posts: 66
Registered: 1-9-2007
Location: Los Gatos, CA - Los Barriles, BCS
Member Is Offline
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Thanks everyone for your input. It is always reassuring to hear from fellow Nomads that have personally been to & experienced the locations
discussed versus articles written about the incidents second hand. I am looking forward to my drive definitely taking the advice of your comments,
especially the "Have Fun & lots of Pacifico"!
Mike
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ElFaro
Nomad

Posts: 231
Registered: 9-16-2007
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I was just down at Estero Bch. Resort in Ensenada on Monday. Took the N-S toll road down from Tijuana to Ensenada on Fri. 2/1 from 9am-12pm TOWING a
Toy Hauler rigged for long haul Baja fishing expeditions. Relatively few road problems. Returning north on Monday 2/4 from 12pm-3pm was a different
story. Because of the heavy rains and incessant pounding of the road by truckers, the Ensenada-Puerto Nuevo Exit Toll road, the Puerto Nuevo Exit -
Blvd 2000 on-ramp free road, and the Blvd 2000 road from the coast to Tecate off-ramp toll road were littered with pot holes, rocks, mud flows, and
flowing water. A lot of slow driving, slalom courses, single lanes, washed out shoulder work, etc for the entire length. Alot to deal with for $20
in tolls (Truck + Trailer). I've driven the Ensenada - Tecate free road dozens of times and it can be a white knuckle drive the entire length during
/ after rain storms towing trailers.
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bajaguy
Elite Nomad
    
Posts: 9247
Registered: 9-16-2003
Location: Carson City, NV/Ensenada - Baja Country Club
Member Is Offline
Mood: must be 5 O'clock somewhere in Baja
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take Blvd 2000.....it cuts down on tolls. drove it on Monday. It's like playing "Frogger" with the pot holes
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Peloncito
Junior Nomad
Posts: 66
Registered: 1-9-2007
Location: Los Gatos, CA - Los Barriles, BCS
Member Is Offline
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"Frogger"..... Now that shows your age. Right about where I am in life. I used to play that game all of the time. Thanks for the input Bajaguy &
ElFaro
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Dannyrose
Junior Nomad
Posts: 29
Registered: 5-27-2007
Member Is Offline
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I crossed Friday afternoon and came back 6:30am Monday. The toll road was quiet and empty both ways. The only hassle was trying to get into the sentri
lane Monday morning. the border crossing was packed. Rosarito was VERY quiet. I felt bad for the shop owners. One said business was down 50%. Too bad
cause her shrimp tacos rocked! We watched the superbowl with friends at a local sports betting bar. Again, great service great time, not a sideways
glance from anyone making me feel like we didn't belong. Enjoy your trip
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Desertsurfergal
Junior Nomad
Posts: 46
Registered: 1-30-2008
Location: Lake Havasu City, Az
Member Is Offline
Mood: wishful..for Baja
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hello
Drose check u2u. Checking how your trip went?
\"Life\'s a journey, not a destination...\" Aerosmith
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Dannyrose
Junior Nomad
Posts: 29
Registered: 5-27-2007
Member Is Offline
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Just sent two back surfergal
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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
      
Posts: 29510
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
Member Is Offline
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Quote: | Originally posted by The Gull
Boycott the San Fernando Valley. |
Is that worse than Irvine?
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Desertsurfergal
Junior Nomad
Posts: 46
Registered: 1-30-2008
Location: Lake Havasu City, Az
Member Is Offline
Mood: wishful..for Baja
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Dannyrose oh my!!!
\"Life\'s a journey, not a destination...\" Aerosmith
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Baja&Back
Senior Nomad
 
Posts: 549
Registered: 9-10-2004
Location: Vancouver, Canada / todo de Baja
Member Is Offline
Mood: Rarin' to go South!
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Y'know, I just got back from 4 weeks in Baja today, and maybe tomorrow I will go down to the Trubune newspaper in San Diego and punch Sandra Dibble
& her reporter friends right in the noses!
She must really hate Mexico for some reason. Her/their sensationalistic & overblown articles, repeated across the USA, have almost singlehandedly
reduced tourism in Baja by 30 percent. We were saddened to see tourist-related businesses & beach vendors that we've known for 6 years, being
unable to feed their families properly due to the tourist downturn she's caused. 
I wonder why she/they don't write articles about the murders, robberies, muggings, kidnappings, rapes that happen every day in San Diego, and drive
tourists out of her town?? Why not write about 12 murders per day in L.A.??
Every city & town in America has many times more crime than Baja, but you & I don't run in the same circles, or neighborhoods, that drug
dealers & criminals run in, do we?
Baja is as safe as you want/allow it to be. Don't stay home because of her efforts to fill a slow-news day. Go share the adventure of Baja - just take
along your common sense! 
(This venting of steam WILL also go to the San Diego Union-Tribune's Managing Editor tomorrow)
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