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Author: Subject: Safety while in Northern Baja
Aventurera
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[*] posted on 5-21-2008 at 09:00 PM


Okay, since the online translation was a little shaky in places, I translated the tips. Some seem a bit over-the-top, but some are quite useful. Here ya go:

Today in the Central Offices of the Attorney General, we had a chat with Victor H. Aguirre from Vance International, who has provided presidential protection, participated in and directed operations against organized crime, acted as Principal Instructor of Agents in areas of security, such as: Protection of Executives, Evasive Driving and Intramural [?] Security. He was trained by former Secret Service Agents and Special Forces of the U.S. Army. Some of the tips that he mentioned and would like to share with you are:

1. Carry your driver’s license in a little bag and keep it in the trunk of the car.
2. Carry only one credit card and at least 1,000 pesos (to give up in case of assault.) Remember that for each credit card, one can withdraw 4,000 pesos; if you carry at least 3, they’re worth 12,000 pesos which can turn into 24,000 if they keep you until the next day.
3. Don’t carry business cards or family photos in your wallet.
4. Don’t carry your Voter Registration card unless you plan to make a bank transaction or something of that type. [edit: I think that applies mainly to Mexican citizens since this is a form of ID there.]
5. Don’t show your cellular phone on the street.
6. If the cell phone rings and we’re walking down the street, we must get close to a wall, look both ways, answer and ask the person calling to call back later.
7. Dress modestly.
8. Always notice the hands and eyes of any stranger who walks toward us; if he has his hands in his pockets, he might be carrying a gun.
9. In a parking lot or on the street, don’t point the car’s remote control device more than 50 centimeters [20 inches] from the vehicle because anyone could be watching us.
10. In the case of an unavoidable attack, while opening the car, hold up your hands, look down (never look at the face of the attacker) and listen to what they say: the alternatives in this case are a) not allowing them to put us into their car, negotiating: “Take the car, my money, wallet, etc.” (98% of the people who are put in the car die), b) keep repeating “Relax, I’ll do whatever you say,” for example, “I have my wallet in my right pocket and I’m going to take it out”, c) if they insist on putting us into their car, fake fainting or an asthma attack (they might give you a kick or two, but they won’t try to carry you; mostly likely, they’ll get in the car and take off.)
11. You have to change routes and not be predictable. If we’re going in a car:
a) Don’t look at it/him. [edit: not sure what he meant here!]
b) They generally arrive at the diagonal, not from the side or the front.
c) The most common places for assaults are speed bumps, intersections and stoplights. For this reason, you have to keep looking in the rear view and side mirrors.
d) Windows up and car locks down.
e) Don’t carry purses or jackets in view; it’s better to carry them in the trunk.
12. Be careful of the people who wash windows and don’t let them climb up on the hood (as they are almost always looking at what we are carrying.)
13. As a form of prevention, use the middle lanes because they generally attack the cars on the sides.
14. Leave a meter [about 3 feet] of distance from the car in front of you in case it is necessary to rear-end him so that he gets out of the car and frustrates the attackers/kidnappers.

Risk factors:
1. Always taking the same route.
2. Traveling alone.
3. Frequenting unsafe areas.
4. Displaying personal items of high value (earrings, watch, laptops, cell phone, etc.)

Kidnapping for Rescue/Ransom:
1. Normally senior executives
2. Planned
3. Done close to the home or office
4. Done by 4 – 6 people

“Express” Kidnapping:
1. Victim chosen at random
2. Done close to an ATM
3. They look for jewelry and quick money
4. Victim freed in a matter of hours
5. Normally happen Fridays after 6 pm or on paydays

“Virtual” kidnappings:
1. When they come saying that they represent a company, such as telephone, Televisa, or saying that a relative has had an accident and that you need to come, etc.

ATMs:
1. Don’t go alone, and if possible, don’t do transactions at night or on paydays.
2. Look for an ATM that isn’t in an isolated or unknown area.
3. When taking money from the bank, ask the teller to count the money again slowly; it’s not recommended to count it again in front of others.

Precautions in Public Areas:
1. In a restaurant, sit somewhere close to an emergency exit and with a view of the front door.
2. In the street, walk as far as possible from the wall.
3. Don’t walk on dark streets.
4. Park close to the entrance in malls.
5. If someone asks for the time, ignore him and keep walking since you don’t know his real intentions.

Hotels:
1. Try to get a room on the 1st to 5th floor (the fire escapes only go up this far).
2. Don’t return the room key card since it contains all your personal and credit information and can be used by anyone who gets a hold of it.

[Edited on 5-22-2008 by Aventurera]
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gringette
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[*] posted on 5-22-2008 at 12:28 AM


right on! thanks so much Adventurarer (?sp) i had the broad strokes with the bot translation... but this is muy bueno-er. :P



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Capt. George
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[*] posted on 5-22-2008 at 02:19 AM


Seems like all these fear posts are mostly posted by newbies to Baja Nomads.

Are we, the older generation, just stupid, living in a dream world, or is all this fear a product of the gated community generation?

It all seems a little over the top. If I took all these recent posts to heart, I wouldn't leave my closet!




\"The penalty good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men\" Plato
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Iflyfish
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[*] posted on 5-22-2008 at 03:15 AM


Capt. George

"I wouldn't leave my closet!"

Promise? Didn't know you were in the closet.

Now I realize humor is difficult on the internet, but I will give it another try.

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Capt. George
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[*] posted on 5-22-2008 at 05:12 AM


oh stop, I swear to God, I'll just kill you!

now I'm going back into the closet with my moo-moos...........




\"The penalty good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men\" Plato
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Udo
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[*] posted on 5-22-2008 at 08:06 AM


I FEEL WE NEED TO GIVE GRINGETTE A LARGE RIGHT-ON FOR TAKING THE TIME TO TRANSLATE THE ORIGINAL POST INTO AN UNDERSTANDABLE READ BY US GRINGOS![/I]



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fdt
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[*] posted on 5-22-2008 at 08:50 AM


Quote:
Originally posted by udowinkler
I hope that other Nomads will be as well informed as you and I are.

:?::?::?::?::?::?::?::?::?::?:




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gringette
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[*] posted on 5-22-2008 at 10:43 AM


Quote:
Originally posted by Capt. George
Seems like all these fear posts are mostly posted by newbies to Baja Nomads.

Are we, the older generation, just stupid, living in a dream world, or is all this fear a product of the gated community generation?

It all seems a little over the top. If I took all these recent posts to heart, I wouldn't leave my closet!


oh, i agree it's over the top, but good to think about. i would have never thought about the credit card(s) thing. not that i have three anyway, but... it's all fun and games until someone's taking your car, or wallet or whatever - eh? and then it won't seem so stupid to have put a kill switch on your car o rto have been a bit over cautious.

it's just words on a message board, and not bad advice in any event.




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Capt. George
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[*] posted on 5-22-2008 at 11:51 AM


iflyfish

come out, come out, "whatever" you are!




\"The penalty good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men\" Plato
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Cypress
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[*] posted on 5-22-2008 at 01:26 PM


Northern Baja is too close to the USA, they've adopted/adapted to too many of the bad habits of their brothers north of the border.:)
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robrt8
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[*] posted on 5-22-2008 at 07:45 PM


The tips are way over the top, yes. But thanks to the OP anyway. Interesting stuff.
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bacquito
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[*] posted on 5-24-2008 at 06:58 PM


Quote:
Originally posted by udowinkler
I FEEL WE NEED TO GIVE GRINGETTE A LARGE RIGHT-ON FOR TAKING THE TIME TO TRANSLATE THE ORIGINAL POST INTO AN UNDERSTANDABLE READ BY US GRINGOS![/I]

THANKS GRINGETTE!!




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[*] posted on 5-25-2008 at 03:08 PM


Hmm, some pretty crazy stuff in that list.

But on a proactive basis, and I know this may not apply to everyone for multipal reasons, but a little self defense training can go a long way.

The Dojo I worked out at for years offered periodic quick self defense courses. Some were general and some were geared for just females.
They usually were quit affordable, lasted only a few weeks and were fun and informative.

Knowing the 2 or 3 main "soft" spots on an assailant who believes he has the upper hand based on surprise, and how to hit one of those spots effectively can put someone on the ground long enough for you to run away.

The three Rs of self defense:
Recognize
React
Run




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[*] posted on 5-26-2008 at 05:19 AM


thanks
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