BULLETS OVER BAJA: Attack Yields Grave Consequences

[Teamcasa]

I'd love to go back to La Buf again for some diving~ but theres NO way I'm going out there until they've cleaned up their act.. its just not worth it...

Don't give up diving La Buffadora … Our fearless leader the senior moderator, what ever that means, of this noble tribe, TeamCasa, often travels to Baja with any hesitation or fear of loss of property and life or limb.

I some how suspect if asked by you he would volunteer to personally rapidly escort you through TJ, Rosarito, Ensenada to Maneadero on to La Buffadora.

Might even volunteer to dig a personal hot tub in the sand at La Jolla for your after diving warm up...

MissyP, I hold Sam in high regard for his diving knowledge and as an historian of our sport. His playfull snips at me provide me with a giggle now an then. However, if you or Sam fear the dark, why not just head for the nearest light?

Is Baja safe for tourists? I don’t that it is anymore dangerous for tourists than anywhere else in Latin America, Africa and many other countries.

Jackson Brown said: “Don't be afraid to go out on a limb. That's where the fruit is.”
La Buffadora is an amazing dive site and yes, I would happily escort you or anyone else to this wonderful site. BTW Sam, I don’t think I need actually dig a hole to create a hot tub, plenty of resorts have them already!

 

[Empty V]

...which means buffalo snorting in Spanish

No it doesn't, wrong again sammy.

BTW Missy, I'll be down there almost every weekend next summer for probably the next 20 summers enjoying my brand new 5 bed 5 bath condo on the beach. Maybe the guy that valets my car will kidnap me and ransom me. There's a lot of people out there and a few bitter old farts in our so-cal section that only bring up the negative because they're fatalists. Nothing ever happens in the US that's bad right? Never any gang/drug related shootings or robberies in LA right? It must be all Mexico! I feel pity for those who choose to shelter themselves, I feel sad for those who blindly listen to them.

Billy

 

[MissyP]

MissyP, I hold Sam in high regard for his diving knowledge and as an historian of our sport. His playfull snips at me provide me with a giggle now an then. However, if you or Sam fear the dark, why not just head for the nearest light?

Yeah. ok.. I simply said I'd like to go back down there one of these days~ but I certainly do not think it's the brightest idea for anyone to head down there right now. Sam & mod, empty v~ whatever floats your boat, if you want to go to Baja, then please do. If you become a statistic or not, that's your choice.

How nice that the mod managed to get in & out safely- good on him.. but its not a chance I'm willing to take (I don't think I'm in the minority here either~ Baja is corrupt, plain and simple). But Mexico as a whole~ I have no problems with Cozumel or the areas with safer crime statistics. And as far as the "but we have crime everywhere" comments~ well, I'm not dumb enough to go hang out in an alley in downtown LA at 2am either (or would I be "sheltering myself if I don't go there too?) .. so it's a moot point.
~m

 

[Beachlover]

I have been to La Bufadora ( The Blowhole) once before, but only topside. I would like to dive there in the future as I have heard that it is quite nice. Is there anyone reading this who has been diving there recently and if so, what was your trip like? Any horror stories about being robbed,etc? Thanks in advance.

 

[Empty V]

And as far as the "but we have crime everywhere" comments~ well, I'm not dumb enough to go hang out an alley in downtown LA at 2am either (or would I be "sheltering myself if I don't go there too?) .. so it's a moot point.
~m

I guess you're right, crimes only happen in dark alleys at 2AM, never in broad daylight or on our freeways. There's been multiple shootings on the 110, does that mean that it's dangerous? Only if you suffer from agoraphobia.

I was driving on the freeway on Memorial Day when a girl on her cellphone changed lanes without signaling or looking. I swerved and honked so she wouldn't hit me, she swerved back and overcorrected twice, spun out and totaled her car. The freeway is dangerous, so I guess I'm a daredevil for driving on it this morning, at least according to the mentality that has plagued some of the members of this board.

I guess it just means less tourists will go and the prices will remain cheap, yay for us! So please don't go to Baja the rest of us will benefit from your absence.

Ohh yeah, BTW the US govt is corrupt with drugs and violence, I've seen it with my own 2 eyes. Maybe you should move to switzerland, it's a lot safer.

Billy

 

[Teamcasa]

...How nice that the mod managed to get in & out safely- good on him.. but its not a chance I'm willing to take (I don't think I'm in the minority here either~ Baja is corrupt, plain and simple)...

MissyP, I’m sorry if you took my post the wrong way. There is no doubt that Tijuana and other border regions suffer from the violent interaction between the drug dealers, police (both Federal and local) and government officials. The local police continue to foster their bad reputation by engaging in the practice of la mordida (the bite – a bribe). I find it funny when a US citizen bribes a cop to avoid a traffic ticket, they can’t help but brag about it to their friends.

All that said, attacks on tourists is extremely rare and I doubt the rate is any different than here in our tourists areas.

Ensenada and other locations that cater to tourists and US expatriates are very safe. My offer to escort you and your party is genuine, but I draw the line and digging hot tubs in the sand!

 

[MissyP]

I guess you're right, crimes only happen in dark alleys at 2AM, never in broad daylight or on our freeways. There's been multiple shootings on the 110, does that mean that it's dangerous? Only if you suffer from agoraphobia.
Billy

There's a little thing called "crime statistics" which will prove that certain areas are more afflicted with crime than others. check it out sometime.
It's simply a well known (and proven) fact that there is quite a bit of crime in Baja..
Yeah- SoCal and other places have crime-- nobody ever disputed that.. But if you don't think the likelihood of being a victim of robbery/extortion are higher in Baja than in La Jolla/San Diego/Laguna etc then you're more in denial than I thought.
I'm sorry you feel the need to be so defensive and attack people for the choices they make, but if it makes you feel better about yourself, then so be it..

 

[Teamcasa]

Crime Statistics:

Total crimes (per capita) (most recent) by country
Source NationMaster - World Statistics, Country Comparisons

#1 Dominica: 113.822 per 1,000 people
#2 New Zealand: 105.881 per 1,000 people
#8 United States: 80.0645 per 1,000 people
#9 Netherlands: 79.5779 per 1,000 people

#39 Mexico: 12.8406 per 1,000 people


SOURCE: Seventh United Nations Survey of Crime Trends and Operations of Criminal Justice Systems, covering the period 1998 - 2000 (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Centre for International Crime Prevention)


Actual crimes might be higher today but I doubt the Mexican crime rate exceeds the US rate.

 

[Empty V]

There's a little thing called "crime statistics" which will prove that certain areas are more afflicted with crime than others. check it out sometime.
It's simply a well known (and proven) fact that there is quite a bit of crime in Baja..
Yeah- SoCal and other places have crime-- nobody ever disputed that.. But if you don't think the likelihood of being a victim of robbery/extortion are higher in Baja than in La Jolla/San Diego/Laguna etc then you're more in denial than I thought.
I'm sorry you feel the need to be so defensive and attack people for the choices they make, but if it makes you feel better about yourself, then so be it..

First of all I never attacked you, just suggested that there might be safer places than the US, which there are. Second, I never compared baja to orange county or SD, maybe you're skipping words and filling it in with whatever makes sense to you. It sounds more like you're on the defense. Regardless you're not going to go to Mexico and that's your choice. All I'm saying is that because a few people cry wolf doesn't mean that you're going to get eaten, obviously you'll never know.

Billy

 

[Beachlover]

First of all I never attacked you, just suggested that there might be safer places than the US, which there are. Second, I never compared baja to orange county or SD, maybe you're skipping words and filling it in with whatever makes sense to you. It sounds more like you're on the defense. Regardless you're not going to go to Mexico and that's your choice. All I'm saying is that because a few people cry wolf doesn't mean that you're going to get eaten, obviously you'll never know.

Billy

Hello, when was your last trip down south? Did you or have you ever encountered any hostile situations while in Mexico? I only ask out of curiosity because I would like to do some diving at La Bufadora this summer. Thanks in advance.