Family victimized in Mexican time-share scam

[rikkis_playpen Diamond Club Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close rikkis_playpen]

Family victimized in Mexican time-share scam - The Sarnia Observer - Ontario, CA

Canadian media is reporting a family was attacked while attending what they believed to be a timeshare tour in Puerto Vallarta. After leaving the "sales presentation", the father was attacked by men who demanded her return the cash tour incentive because he did not complete a purchase.

[tonyg Goomba & Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close tonyg]

A great increase in violence reported on CBS news last night for Alcapulco.

[rikkis_playpen Diamond Club Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close rikkis_playpen]

Just say this photo taken in Acapulco on Jan 28 in the middle of the day.. Not a reassuring picture..

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

No way . . . Mexico is no worse than Detroit, South LA, Libya . . .

[T. R. Oglodyte Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close T. R. Oglodyte]

Despite this, I would be amazed if the annual violent crime rates per square mile in the tourist areas of Acapulco were anywhere near the annual violent crime rates per square mile in the popular tourist areas of Seattle (to pick a large US city generally perceived as safe).

BTW - a couple of weeks ago I saw a similar scene in Puerto Vallarta, at the car dealership on the main avenue south of downtown, right at the intersection with the downtown bypass road that goes through the tunnel.

[bigfrank Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close bigfrank]

I was in Cabo last week, No trouble but in town there were armed army guards all over

[beach.bar.bob Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close beach.bar.bob]

No offense, but what's your definition of "all over"?

We were in Cabo from Feb 12 to Feb 26...went to either the marina area or downtown area off the marina probably 10-11 nites during our stay...mostly in the evening.

Yes, I noticed armed policia/army walking the street and/or marina area on maybe 3 or 4 of the nites. Seldom more than once on the same nite. Personally, while while the presence was noticeable, I wouldn't call that all over. Understand that the show of force is mainly to make tourists feel safer...not less safe.

This was our fifth consecutive year we have visited Cabo for one or two weeks. The policia/army presence does not seem greatly higher than on our first visit.

We're back for one more week Mar 12. Will keep a closer eye out to see if perhaps I was just not noticing...

FWIW

bbb

[JWC Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close JWC]

Despite this, I would be amazed if the annual violent crime rates per square mile in the tourist areas of Acapulco were anywhere near the annual violent crime rates per square mile in the popular tourist areas of Seattle (to pick a large US city generally perceived as safe).

BTW - a couple of weeks ago I saw a similar scene in Puerto Vallarta, at the car dealership on the main avenue south of downtown, right at the intersection with the downtown bypass road that goes through the tunnel.

What are these popular tourist areas in Seattle that are so dangerous? When we were in Seattle on vacation in August 2007, we stayed at the Grand Hyatt downtown. We walked all over downtown and visited several tourist sites. We didn't observe anything out of the ordinary and felt very safe wherever we walked or visited.

[bigfrank Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close bigfrank]

No offense, but what's your definition of "all over"?

We were in Cabo from Feb 12 to Feb 26...went to either the marina area or downtown area off the marina probably 10-11 nites during our stay...mostly in the evening.

Yes, I noticed armed policia/army walking the street and/or marina area on maybe 3 or 4 of the nites. Seldom more than once on the same nite. Personally, while while the presence was noticeable, I wouldn't call that all over. Understand that the show of force is mainly to make tourists feel safer...not less safe.

This was our fifth consecutive year we have visited Cabo for one or two weeks. The policia/army presence does not seem greatly higher than on our first visit.

We're back for one more week Mar 12. Will keep a closer eye out to see if perhaps I was just not noticing...

FWIW

bbb

We noticed a lot when we were there. Day and more so at night. There was quite a few down the block by Cabo Wabo and close to the corner jewlery store.

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

I saw a lot of heavily armed Policia in Guadaljara in 1976.

& did not feel totally safe

[brucecz Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close brucecz]

We noticed armed gaurds on the Puerto Vallarta-Neuo -Vallarta border back in 1999 on our first trip to Puerto Vallarta.

We did mug 4 resorts for a total of $1,700 US taking 4 tours this January. 2 paid 6,000 pecso's each for the pleasure of our company.

Bruce

[T. R. Oglodyte Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close T. R. Oglodyte]

What are these popular tourist areas in Seattle that are so dangerous? When we were in Seattle on vacation in August 2007, we stayed at the Grand Hyatt downtown. We walked all over downtown and visited several tourist sites. We didn't observe anything out of the ordinary and felt very safe wherever we walked or visited.

That's my point - they really aren't dangerous.

But for 2009, the downtown district for Seattle police department had a crime rate of 100 violent crimes per square miles, violent crimes being murder, rape, aggravated assault, and robbery. The downtown district is all of the downtown area, including Pioneer Square and Pike Place Market, Seattle Center (Space Needle), Denny Triangle (where the Worldmark is located), Belltown (which is the area between downtown and the Space Needle and which is where many of the best restaurants in Seattle are located), Lake Union, and Capitol Hill. That's pretty much all of the main tourism areas in the city of Seattle proper.

I would venture that the tourist areas in any of the principal Mexican tourist areas don't have a violent crime that is anywhere near those levels.

*****

My comments are restricted to comparing tourist areas with tourist areas. Once you venture outside the tourist areas in Mexico I would expect that the situation will likely be quite different.

[JWC Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close JWC]

That's my point - they really aren't dangerous.

But for 2009, the downtown district for Seattle police department had a crime rate of 100 violent crimes per square miles, violent crimes being murder, rape, aggravated assault, and robbery. The downtown district is all of the downtown area, including Pioneer Square and Pike Place Market, Seattle Center (Space Needle), Denny Triangle (where the Worldmark is located), Belltown (which is the area between downtown and the Space Needle and which is where many of the best restaurants in Seattle are located), Lake Union, and Capitol Hill. That's pretty much all of the main tourism areas in the city of Seattle proper.

I would venture that the tourist areas in any of the principal Mexican tourist areas don't have a violent crime that is anywhere near those levels.

*****

My comments are restricted to comparing tourist areas with tourist areas. Once you venture outside the tourist areas in Mexico I would expect that the situation will likely be quite different.

We went to all those areas. As I have said many times, you cannot compare crime statistics in the US with Mexico because the vast majority of crimes in Mexico are never recorded.

[T. R. Oglodyte Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close T. R. Oglodyte]

We went to all those areas. As I have said many times, you cannot compare crime statistics in the US with Mexico because the vast majority of crimes in Mexico are never recorded.

And my point is that I have worked in those areas in Seattle. I have a son and DIL who lives in that area.

In the time that I worked in the Pioneer Square area there were at least ten murders within a six-block radius of where I worked (three blocks from the ferry terminal). Strong-armed robberies occurred with great regularity. Belltown (the area just south of Seattle Center) is probably the area of Seattle where a person is most likely to take a bullet as an innocent bystander. When I had to work past dark I was always aware of a distinct element of danger as I walked several blocks to the bus stop.

Those areas are generally fine by day. At night those are among the most dangerous locales in Seattle. 100 reported violent crimes per square mile per year is not an insignificant crime rate.

I purposely did not make a direct numeric comparison of crime rates because I know that the extent of underreporting is greater in Mexico than in the US.

That being said, I certainly feel much safer walking around the Marina in Puerto Vallarta after dark than I ever would in places such as Pioneer Square, the Pike Place market, Belltown, or Capitol Hill.

[dougp26364 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dougp26364]

That's my point - they really aren't dangerous.

But for 2009, the downtown district for Seattle police department had a crime rate of 100 violent crimes per square miles, violent crimes being murder, rape, aggravated assault, and robbery. The downtown district is all of the downtown area, including Pioneer Square and Pike Place Market, Seattle Center (Space Needle), Denny Triangle (where the Worldmark is located), Belltown (which is the area between downtown and the Space Needle and which is where many of the best restaurants in Seattle are located), Lake Union, and Capitol Hill. That's pretty much all of the main tourism areas in the city of Seattle proper.

I would venture that the tourist areas in any of the principal Mexican tourist areas don't have a violent crime that is anywhere near those levels.

*****

My comments are restricted to comparing tourist areas with tourist areas. Once you venture outside the tourist areas in Mexico I would expect that the situation will likely be quite different.

The difference may be in what's reported. I'd almost be willing to bet that many of the "violent" crimes that are reported in the U.S. are not reported in Mexico. I'm not certain this is a valid method for determining the safety of Seattle, WA vs tourist destinations in Mexico.