Family victimized in Mexican time-share scam

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

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.

You are absolutely correct. However this issue will just go on and on. Let people believe what they want to.

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

Damn it, Steve. I really wanted to go to Seattle next year

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

You are absolutely correct. However this issue will just go on and on. Let people believe what they want to.

John - I'm curious. Just based on your perceptions. Do you fell less safe, more safe, or about equally safe in the tourist areas of Puerto Vallarta (Marina Vallarta, the Nuevo Vallarta Marina, the Malecon, the cathedral area, Rio Cuale) as compared with tourist areas of Seattle such as Seattle Center, Pioneer Square, Lake Union.

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

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.

And for that reason I've tried to avoid making a direct comparison using the numbers.

What I have been trying to illustrate with the data is that our perceptions of what is safe in the US may not be all that accurate. I think that few people are aware that the violent crime rate in the tourist areas of Seattle is as large as it is; 100 violent crimes per year per square mile is pretty significant.

And that squares with my observations.

******

I understand what John is saying about Mexico and that many of us may not be correctly perceiving the hazards because we do not have the familiarity with the area that John has.

I'm suggesting that perhaps the same may be true for Seattle; it is not nearly as safe as I think John perceives it to be.

[taffy19 Gold Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close taffy19]

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

I don't remember them being there four years ago but they were there last year. The first time, I was shocked but not this time.

We walked everywhere day and night around the Sheraton Buganvilias, in the Puerto Vallarta marina and in Nuevo Vallarta too. The nights are great for walking here. Take a flashlight with you because some areas are pretty dark because the tree branches hide the lights. They are there. Also, the streets are very uneven besides the cobblestones too.

We went to a Specialty Bank one day which was next door to two other big Mexican banks. When we arrived at this Plaza, we saw men in uniform at several places in the square and also in front of one of the banks so we were wondering why that was. I asked them but they didn't speak English. I asked our Bank Manager and he told us that this is normal procedure when the Military goes to the bank to pick up their money. This was very close to a Military camp. They had big guns or whatever you call them.

We also saw armed guards on the Malecon last year and I even took a picture of one of the ladies. Imagine her having to use it?



We used to see police on every corner of the street at Waikiki Beach but I feel safe here too. Some years you see more and some years you see less.

We just got back from a six weeks' stay at Puerto and Nuevo Vallarta and we had a wonderful time and felt safe. We rode many busses too day and night and always felt at ease.

We also met brucecz and his wife one evening and several other forum people too. Pam (bezerk) was one of them with her husband and many more.

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

John - I'm curious. Just based on your perceptions. Do you fell less safe, more safe, or about equally safe in the tourist areas of Puerto Vallarta (Marina Vallarta, the Nuevo Vallarta Marina, the Malecon, the cathedral area, Rio Cuale) as compared with tourist areas of Seattle such as Seattle Center, Pioneer Square, Lake Union.

I never really felt unsafe in either place. One big difference is I have no qualms about driving out in the countryside in Washington whereas I would be very cautious in Mexico. Secondly, I don't need to worry about the police in Seattle ripping me off.

If you were to ask about Mazatlan, that is a different story. I would be very cautious in Mazatlan.

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

Perhaps I'm just sheltered..

Maybe it is just me, but the idea of people riding around in the backs of pickup trucks with assault rifles just seems a little over the top..

Comparing that with cops in any US city is like comparing snowfall in Charleston with New York.. You can say that it snows in both places- but I think that most reasonable people will agree that it not the same.

If the swat team routinely wanders around cities like Seattle wearing hoods and body armor to try to make the "tourists" feel safer, I've never seen a photo..

I've always been one to believe that today's jackal journalists tend to exaggerate violent crime, but if the Mexican government is calling out the paratroopers to patrol city streets- I don't think that is a good sign..

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

I never really felt unsafe in either place. One big difference is I have no qualms about driving out in the countryside in Washington whereas I would be very cautious in Mexico. Secondly, I don't need to worry about the police in Seattle ripping me off.

If you were to ask about Mazatlan, that is a different story. I would be very cautious in Mazatlan.

I think we're largely in agreement then, though I would add that I feel much more unsafe after dark in the tourist areas in Seattle than I do in the most of the main tourist areas in Puerto Vallarta.

[JoshA Member Find all posts View Profile Close JoshA]

I know this is an old tread but i thought I'd have something to say since I live in PV,first I think perception is everything and since the "war on drugs" started by Calderon in 2006 cetainly things have changed in Mexico... But not that much! Puerto vallarta has grown and it is ovbious that crime is more common that when it was a "quiet fishermen village" I see pics of police man with ak47 and a truck loaded with federales... And I can understand how it can shock some folks, on the other hand I visited a friend in Moses Lake WA, and he decided to take me out shooting some rifles (I had never touched a gun before) any way we climb on the truck and he brings trhee large guns and I was a bit nervous since I only saw this big arms on police before! he then put all those guns on the rack, and I was even MORE nervous since I thought people would think we were looking for trouble!! so I asked my buddy if it was ok to have the guns there (he laughed) and said it was against the law not to! I must admit back then I couldn t understand, but as I said it is all a matter of perception for me as a Mexican seeing cops with big guns puts me at ease cause I see THEY have the BIG Guns, and driving around in a truck with three rifles that anyone can see does NOT put me at ease... So I hope people still think of PV and Mexico in general as a place where they can still visit and have a great safe time!

[Pstreet1 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Pstreet1]

This editorial has some very interesting statistics about relative safety in Mexico/U.S. It's true that numbers can be used to shape perception and how the numbers were gathered, etc. has an effect on what the numbers themselves actually mean, but I think the point in the op-ed is well taken.

editorialpage.homestead.com/index.html…

[Mark @SFX Industry Representative Find all posts View Profile Close Mark @SFX]

I know this is an old tread but i thought I'd have something to say since I live in PV,first I think perception is everything and since the "war on drugs" started by Calderon in 2006 cetainly things have changed in Mexico... But not that much! Puerto vallarta has grown and it is ovbious that crime is more common that when it was a "quiet fishermen village" I see pics of police man with ak47 and a truck loaded with federales... And I can understand how it can shock some folks, on the other hand I visited a friend in Moses Lake WA, and he decided to take me out shooting some rifles (I had never touched a gun before) any way we climb on the truck and he brings trhee large guns and I was a bit nervous since I only saw this big arms on police before! he then put all those guns on the rack, and I was even MORE nervous since I thought people would think we were looking for trouble!! so I asked my buddy if it was ok to have the guns there (he laughed) and said it was against the law not to! I must admit back then I couldn t understand, but as I said it is all a matter of perception for me as a Mexican seeing cops with big guns puts me at ease cause I see THEY have the BIG Guns, and driving around in a truck with three rifles that anyone can see does NOT put me at ease... So I hope people still think of PV and Mexico in general as a place where they can still visit and have a great safe time!

I am actually in Nuevo Vallarta right now. SFX is the sponser for a fund-raiser providing funds and vacations for women with stage 4 breast cancer.

I have been bringing my family and friends to Mexico for the last 10 years several times per year. We love it more now than at any other time, and although there has been much negative press which does not play well with public perception, even though the core crime is drug related mostly along the border towns, we have never felt any sense of danger, we love the Mexican people.... and more and more people are coming back to Mexico, now they have a better understanding much of the news as usual is blown out of proportion (so what's new!). Our demand for Mexico has almost reached record numbers. Mexico still provides some of the finest luxury timeshare resorts in the world and better service than most other places.

Thanks,
Mark @sfx
Member Communications

[instagator Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close instagator]

I know this is an old tread but i thought I'd have something to say since I live in PV,first I think perception is everything and since the "war on drugs" started by Calderon in 2006 cetainly things have changed in Mexico... But not that much! Puerto vallarta has grown and it is ovbious that crime is more common that when it was a "quiet fishermen village" I see pics of police man with ak47 and a truck loaded with federales... And I can understand how it can shock some folks, on the other hand I visited a friend in Moses Lake WA, and he decided to take me out shooting some rifles (I had never touched a gun before) any way we climb on the truck and he brings trhee large guns and I was a bit nervous since I only saw this big arms on police before! he then put all those guns on the rack, and I was even MORE nervous since I thought people would think we were looking for trouble!! so I asked my buddy if it was ok to have the guns there (he laughed) and said it was against the law not to! I must admit back then I couldn t understand, but as I said it is all a matter of perception for me as a Mexican seeing cops with big guns puts me at ease cause I see THEY have the BIG Guns, and driving around in a truck with three rifles that anyone can see does NOT put me at ease... So I hope people still think of PV and Mexico in general as a place where they can still visit and have a great safe time!

Its strange to people that are not used to guns to see how Americans love their guns. I love mine. At our sons bday party we gave him a 12 ga and 500 rounds. There were some Japanese exchange students at the party and they kind of freaked out when we went out back and tried it out.

I think criminals target people they percieve as weak. Seattle smelled like pee in the Pioneer Square area and the homeless were agresivly pan handleing at all hours. One told me that he would make sure my rental car didn't get damaged for $5 implying that he would damage it if I didn't pay. I parked elsewhere but wanted to throttle that bum. This never happens to us in Mexico and we drive all over.

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

Its strange to people that are not used to guns to see how Americans love their guns. I love mine. At our sons bday party we gave him a 12 ga and 500 rounds. There were some Japanese exchange students at the party and they kind of freaked out when we went out back and tried it out.

I think criminals target people they percieve as weak. Seattle smelled like pee in the Pioneer Square area and the homeless were agresivly pan handleing at all hours. One told me that he would make sure my rental car didn't get damaged for $5 implying that he would damage it if I didn't pay. I parked elsewhere but wanted to throttle that bum. This never happens to us in Mexico and we drive all over.

Often on weekends I go to the local Home Depot for sundry items needed for my household projects. As I exit the parking lot there are usually about ten to twenty men, obviously Latin American, hanging out next to the driveways, hoping someone will pay them money in exchange for work

Four blocks away I reach the freeway on-ramp and there are usually one to three people, non-Latin American, holding signs asking me to give them money in exchange for nothing.

I find the incongruity interesting.

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

Often on weekends I go to the local Home Depot for sundry items needed for my household projects. As I exit the parking lot there are usually about ten to twenty men, obviously Latin American, hanging out next to the driveways, hoping someone will pay them money in exchange for work

Four blocks away I reach the freeway on-ramp and there are usually one to three people, non-Latin American, holding signs asking me to give them money in exchange for nothing.

I find the incongruity interesting.

& who would hire or give money to, the ones with or without the guns and masks?

[JoshA Member Find all posts View Profile Close JoshA]

Its strange to people that are not used to guns to see how Americans love their guns. I love mine. At our sons bday party we gave him a 12 ga and 500 rounds. There were some Japanese exchange students at the party and they kind of freaked out when we went out back and tried it out..

You are totally right! and that is really what I love about travelling to see peoples reaction to what they are not use to! I see those almost on a daily basis, living here in PV BTW I love seattle!