S/O Would you go to Mexico this spring? Do you think it will be safe?

[Anonymous]

FYI, the State Department does not list the Cancun area as one where one should be concerned about kidnapping, express or otherwise.

"Express" kidnapping is defined as being held at gunpoint and brought to an ATM, then released. Given the number of drunk American teens and twenty-somethings wandering around Cancun late at night and in the wee hours of the morning, I'm really surprised that there isn't a warning that this occurs in Cancun. There's probably more risk of this in D.C.

According to the State Department, 4 million Americans go to just the Yucatan peninsula every year. I just googled around looking for incidents of Americans kidnapped in Cancun and the only one I could find was an Australian kid kidnapped after he tried to score drugs and then failed to pay in full for the "sample" lines of coke that he was offered and accepted. I'd say you should generally avoid that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lol! We were just in Cancun in October. I think that few people bite the hand that feeds them- stay at a resort and use common sense.

Trump wasn't President. They still liked Americans.

Oh for goodness sake. The Mexican people have the intelligence to separate out the actions of a leader elected by a minority of American voters, and the average American tourist. While it's an overstatement to say that the principal "industry" of Mexico is "hospitality," tourism is indeed an important part of the Mexican economy and areas like Cancun/Riviera Maya are generally quite safe.

It just takes a few to do something bad. I posted on a different thread earlier today but I don't think I'll be traveling to Mexico soon. Even before this there were express kidnappings in Cancun and police who would take bribes from tourists (happened to us). I think most Mexicans would be OK but the anti- American sentiment could motivate some trouble.

You had an express kidnapping in Cancun???

No, sorry that was not clear. Not an express kidnapping but a police hassling and tried to get a bribe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:FYI, the State Department does not list the Cancun area as one where one should be concerned about kidnapping, express or otherwise.

"Express" kidnapping is defined as being held at gunpoint and brought to an ATM, then released. Given the number of drunk American teens and twenty-somethings wandering around Cancun late at night and in the wee hours of the morning, I'm really surprised that there isn't a warning that this occurs in Cancun. There's probably more risk of this in D.C.

According to the State Department, 4 million Americans go to just the Yucatan peninsula every year. I just googled around looking for incidents of Americans kidnapped in Cancun and the only one I could find was an Australian kid kidnapped after he tried to score drugs and then failed to pay in full for the "sample" lines of coke that he was offered and accepted. I'd say you should generally avoid that.

+1000 I have friends who do not want to visit the DC area because they're convinced they'll get shot in the former murder capital of the world. Yet somehow most of us here on DCUM are alive and well despite this being a "dangerous" city. The occasional crime in the Riviera Maya does not mean that it's a dangerous destination.

[Anonymous]

No.

[Anonymous]

OP, I wondered the same thing at Christmas time. Trump was just elected and we had already booked a trip to Cabo. We found the Mexican people to be wonderful and were super nice. They are afraid of losing their tourism because of Trump. You'll be fine. Just don't talk politics.