Video 1 Transcript
If you go looking for trouble, you'll find it. But that's true in every place. Lots of people have bad, unfortunately racial stereotypes of Mexico, but you really shouldn't worry about it.
Safety advice - Mexico Video Transcripts
Video 2 Transcript
Mexico as a whole and especially the north and Chihuahua is considerably more dangerous than it was than the days that I served in the 1990s. State Department website says that in fact. Read up on the State Department travel warnings and especially take into consideration what it says in Chihuahua. But basic safety tips for Chihuahua or Mexico, don't wear any jewelry, don't wear anything that expensive that you'd want to lose. Don't carry any money or any additional credit cards or things that they can be stolen. And if you find yourself in a situation where you're being robbed or about to be robbed, it's better to give up what you have, especially which goes back to my last point. Don't carry anything exceptionally valuable and don't resist and basically, you know, stay street smart.
Video 3 Transcript
Don't put yourself at risk. Don't be laid outside. Be careful who you speak with. Just don't put yourself on risk. Don't be in places where you are not accustomed to be. The same places that you were not going to be in your own country.
Video 4 Transcript
So pro tip about walking around in public is to your very very best to look like you know exactly where you're going. Even if you have no idea, just walk confidently and things will work out. Also another thing is I'd recommend not sitting down in public because well one time I was sitting down studying and a guy came up with a knife and robbed us. So I would recommend if you're in public keep moving, don't sit down, don't like stop anywhere unless you're like specifically talking to someone and don't for that for like too long. So like just keep your head on straight right.
Video 5 Transcript
I feel like when people hear about Mexico or anywhere in South America, people automatically assume the worst or they get freaked out. I personally never had anything happen to me or there was never any time where I felt threatened by anybody and just be smart about it. If you're walking through the street trying to get home at night and there's two ways to go, a dark alley or a lighted path, obviously choose the lighted path.
Video 6 Transcript
As far as Oaxaca goes, I mean you've probably heard things about Mexico or Latin America, but when it comes to Oaxaca, Oaxaca is probably the most chill place that I know. Now, I actually only had one incident where I did get confronted and got things stolen from me, but that was my own fault. I'd say the advice I would give to people is make sure you're just kind of switching things up when you're taking the roads, but don't always walk the same way every day. You know, just switch things up. Not only is that going to help you run into other people, but then just make it easier so that if people are kind of tailing you, they don't have such an easy way of finding out where you're going to be.
Video 7 Transcript
In Mexico City and the surrounding area there, there are dogs everywhere, mostly strays. Usually they don't get too aggressive, but if they do, you just bend down, pretend to pick up a rock, and they usually run away. And if they don't, then actually pick up a rock and threaten them with that. One thing I noticed is that a lot of people have pit bulls down there as guard dogs, and sometimes they're like chained up on the sidewalk or something like that, and I made the mistake sometimes of like almost walking over a pit bull on the sidewalk that was sleeping or just sitting there. So keep your head up, but also look down and make sure that you're not about to step on a pit bull because that would be a very, very bad day for you.
Video 8 Transcript
You got to be really careful in Mexico City, especially in Chalco. It can be a pretty sketchy area. I was really blessed, really protected, and I never got robbed, never got stood up, nothing ever happened to me like that. But I had lots of, lots of friends who that wasn't the case for them, and they got put in some pretty scary situations. So, sometimes it's just going to happen, but make sure you're always being safe and responsible and don't do dumb things. Make sure you're home on time and you're walking in lighted areas. Watch out for the snakes.
Video 9 Transcript
The drug cartels, they have a really big presence there. And just one safety tip that I kind of got to learn of was just being mindful of who you're talking to, who's around the corner, not just having tunnel vision and just talking to one person, but always looking at what's going on around you, even when you're inside of a house, just listening for things, commotion. They're really noticeable or recognizable because they all have walkie talkies. And you can obviously hear them, or like when they're talking back and forth. So just being really mindful of that, knowing what streets they're typically around.
Video 10 Transcript
Always try to stay in lit areas, around lots of people, don't carry anything expensive on you. If you do get jumped, which really possibly might happen, just cooperate.
Video 11 Transcript
Reynosa and the whole state of Tamaulipas really isn't a place you want to go on a vacation because it's right on the border with Texas and on the Gulf of Mexico. So there is a lot of violence down there, gun violence, gang violence, drug war related things. So my advice to be safe would be number one, use common sense, don't do anything outlandish, know where you're going, know what you're doing. You will probably see the military almost every day. I would be surprised if you didn't. They drive around in big trucks, they have guns, and sometimes they wear masks. But the thing I really learned is that you aren't afraid of the police. The police are there to protect you and they're doing a good thing for you. So don't be worried about the police. You're not supposed to take pictures or photograph them in any way for their own safety and for but just know that you're in good hands with them. And if they're going one way, feel free to walk the other way. There's no shaming that either. Use your common sense.
Video 12 Transcript
Honestly, you just kind of have to be smart. Not every area is dangerous. Well, there's at least going to be some level of danger no matter where you go, but some areas are more dangerous than others, so just be smart. Learn if there's any neighborhoods that you should stay away from, just because, yeah, it's better safe than sorry. But if you do run into a situation where someone's trying to rob you or something like that, don't fight it, just give them what they want. Honestly, things can be replaced pretty easily, so don't worry about that too much.
Video 13 Transcript
Very rarely I felt like I was in danger, hardly at all. I would recommend just staying in well-lit places after dark and just kind of act like you know what you're doing or where you're going. If people see that you're insecure or that you're unsure or that you're scared, that's where you might be more likely to be confronted.