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+--- Thread: Tell us about Mexico, Loose. (/showthread.php?tid=31495)
Tell us about Mexico, Loose. - Sarah - 2010-10-12
Recently there was an incident at Falcon Lake in which a woman and her husband who were spending a day out in the water on their ski-doos and were attacked by pirates. The husband was shot in the head, and because he was too heavy for her to lift or hold onto, she was forced to leave him and flee. In subsequent searches, his body nor craft were found which lead to a lot of speculation to this being a cover up for her having killed her husband. Because this technically took place on Mexican soil, American authorities were unable to provide much support. However, some Mexican authorities were looking into it and named two brothers as suspects. After meeting with an American journalist, the lead investigator involved with this case went missing... today a briefcase was delivered to the Mexican Military with his head inside.
This story makes me feel a lot of things, but it especially makes me wonder about what's going on in Mexico. I know it's easy to be ignorant of the things that we don't deal with daily, and while I've heard of Mexico being a dangerous place from various sources, including our own Loose, I don't think I've ever fully grasped the situation there, and it's clear that by the public reactions to this woman's story, most Americans aren't grasping it either.
So, since I know that, unfortunately, Loose has a lot of experience first-hand with the dangers in Mexico, I'd like to ask him to share in depth the situation in Mexico. Anything you know about the cartels, kidnappings, etc. As well as what it was like for you to live in that environment. We often got small glimpses into your panicked world, but provided it's not too difficult for you to talk about, we could get a real look into this.
I don't know if anyone else is really interested but I would certainly hope so; it's right next door to you.
Also, here's a link to the story I mentioned at the beginning:
http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/10/05/mexico.us.shooting/index.html
http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/10/12/texas.falcon.lake.head/index.html?hpt=T2
Tell us about Mexico, Loose. - Solarboy - 2010-10-12
Mexico is as dangerous as the US, there are only some places wich are specially dangerous (Like Ciudad Juarezs and those frontier cities).
The biggest danger would be "Los Zetas" Responsible for killing 43 (or was it 30 something?) people in just one place, as well as being responzible for some of the kidnapings and extorsions.
I'm not Loose I know, and my info may not be at all what you are looking for, but a diferent opinion is allways suefull.
Tell us about Mexico, Loose. - Loose - 2010-10-12
Just posting to let you know that I'm aware of this topic and will fully reply to it when I have a bit more time. For now, feel free to check out my blogs, right here for some past experiences.
Solarboy Wrote:Mexico is as dangerous as the US...What? Where exactly do you live, then?
Tell us about Mexico, Loose. - Solarboy - 2010-10-12
Loose Wrote:Just posting to let you know that I'm aware of this topic and will fully reply to it when I have a bit more time. For now, feel free to check out my blogs, right here for some past experiences.
What? Where exactly do you live, then?
In "La zona metropolitana de Guadalajara" specificaly Zapopan.
Tell us about Mexico, Loose. - Sn1perJohnE - 2010-10-12
Solarboy Wrote:Mexico is as dangerous as the US.
Stopped reading the reply here
Mexico is pretty dangerous. Ive been there once and just going into TJ for a day can be dangerous with the other drivers.
What I find shocking, is pirates on a freaking lake. Seriously. A Lake?!? Desperadoes there, of a desperate nature.
Tell us about Mexico, Loose. - Erich - 2010-10-12
Mexico is corrupt to its very core. No matter who they elect, there's an almost guarantee that corruption will set in some place on the line. There's the other fact that there's already so much corruption in place and such a strong reward to trafficking to the average citizen that it's a very hard for a country with no money and no support to do it. Even with help.. it's a problem that won't be solved soon. The only way I can see it being solved is if the demand goes down, but we all know that that won't happen anytime soon.
Tell us about Mexico, Loose. - kremechoko - 2010-10-13
From what I heard, the more central part of Mexico seems to be more peaceful and average. While places bordering USA, like TJ for instance, it's a dangerous place to be in.
Tell us about Mexico, Loose. - Stereo - 2010-10-13
kremechoko Wrote:From what I heard, the more central part of Mexico seems to be more peaceful and average. While places bordering USA, like TJ for instance, it's a dangerous place to be in.
Yeah, kinda like the USA, only some parts are actually dangerous. I've heard it to mostly be dangerous in the north, and certain areas of Mexico City. The citizens in those areas are so poor that robbing rich foreigners can be hella tempting.
Tell us about Mexico, Loose. - Rob - 2010-10-13
Erich Wrote:Mexico is corrupt to its very core. No matter who they elect, there's an almost guarantee that corruption will set in some place on the line. There's the other fact that there's already so much corruption in place and such a strong reward to trafficking to the average citizen that it's a very hard for a country with no money and no support to do it. Even with help.. it's a problem that won't be solved soon. The only way I can see it being solved is if the demand goes down, but we all know that that won't happen anytime soon.
>Superiority.
Welcome to the third world champ.
Tell us about Mexico, Loose. - yoosergio - 2010-10-13
BUT...
WE HAVE TACOS.
AND YOU DON'T.
(REAL TACOS... not those bizarre things you call tacos... <.<)
LOL
Now on topic:
WHOAH WHOAH WHOAH!! Mexico... DANGEROUS?! Ha! lol
Yeah, as far as I've seen it's not that dangerous... everybody exaggerates e_e... just freakin' Ciudad Juarez... Man, that's the true HELL! :/... Generally speaking Mexico has normal or a little above normal violence... there's just certain parts that are really REALLY dangerous... But I don't even know if the "Zetas" are real, I mean, they "threatened" me but... it's like just some random guys waiting for some moron to fall in their trap xD...
Tell us about Mexico, Loose. - Sarah - 2010-10-13
Thanks for that amazingly insightful post, Yoosergio.
Tell us about Mexico, Loose. - Loose - 2010-10-14
Yup, we usually try to talk or think about something else to try and distract ourselves from the massive crime in our country. Of course, there are people that say that it's not that bad, that other exaggerate too much. But when people say that, I think, we've been exposed to this kind of violence daily that we've kind of adapted to it, we see it as normal. We think "Oh, they're just exaggerating, it's not that bad." What the hell? Open your damn eyes and tell me that everything that's happening around is not that bad. It's bad. It's ugly. It's terrible. I don't know what my fellow Mexicans see in the news or read in the papers or see out in the street. But what I see, is awful. It's the entire country.
Around two years ago, everything was sort of okay. Of course there were drug cartels and shootings and killings, but the parties involved were the same bad people. It was bad people killing bad people, in silence, in the shadows, in dark alleys at night. They wanted to go unnoticed, they were at least being stealthy. But suddenly, it's as if they stopped caring, the police and government stopped caring. Everyone except the citizens stopped caring. Bad guys were getting murdered in broad daylight, in busy streets, in a reckless manner. A lot of respect went down the drain. And that's when everything went to hell.
It went to hell and normal citizens started to get hit by it. The organized crime people started demanding businesses a [I don't know what the word for it is, Fiel told me once, but I forgot], think of it as an extra bill. You pay your gas bill, phone bill, water, electricity, etc. and you pay these criminals that come into your business and threaten you to pay up. If you don't pay, they set your building on fire. They kept on doing that, then they just started to kill owners of the businesses. If they were unreachable, they kidnapped their close relatives and demanding an exchange in money or to give yourself up to them. The commerce in the city started to disappear. Everyone is too scared to open a business, to maintain it and to make it grow because of these thugs.
My dad had a successful business in Juarez, but was forced to shutdown because of these idiots. Now s'hits all hard and tough, it really sucks ass. But, we're all still one big, happy family and that's one thing we're thankful for. He's told us numerous stories of how he's been followed by presumed gunmen that stopped following him only because he wasn't the person they were looking for. He's even been stopped and pulled of his vehicle once, but was able to lie his way out and avoided getting kidnapped. He's told us many stories from people he knew, that are no longer alive. There are two of his stories that are pretty much stuck in my head.
One was about this business owner that was on vacation somewhere in a beach, Acapulco or some place like that. He received a call from the criminal, they told him "So, you're in Acapulco, huh? That's where you're wasting our money? When you come back to Juarez, we're going to kill you for wasting our money." The man was just using his money to take a vacation, but suddenly the cartels act as if that's their money that he's using. When he returned to Juarez, the next night he was murdered.
The next one is just more messed up. A daughter or niece of one of my dad's friends was happily driving, tra la la la la, when suddenly, the car in front of her just stopped a bit before traffic light. It just stayed there, the light was green. There were two people inside the car in front of her. She didn't honk, she didn't pass 'em, she just stayed right there, behind the car, not moving or making a ruckus. I think it was around five minutes, when the driver of the car in front of her got out and walked towards her. He told her "You just made me win a bet between my friend (the passenger) and I. If you passed us or honked, we were going to shoot you." He showed her the gun and then gave her around some cash (around $5,000 (USD), I think). And they drove off.
I have no idea what the f'uck happened with this place, but cartels and criminals started targeting normal people, people that had nothing to do with crimes or drugs. They were innocent people that got shot down and killed by hooligans. Then it got worse.
Yup, it got worse. How the hell can it get worse when innocent people are getting murdered? Students and children start getting killed, that's how. It's happened a lot. Whether it be high school students having a party on a weekend at one of their friend's house or 5 year olds walking down the street with their parents. Everyone's a target. No matter who you are, they don't care. It doesn't matter what you've done, they don't care. Nobody cares. It just sucks.
The war's not in the Middle East. The war is right here and I live with it every time I go out. I can't do anything without worrying my parents. I can't go out to places with my girlfriend because there's always a chance that something awful might happen. I try not to show that I'm afraid, but it doesn't really work anymore. Each time some awful happens, I count the days until graduation. Just less than six months to go. Then I can be done with this piece of haunting s'hit that surrounds me. It sucks spending these years of my life not being able to go out peaceful, without having to worry every time I step outside my parents bar fence wrapped house. I'm not afraid of what might happen to me, I'm very scared of what might happen to the people I love. To my girlfriend. That's why I always tell her that we can have fun in a couple of years, when we're not living in this place. I don't want anything bad to happen to her. To me. To us.
I try to be as optimistic as possible, as comforting as possible to everyone around me, but it's not changing. I used to have a lot of hope that this place would change, that it would gradually start to get better. But it won't. I have lost all faith I ever had in this city. It's just not worth fighting for...
So, when you guys say that it ain't that bad. You're either not old enough to understand, aren't aware of your surroundings or are just used to it. It's horrible out there...
Tell us about Mexico, Loose. - Zelkova - 2010-10-14
Ive known that Juarez is bad, I just never knew that it was THAT bad.
My father is Mexican, my grandmother moved from Mexico City to New Mexico long ago. My father swears up and down that Juarez is one of the worst places in the world, and to never go there if you can avoid it. He tells stories to my sisters and I about drug cartels or children who are kidnapped there. I know this can happen elsewhere, but I think he himself is just very scared of it and tries to instill in us that we should try to stay away.
Tell us about Mexico, Loose. - Fiel - 2010-10-14
Protection racket
Tell us about Mexico, Loose. - Mike - 2010-10-14
Jesus. This place sounds like hell. No law enforcement or what?
Tell us about Mexico, Loose. - Loose - 2010-10-14
Zelkova Wrote:He tells stories to my sisters and I about drug cartels or children who are kidnapped there. I know this can happen elsewhere...It just happens here more frequently. One of my classmates was kidnapped, his family was able to pay. He told us that they didn't treat him bad, though.
Fiel Wrote:Protection racket
Quote:In Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, when the Mexican Drug War escalated in 2008, criminal groups saw their financial backbone threatened and began asking for racketeering money to businesses ranging from convenience stores to clubs and restaurants with the threat of burning down the business, kidnapping the owners or killing everyone inside with assault rifles.That sure is. Thanks for the clarification, Fiel!
Mike Wrote:Jesus. This place sounds like hell. No law enforcement or what?lol
Tell us about Mexico, Loose. - Kalovale - 2010-10-14
The protection racket sounds like the life tax that Vietnam used to have under France's colonization. They had tax for everything, coal, oil, salt, nuoc mam, etc, and ultimately just for being alive.
But damn, in this time and day.. what the hell is going on, seriously.
Tell us about Mexico, Loose. - Satellite - 2010-10-14
I'm sure it would scary as hell to live in US or Mexico for me. Everyone has a gun= every guy at the street can kill me. It's such a lottery and it scares the hell out of me.
Good thing I live in Finland, best country in the world.
Tell us about Mexico, Loose. - Sarah - 2010-10-14
Loose Wrote:lol [about law enforcement]
I know the situation about law enforcement seems obvious to you but since this is a thread about enlightenment and Mike was asking a legitimate question about that, could we get your impressions on the law enforcement in Mexico. I've heard that a lot of police and even politicians are corrupt because the cartels can offer them more money than the government can; what is the general feeling toward the people in power?
Tell us about Mexico, Loose. - Loose - 2010-10-14
They're corrupt, they're a joke, nobody trusts them. They don't do s'hit. You ask anyone about them and they'll laugh.
We just switched mayors this past weekend, the past mayor lived in El Paso, TX. He didn't even live in Mexico. He didn't do anything good during his stay, nobody liked him.
Sometimes the police are worse than the cartels, they will sometimes stop you for no reason and ask for bribe.
The soldiers set up checkpoints(?) along streets sometimes. If they see anyone suspicious, they're supposed to stop and check them out. But they're too afraid to stop the real threats and we're the ones that end up getting stopped and check. It's happen to me twice, both times I was riding with my friends. We had to stop out of the vehicle, empty our pockets and put them along with our hands on top of the trunk. They then proceeded to check out everything, including pictures we had on our cell phones. It was just a waste of time and invasion of privacy.