RESPONSES FROM READERS OF KAT'S KORNER
REGARDING YOUR SAFETY IN AND DRIVING TO SAN FELIPE - JANUARY 8, 2009
Received today 3/13/09
Marcia Bandera:
The choice to not bring Spring Breakers to some parts of Mexico is ill conceived!!! I have lived 14 km south of San Felipe for three years full time. No problems, no violence and a great place for Spring relaxation!!My sister and I just finished a 2100 mile trip down Baja as far as Todo Santos - no problems, no hassles, great people,no danger!!! There are so many parts of the U.S. we would not go - certain parts of Las Vegas, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Phoenix, Salt Lake, Chicago, New York, Florida - the list goes on!!!!!!! Why pick only on Mexico?? The U.S. has a huge problem with drugs, rape, murder, etc.!!!!! Many parts of Mexico are perfectly safe!!!!!!! If a person uses common sense and smarts, you can travel anywhere, including MEXICO!!!!! The U.S. new reporters and others have painted Mexico with a broad brush of negativism which is unwarranted and misleading!!!!!!!!!!!
Received today 3/11/09
Gary Burnham:
To our San Felipe friends. As you know the pull back of all
the spring break buses is devasting to our little town. I encourgage each
of you to eat out and buy in town as much as possible and within your budget
constraints for these next two month when most of us are here. As many of
you may have, I have received inquiries from family and friends who were
planning to come down to visit and are now very apprehensive. I am forwarding
a letter that I wrote to them and thought I would share it with you. Possibly
if we each sent out something similar to our friends and relatives then we
could do a little to lessen the blow of the media frenzy about safety in
Mexico. Just sharing your own truthful experiences and reflections can go
a long way to balance the news.
Que le vaya bien,
DEAR FAMILY AND FRIENDS
As you know for a number of years San Felipe has been the destination
of choice for busloads of college spring breakers and San Felipe
greatly relied
on their revenues. The reason San Felipe was so popular was closeness
for travel and the total safety in our little fishing hamlet. Well
nothing
has changed here. No violence, no unusal activities or unsavory characters.
Just sand, sun, shrimp and margaritas. The inspection station is closely
checking everyone coming in and out of the area which is a good thing.
For everyones' safety extra tourist police are in town on holidays and
race weekends. In the recent weeks, I have had reason to cross the boarder
in Mexicali/Calexico, San Luis/ Algondonas, and even the news crazy Cuidad
Jaurez Crossing and
every passing was absolutely routine, non eventful and placid. Slow but
completely safe.
I am including the news statement that the spring break organization put
out to the parents about why they are canceling San Felipe this year. It
had nothing to do the the real safety here but had everything to do with
parents being concerned about news reports of trouble in Tiajuana and Cuidad
Juarez. We are hundreds of miles away from Cuidad Juarez and 200 miles
from Tiajuana.
I hope this puts a more balanced perpsective on the news frenzy and how
it is adversely affecting the town of San Felipe. Many of our family businesses
will be devastated and will probably need to close their businesses. Spring
break makes or breaks the year's business here. It is very sad for us that
the news has given such a biased report about what is really happening. Just
like all areas of the United States are not the same, so every part of Mexico
is not the same. I am sorry to hear about the massacre in Alabama, but I
don't think that should keep people from traveling to Alabama for spring
break either. So to family and friends, do not worry, come down and have
a fun spring break. And know that we are perfectly safe and having the time
of our lives. Gary and JeanSWAT company, news release about spring Break
Change of Venue"
"We have all been bombarded the last few weeks with a barrage of negative
media reports about the travel alerts in Mexico. We have received an unprecedented
amount of calls and emails from students who are concerned about, or not
being
allowed to, travel to Mexico. SWAT has ALWAYS been about the safety and well-being
of our customers and friends, and San Felipe is one of the safest destinations
in all of Baja California and Mexico. However, because so many of our existing
customers and their families are concerned by the recent Mexico travel alerts
issued by various agencies, SWAT has made the decision to provide our customers
with peace of mind for their SWAT Spring Break 2009 experience".
Received today 3/9/09:
GARY & CINDY GILBERT
Mr. O'Reilly:
Just wanted to let you know that our entire family and travels to San
Felipe, Mexico MANY times throughout the year and we have NEVER witnessed
or felt threatened or unsafe in our surroundings. We believe the news
reports about Mexico are over exaggerated!
San Felipe is a wonderful town with some of the most friendly, gracious,
and caring people we have ever met. As a matter of fact, SF has a extremely
low crime rate and it is much more safer than the city we currently
live in in Northern California. We love San Felipe and look forward
to retiring
there when our youngest child graduates from high school.
Received the other day:
From Sandra: who doesn't live here full time;
Hey Kat,
I just read an email you received that was posted in your column and
was very concerned about your reader's information. Your reader claims
that there have been 205 murders in Mexico in just this year alone. Well,
in just the city of Los Angeles there have been 56 homicides from January
to present. If you were to add in the whole United States as your reader
has, I am sure that there are well worth over 205 murders from January
2009 to present. If you only consider Los Angeles (56), New York (68),
Miami (16), Chicago (39), and Detroit and New Orleans (which will not
post their statistics, but are sure to be at least 56 which is what Los
Angeles has), the homicides for them alone is 291 which is 1/3 more than
all of Mexico. I also agree that the media and the information they are
receiving, are all part of a plan to scare people into not going to Mexico.
They have been trying to deter people from going by: making the lines
to cross longer, requiring you to use a passport, putting up alerts in
their websites, and giving false information to the media about the so
called "killings." I agree that there is violence, just as
there is in certain parts of Los Angeles; however, I have been traveling
to two times per month to San Felipe and two times per month to Rosarito
for the past 10 years and have never had any problems. I have a house
in San Felipe and Rosarito and have never experienced anything; however,
I no longer take the toll road to Rosarito through Tijuana, but rather
through Otay and then the new Corredor 2000 which is straight into Popotla.
We have never had any problems. I have seen in just the last six months,
how much the media has influenced the tourists and how much the economy
for San Felipe and Rosarito has declined. This is a very sad situation
for all of Mexico's people and us American's who love to be in there.
I will continue going and telling people that it is not as bad as the
media lets it out to be and I will always tell them that if I had a choice,
I would definately choose Mexico over the United States and can hardly
wait to retire to be there permanentely.
A fan of Mexico
http://www.lapdonline.org/assets/pdf/cityprof.pdf
http://chicago.everyblock.com/crime/by-primary-type/homicide/?page=2
Gordie and Faith Middleton
We have been coming to San Felipe since the mid 1980's and have been here
twice, for thirty day stays, since last October. We have never had concern
for our safety nor do we now. Folks simply need to take ordinary precautions,
as they would in any U.S. hometown, and show respect for the people to
whom this country belongs.
In addition to the news of 'drug violence', our local news carried numerous
reports about the elderly man (from our area in Washington State) who was
erroneously imprisoned in Mexico recently. This was a horribly unfortunate
event, but could have happened to anyone anywhere in the States as well.
It is our understanding that the drug situation in Mexico is isolated to
a few towns and neighborhoods, just as it is in the States. We have a friend,
who has lived in San Felipe over 40 years and owns several local businesses,
who has always told us this is one of the safest towns in Mexico.
It is too bad that a small, quiet town like San Felipe is going to suffer
such a setback by loosing the Spring Break crowd. Any college student would
be as safe here as in Palm Springs; we just came through there on our way
here last month. The reality is that there are far too many college students
who are not yet mature enough to be Spring Breaking anywhere other than
back home with Mom and Dad, and who will create their own unsafe situations regardless
of where they go.
One might suspect that the news of gang violence came at a convenient time
since the U.S. has already been trying to encourage people to stay in the
country and spend their tourism dollars at home. This may be a good thing
for some people to do in our declining economy, 'stay-cations', but it
should not be as a result of scare tactics and at the expense of our good friends
south of the border. Generally people who are able to travel outside the
country are also spending a fair number of discretionary dollars at home.
We are not afraid to be here and plan to keep coming. We are more at risk
of getting buried alive by flying plastic bags than of getting shot.
From Judy Carolll:
Safe Travel to and from San Felipe
Hi Kat,
As you know I've been living in San Felipe for many years and for the past 9
years I've lived alone here.
I have been traveling to and from the U.S. for almost 30 years. For the past
15 years I've traveled alone most of the time. If not alone, I have had lady
friends who have traveled with me.
For the past 2 years I have had to travel to and from for medical reasons. I
have to go to a clinic in San Diego once a month and I make the trip alone most
of the time. Once in awhile I take a Mexican National lady up with to me visit
her son who lives in El Centro.
The last trip up to the states, I was driving down Adams street in El Centro
and I was making a right had turn into a lube and tune place, I must have been
going too slow to suit the fellow behind me because he leaned on his horn and
made very threatining gestures and cussed at me in a way that has never happened
to me. I had a friend with me and she was truly frightened, (she lives in El
Centro) I was just plain angry. I told her that in over 30 years of living in
San Felipe, I've never had such an incident. On the contrary, anytime I've needed
help on the roadways or the city streets there has ALWAYS been a Mexican National
willing to help an old lady out. I can't count the times I've had car trouble
on the highway such as flat tires, and have never had to wait for long before
a National comes along and offers help. I live alone and have never been afraid
to live here. I simply can not imagine living in the U.S. I love the United States
of America and I worry about the states of affairs there now but I would not
be able to live here and feel safe. I think that the United States is in for
some really hard times and I truly believe that because of the hard times petty
crime will sky rocket. While it seems that hard times here in Mexico brings a
certain comradary that softens the blow. While I have absolutely no desire to
be filmed on your U-tube events (which are wonderful) I would like to contribute
with my story and comment.
Sincerely,
Judy Carroll
And this from Adam Jester:
Hello Kat,
I just read your "Kat's Corner" regarding Mexico Bashing:
"
It's a known fact that millions of dollars a year are spent in Mexico and
they want that money to be spent in the United States and it's not above
them to use scare tactics or scare tantrums. There are a lot of scared people
in the world because it's a world wide recession. I'm sick and tired of reading
old news about Mexico or the Baja with every crime ever committed rehashed.
And I'm not the only one whose angry about this Mexico bashing. Even family
members of people who live here are wondering what's up, because of what
they read and if it weren't so blatant." I live in San Diego and have
been traveling to and from Baja and Mainland Mexico for more than 30 years.
I can understand your point that San Felipe is still a safe place to live
and visit and that it is being negatively affected by the escalating crime
in Mexico, but to suggest that the American Media is in cahoots with the
Government to scare Americans out of spending their money in Mexico is just
ridiculous. People are afraid of the facts. They are afraid of a murder rate
that has doubled in the last year and is still rising. Take this for example:> More
than 1,000 people have been killed in Mexico in drug-related violence this
year. In 2008, the toll doubled from the previous year to 6,290. Both the
U.S. and Canada have warned that murders related to drug activity in certain
parts of Mexico, particularly along the border with the U.S., have raised
the level of risk in visiting the country.
And this:
> Security in Latin America, published by Southern Pulse, provided some very
interesting, as well as troubling, security related news about Mexico in
their 02/2009 edition:
>
> * Over 5,500 people died in Mexico in 2008 from violence which is more than
the total number of US military deaths in Iraq since the US invasion. Since
the beginning of 2009, there have been 205 murders which is nearly twice
the number than this time last year.
>
Or this:
> What a way to begin March: a month that could possibly be the bloodiest
we've seen on record for Juarez.
>
>
This border city has registered the highest number of so-called "narco-executions" in
the country, with 2,750 in the past 14 months.
>
>
Nearly 8,000 soldiers will be used to not only secure one city, but completely
remove all presence of any drug trafficking organization from Juarez, said
president Calderon.I know Ciudad Juarez is a world away from San Felipe,
but Tijuana is right in your/ our front yard.> For 2008, the city [Tijuana]
has confirmed 843 murders (56.8 murders per 100,000 people, and more than
twice as much as 2007)Over 100 percent increase from last year while the
homicide rate in the US has dropped 4.4 percent. Those of us in San Diego
who would take a day trip to Ensedada or take the "Scenic Route" to
San Felipe now seriously rethink our options. You may be right that the trip
down (or up) from Mexicali is still safe, but for how long? I do realize
that there are hundreds of places though out Baja (including San Felipe)
that are still safe, possibly safer than my home town, but it's the border
regions we have to get through to even experience those places. What I am
saying is that there are facts, not just media hype. People are now weighing
their risks before deciding to go to Mexico. For some, the risks are too
high. I feel for all the people in San Felipe and Mexico as a whole who rely
on tourism to support their families. I hope that the Mexican Government
can eventually bring down some of these drug cartels, but until they do,
many Americans will still feel that driving through Baja is too much of a
risk. Can you really blame them?
Sincerely,
Adam Jester
Sources:
Top US military officer: Mexico violence a crisis, Associated Press - March
7, 2009 7:13 AM ET
Security in Latin America, published by Southern Pulse,
FBI: Preliminary Semiannual Uniform Crime Report 1/12/09
Preliminary Semiannual Uniform Crime Report
"
Tijuana's bloodiest year". San Diego Union-Tribune. 2009-01-04.