NOB News?

I guess it was inevitable, we just received our first apartment rental cancellation for the winter season thanks to the violence issue. As stated in the cancellation e-mail "We are sorry but the escalated crime and violence in Guadalajara and Lakeside are too much for us." I find this ironic as the guy canceling was the same guy who was pinned under a car driven by a gringa last year in Chapala and almost died, saying "it was difficult to breathe with the car's oil pan resting on my chest." The accident happened two days before his return to Canada and his reserving our apartment for this year. So I gotta wonder, what in the heck is hitting the papers norte?

I am an avid consumer of the news in the US and I haven't noticed any escalation of negative news from SOB. In fact, I have just figured that people have become bored and it is no big deal any more. Since this is the 2nd cancellation that I have heard of this week of Canadians bagging it, I have to wonder how their press is playing things?

The bodies in Guad made international news, as I'm sure you all realize. I was sitting in the airport at Doha, Qatar browsing the Web courtesy of Qatar airport's free wifi when I saw it on the Yahoo.ca home page! So naturally I started paying VERY close attention to the local web boards. Any Canadian with Internet access and an interest in Lakeside is going to have some idea of what's been going down recently.

I would be more concerned with a story like a family member of a politician or policeman being kidnapped and killed ( I know ... it has happened ) than the body count in 3 vehicles... one gang doin in another gang.... can't do it fast enough in my opinion...

That asshole who was shooting at random from the trunk of a car a few years ago.... that scares me...

But it's the spectacular events that catch international media attention - and that in turn encourages people with an interest in Lakeside to take a closer look at the local news. Routine kidnapping, extortion, murder etc. won't usually attract international attention. The OP was wondering about the NOB news.

Hockables, I wouldn't be so quick to assume that every execution victim "deserved" to be killed.

Just found three recent articles from THE VANCOUVER SUN:

Mexico safer for travellers than headlines suggest
http://www.vancouversun.com/travel/Mexico+safer+travellers+than+headlines+suggest/5772407/story.html

Mexico's top two gangs engaged in turf war
http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Mexico+gangs+engaged+turf/5795377/story.html

Rival cartels take bloody drug war to the heart of the country
http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Rival+cartels+take+bloody+drug+heart+country/5800955/story.html

This much coverage in about a week would probably encourage people to do some additional research?

Just came back from PNW and yes my friends knew all about the Guad situation
and said how can you go back there? I just said its no more dangerous than anywhere else and it is warm. Not very clever I know but it was kinda depressing.
The media is just killing mexico in NOB. Funny my 82 year old Mom says have a
good time and isn't worried about us in the slightest bit. We drove 6000 miles in
two weeks and had no problems even with a full pickup truck and canopy. The
cops/customs/etc were great in Mexico but I have some bad news about the
US side. They are now stopping everybody going out of the country and they
were rude and beyond acceptable behavior. I got yelled at by some ex military
lady with a bad power trip going on for having the nerve to lock the back of my
truck. I think the term goons applies. You ought to hear what the locals who live
next to the border are saying. Things like the border patrol is a worse problem
than the narcos. All I can say about mexico is the police/customs guys were very
cool and friendly. Not sure I am going back anymore. It was truly horrible and I
have travelled all over the world my whole life. It really shook me up and I don't
shake up easily. For the first time in my life I was scared of a US Customs agent.
I now understand the Canadians fears and reasons for avoiding transit through
the US. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!!!


Zed

Go figure

Zed

You needn´t warn us Zed. My French wife and I (a U.S. citizen) avoid the U.S .like the plague. On our annual trips to France, no way we will connect through the U.S. Any city. We flew there this year to attend an artisan´s fair in Santa Fe but that was a personal obligation. That´s it. No more trips to that hell hole.

Sorry guys but I just ain't buying it! Anyone who knows my history, knows that I have been entering and exiting the United States since 1949. Sure I have seen ups and downs with enforcement by US Customs or US Border Patrol but I can honestly say that I have never felt intimidated or harassed when crossing the border either into Mexico or back out to the US! Yes, we got ripped off entering Mexico one time but it was ultimately our own fault. We have never been treated poorly by the military or Federales checkpoints.

As I read this, I hear on the NEWS of a 85 year old snow bird who wanted to avoid the screening machine because of a defibulator... so they pat her down, drop her drawers, and her skivvies... I'm getting sick of hearing this crap
F@ck Florida & F@ck The USA...
I wouldn't go back there if they gave me the ticket

CheenaGringo wrote:Sorry guys but I just ain't buying it! Anyone who knows my history, knows that I have been entering and exiting the United States since 1949. Sure I have seen ups and downs with enforcement by US Customs or US Border Patrol but I can honestly say that I have never felt intimidated or harassed when crossing the border either into Mexico or back out to the US! Yes, we got ripped off entering Mexico one time but it was ultimately our own fault. We have never been treated poorly by the military or Federales checkpoints.

Neither had I until four days ago. Why would I lie about this? Two months ago you just drove through the border. This
is new and very intimidating. Isolated event? Maybe but if this is the latest in the war on terrorism they will be repeating
the behavior and justifying it. Trust me it is just plain wrong to treat people like this. I am hardly a profile type and they
didn't even ask for my passport and the camera system doesn't work going south like it does going north.They are just
grilling people.

Z

I have heard many reports form US resident friends returning to the US - in their 60's and 70's with problems driving into the US from Mexico - very rude behavior by customs and taking their car apart when they said they had been in Mexico a year.

I too have had problems flying back at customs in Houston, Arizona and Atlanta. Very aggressive behavior and lots of questions when they found I had spent 6 months or more in Mexico. Nasty tone of voice and questions like "Why would you want to spend that much time in Mexico? Don't you know it is dangerous?" One immigration officer put a red check on my customs card and they took apart every piece of luggage and my purse. The man who did the search was courteous but I have reports from British friends (women who were handled roughly but customs coming into the US by plane).

Zed:

In no way did I attempt to indicate that I didn't believe you. I am sorry for the fact that you felt like you were being treated rudely and were upset by the incident.

Maybe it is the fact that I treat any border crossing or processing by Customs & Immigration very casually and don't react to any way to agents on power trips or treating me rudely. It is kind of like ignoring the bully on the block as it will bother him a great deal more when his tactics fail.

I remember back in the early 60's landing at Idlewild Airport (now JFK) in the middle of the night on a flight that had been delayed almost 24 hours. I was traveling with my younger sister and her friend and they were in a check every piece of baggage mode. The 6'6" black customs agent was in a nasty mood and on a power trip. When he got to my bag and started digging, he got to the bulb on a Bombay Taxi Horn that I was bringing back as a present for my cousin. Naturally, it was suspicious and he squeezed it sending the loud horn sound throughout the customs area. Embarrassed the heck out of him and the inspection was over! It was all I could do not to burst out laughing.

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When going through customs, anywhere, I try to avoid two things, if possible. Women (sorry ladies, but you do tend to be officious, by the book creatures, with a sixth sense I wish to avoid) and men under 40 ( who tend to be brainwashed, stupid, narscisistic (sic) A-holes with guns and way too much testosterone. My last Houston experience was unpleasant. Sometimes your lucky and sometimes not so much.

hockables wrote:I would be more concerned with a story like a family member of a politician or policeman being kidnapped and killed ( I know ... it has happened ) than the body count in 3 vehicles... one gang doin in another gang.... can't do it fast enough in my opinion...

That asshole who was shooting at random from the trunk of a car a few years ago.... that scares me...

I understand that most of the dead people in the three vehicles were not involved in criminal activity, mostly business owners - no way to know for sure. But heard it was a "message" from one drug gang to another. Getting caught in the crossfire is my concern. I don't go out at night anymore!

According to an article on [u]BORDERLAND BEAT:
"On Monday Jalisco's top police official, state SSP director Luis Carlos Nájera Gutiérrez de Velasco, held a news conference announcing that a third organized crime group had entered the fight for the Guadalajara plaza. Najera stated the the new group, La Barredora, had entered the fray after the mass homicide involving 26 bodies left on a major roadway in Guadalajara on November 24th...............

http://www.borderlandbeat.com/2011/12/new-group-identified-in-guadalajara.html