Question by equiroz24: Why are americans so nervous about travelling to Mexico?
In a conversation with people about traveling to Mexico I often encounter statements like “I don’t want to go because it’s dangerous” and “I hear they kidnap americans”. I travel often to the country and have never had a problem, then again I travel smart (no flashy things, no expensive equipment on me or anything that makes me a mark).
When I talk to locals about the situation and about the average american response they chuckle. They basically tell me that americans are scaredy cats (not gonna use the “p” word, which would be a better translation for what they say but I don’t want this question to get axed)
I haven’t been living under a rock. I understand the dangers of cartel violence and that more americans are dying in Mexico then in any other country (outside of war zones) but don’t they realize that the majority of people being killed are people who have some connection to the actual conflict (gangsters, hitmen and their friends/family)?
They’re not cruising the streets gunning down random tourists. Why put a bullet into a tourist if you can slip it into your enemy?
I firmly believe that the majority of the the 200 americans killed in Mexico since 2004 had connections to the cartels in some way. The rest were the victims of drug-related violent crime. It does happen unfortunately. Kidnapping for ransom is a problem that happens in all countries. Travelling smart, (not calling attention to yourself, being properly oriented by locals about what places are safe to travel and what times, taking taxis wisely), is a very effective way of keeping oneself safe.
In the Theories of Communications there exists a term called “mean world syndrome”. This happens when people hear/read/watch news (good news is boring news-just a saying) about crime/violence and perceive the world to be more dangerous than it is. Therefore they believe that their chances of being a victim of a crime are much more elevated than in actuality. Keep that in mind.
It’s silly to not be able to enjoy the world outside of the US because of hysteria.
I ask this question first to challenge the opinions of those saturated by the bad news and secondly to start up some real discussion on the topic. What’s your opinion?
My intention wasn’t to generalize when I chose my title but it could’ve been better thought out. Thank you so far for some of the thought out answers. I enjoy the insight.
I don’t judge your answers as right or wrong but “its not uncommon for you to be killed 100 miles past the border” is absolutely ridiculous.
Best answer:
Answer by DethkloK
swine flu
Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!
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They watch to much damn tv.
Because they’ll like it so much over there that they won’t want to return!
Because American news stations never play anything positive.
um because crime is huge over there…its not uncommon for you to be killed 100 miles past the border
That is such BS nobody is afraid to go to Mexico. I don’t know who these people were you asked.. if you really asked anyone at all. Personally I think you’re lying.
We’re worried about traveling to mexico because of different reasons.
most of us don’t know how it actually is. So, there’s some fear of the unknown.
We hear horror stories of being kidnapped, or forced to become mules, or unsanitary conditions, or etc. And since we don’t have as much of that stuff in the U.S. we don’t think we could live with it.
Of course the locals aren’t as afraid, they’re used to it. Same for people who go there a lot. It’s just like those hillbilly areas, I’m sure they think we’re scared to go into their woods even though they think it’s not that bad.
it’s because of the way Mexico is depicted to them in the media. They hear a lot of stories from over there about drug-related offenses, including drug smuggling, there are a lot of movies including documentaries that talk of thugs/mexican gangs, the towns themselves don’t look to have the same living commodities that the general perception as told by the media is that it’s a poor country, and the last thing they want is to be scammed, or to be witness to acts of violence/criminal activity where they could be at risk of harm that could potentially lead to death simply by being at the wrong place at the wrong time
You are lucky that you never had a problem traveling there, and Americans do generalize about not going to Mexico, same as you are generalizing that “Americans so nervous about traveling to Mexico” while some Americans still go there.
The point is when you hear so much gang related violence going on that even the military cannot stop mostly because of rampant government corruption, even if you know that city is safer overall, people just lose interest in going there. I know the gangsters there just open fire when they want to, they’d rather kill an innocent than let people get away. Yes everyone wants to enjoy the outside world, and there are many other places on earth without such violence.
I am not nervous about going to Mexico I just do not have any desire whatsoever to go there.
cause you can get sick, swine flu yes, cause some americans can be racist. they might think mexico is low class and dirty, and also they cant speak the language so they maybe lost and i heard there are bandits in other countries who rob tourists, i saw it on TV. but i dunno if poeple are scared of going to mexico. i’ve been to tiwana.