Mexico City

Old Nov 19th, 2014, 11:52 PM
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Mexico City

Can anyone tell me how dangerous Mexico City is at the minute for tourists? I have heard there has been a lot of rioting/disturbance from the kidnapping but I am unsure whether Mexico City should be avoided completely or just whether some extra care is needed.

Any advice would be great. Thanks!
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Old Nov 20th, 2014, 05:19 AM
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All I can tell you is that I just spent a week there and felt completely safe. Your hotel will likely inform you on which areas to avoid if there are demonstrations going on.

Just as important, make sure you have a good idea of where you are goiing if you plan to take taxis….do not depend on the driver to know the location of a hotel, a restaurant, or even a museum.
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Old Nov 20th, 2014, 05:33 AM
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There are 2 large demonstrations planned for today that will affect access to the airport, and likely there will be others.
Copied and pasted: This message is to inform U.S. citizens that several mass demonstrations are expected in Mexico City on Thursday, November 20, 2014 to protest the disappearance of 43 students in Guerrero state. Beginning at approximately 10:00am, university students plan to blockade all avenues and boulevards leading to Mexico City’s Benito Juarez international airport such as: Circuito Interior, Blvd. Puerto Aereo, Eje 1 Norte, and Calzada Ignacio Zaragoza. Traffic to and from the airport is expected to be severely impacted by the blockades. The Embassy has advised personnel to consider changing travel plans or alternate routes to and from the airport, including travel via metro (Terminal Aerea stop on the yellow line). U.S. citizens arriving into Mexico City’s airport should expect to wait at the airport for several hours for the protest to end. If riding the metro or the city bus system, U.S. citizens should take extreme care with valuables and belongings. Passengers arriving at any airport in Mexico should take only authorized airport taxis after pre-paying the fare at one of the special well-publicized booths located inside the airport. U.S. Embassy employees in Mexico City are prohibited from using “libre” taxis (hailed on the street), and are authorized to use only “sitio” (regulated stand) taxis.
Additionally, several social organizations, unions and university students will meet at approximately 5:00pm at the “Plaza de las Tres Culturas” (Tlatelolco), the Revolution Monument, and the Independence Monument (Angel) to then march to Mexico City’s central square (Zócalo). Traffic along the planned routes, Paseo de la Reforma (where the Embassy is located), and nearby roads will be impacted by the protests.
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Old Nov 20th, 2014, 12:33 PM
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I live in Mexico City and no, I wouldn't consider it dangerous. Today is the only day, where I heard it will actually affect traffic severely. As always, only use sitio taxis here in Mexico city.
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Old Nov 23rd, 2014, 10:04 AM
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It's not dangerous where a tourist would typically go and stay, in the center. From what I've read (and I researched this considerably before going myself last summer as you hear so much), the more dangerous areas where they may be violence, gangs, etc are in the suburbs, I think the ones just to the east of the city are particularly bad (airport direction but farther, I think). So don't hang out in bars real late at night in the burbs.

But I can't address the current issues about the kidnappings, just generally where the crime is worse.

I think a city is more dangerous than others if you have to warned not to step foot into certain kinds of taxis, though, or you may get robbed. Not good. FYI, I used a taxi several times and not a single one of them (and all official) had seat belts in the back seat. Apparently the taxis aren't regulated much there. They were in the front seat and since I was alone, after the first time, I insisted on sitting in the side front seat for safety reasons.
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Old Nov 25th, 2014, 04:45 AM
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Thanks for all your advice! We have decided we would rather wait and see what happens with the kidnapping situation before going to Mexico City so have booked to go to Chile instead.
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Old Nov 26th, 2014, 01:00 PM
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Very silly decision. As stated above, this isn't a dangerous city (I live here, I'm female, and I have more chance of being raped in my own country.) Mexico City will never change and we all know the eventual outcome of the Iguala situation - exactly what it is now. As for kidnappings... Colombia passed it onto Mexico and at some point in the future, MX will pass the torch onto another country. And so the world goes.
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