4:15am airport arrival in MC and TAPO bus 5+ hours later
Mar 3rd, 2019, 08:13 AM
#21
Just wanted to mention that the CH area has greatly changed over the years. Madero is now a pedestrian area and stores and restaurants have opened. What was once a lonely and dark walk home from say, the Cafe de Tacuba is now pretty busy. I understand a lot of this is the work of billionaire Carlos Slim, who bought up much of the area and restored it. That said, I know people have varying comfort levels, so go with what feels right.
Mar 3rd, 2019, 10:06 AM
#22
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As I said, I am no expert..only 10 nights in MC in two trips.
Women are vigilant when traveling alone...comes instinctively.
I was a bit more confident the second visit to MC (probably because I speak Spanish).
Still, I would not walk alone in MC at midnight like I would in central Madrid, London or Moscow .
Women are vigilant when traveling alone...comes instinctively.
I was a bit more confident the second visit to MC (probably because I speak Spanish).
Still, I would not walk alone in MC at midnight like I would in central Madrid, London or Moscow .
Mar 3rd, 2019, 01:46 PM
#23
Of course, we're not talking about midnight wanderings in the CH. The OP lands at 4:15 AM. By the time she deplanes and gets through Customs and Immigration, It will probably be about 5:30 AM (Or if her experience is like mine two weeks ago, 6:30 AM). Then she takes the half-hour taxi ride to the recommended restaurant. It's 6:00 AM -- there are people about. She steps from the taxi door, crosses eight feet of sidewalk, and enters the Popular. She has a nice breakfast. It is 7:00 AM. She calls Uber and heads to the bus station. Not exactly a high-risk proposition.
Mar 4th, 2019, 10:53 PM
#27
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Criminal background checks are done the world over.
Businesses need them. Nonprofits need them. Governments need them. It's not just Uber. Typically here in the US you hire a security company that runs these for a fee. I'm sure it works similarly in other countries. What is so hard to believe?
But remember each Uber car is tracked by GPS. Taxis are not. This is also a huge safety feature.
I agree that taxis in MC can be tricky .Some people ask the hotel or restaurant to call a taxi for them, some use radio taxi.
I was told not to use cheap white and pink taxis ( the locals call them Hello KItty , lol) but I did during the day. Some have no meter - one has to negotiate the cost.
I speak Spanish so I was ok.
The ones with the meter were incredibly cheap ( mostly with older drivers). On designated
taxi stands often there are no taxis but people who have a car and offer to drive you to
make a few bucks. At night I asked the hotel for a driver ( more expensive)
Perhaps women traveling alone are overly careful, but better safe than sorry
I was told not to use cheap white and pink taxis ( the locals call them Hello KItty , lol) but I did during the day. Some have no meter - one has to negotiate the cost.
I speak Spanish so I was ok.
The ones with the meter were incredibly cheap ( mostly with older drivers). On designated
taxi stands often there are no taxis but people who have a car and offer to drive you to
make a few bucks. At night I asked the hotel for a driver ( more expensive)
Perhaps women traveling alone are overly careful, but better safe than sorry
Don't take the random taxis during the day either. Order an Uber or have your hotel call the better cab.
Mar 7th, 2019, 10:30 AM
#30
An article this week in Reforma (Mexico City) mentioned how taxis have been known to be used for express kidnappings, young women being most vulnerable from 6-9 in the morning. Apparently, background checks aren't used very much by taxi companies. I just don't get all the fear of Uber given all the advantages using them has over random taxis. It's irrational.
Mar 7th, 2019, 11:05 AM
#31
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An article this week in Reforma (Mexico City) mentioned how taxis have been known to be used for express kidnappings, young women being most vulnerable from 6-9 in the morning. Apparently, background checks aren't used very much by taxi companies. I just don't get all the fear of Uber given all the advantages using them has over random taxis. It's irrational.
Maybe if a traveler previously visited England or France, they would rightfully be biased toward taxis. They are not changing their expectations for a different country.
Mar 7th, 2019, 02:15 PM
#32
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ok..here is where my fear comes from:
for several years I lived in a country where the police and gov. were corrupt .
One could get almost any document if you payed ( and not a lot.) or knew someone in the
right place. .
The number of problems Mexican authorities are facing : drugs, gangs, kidnapping, violence, murders ,etc
leaves me a bit doubtful about the effective and thorough check on Uber drivers.
It is not to say that taxi drivers are perfectly safe for women traveling alone.
In Mexico City
I felt the safest with drivers provided by the hotel. They are the most expensive . Also, one
is not always near the hotel. It is judgement call !
for several years I lived in a country where the police and gov. were corrupt .
One could get almost any document if you payed ( and not a lot.) or knew someone in the
right place. .
The number of problems Mexican authorities are facing : drugs, gangs, kidnapping, violence, murders ,etc
leaves me a bit doubtful about the effective and thorough check on Uber drivers.
It is not to say that taxi drivers are perfectly safe for women traveling alone.
In Mexico City
I felt the safest with drivers provided by the hotel. They are the most expensive . Also, one
is not always near the hotel. It is judgement call !
Mar 7th, 2019, 06:37 PM
#33
I still live in a corrupt country. Mexico. But when an employer (or Uber) asks an employee here to provide a clean background check, it's incumbent on the prospective employee himself to get the letter from the Comisión Nacional de Seguridad. The police aren't involved at all. Back to the taxistas. They are probably the most corrupt group of people tourists will come in contact with. From the Union on down, they learn well. Not all, of course. Taxistas are also used to courier drugs and other nefarious things, sometimes while carrying fares. Here in San Miguel a taxi was used to take the severed finger of a kidnap victim to prove to her family she was indeed kidnapped.
