padawan72
August 20th, 2005, 05:21 AM
Safety
Pamela D. Kreisman
A less salubrious area, perhaps
There is a lot of petty crime in Mexico city. The official crime rate is lower than in most large American cities, but that is partly because only about one in four crimes is reported (the police are incompetent at best and corrupt at worst). But if someone confronts you with demands for money (a criminal or, er, an officer), you are unlikely to get seriously hurt unless you put up a fight; there is not the same culture of violence as in, say, Brazil.
The usual big-city precautions apply. Take extra care against pickpockets in crowded places (such as the Centro Historico), avoid wearing expensive watches or jewellery, and keep a hand on cameras and bags. At night, leave your credit cards in your hotel safe, and take enough cash to keep a mugger happy. Because the city has no single centre, many areas are almost deserted at night; do not linger unless you know your way around. Be cautious when taking cash out of an ATM. See our taxi tips for further pointers.
To report a crime, dial 061. Better yet, go to the special 24-hour tourist office of the city police in Florencia 20, in the Zona Rosa tourist district (Tel: +52 (55) 5242 8154/6328). They are more helpful than most police and have translators.
Above all, don't be too worried. The Economist's correspondent, who with blue eyes and curly blond hair sticks out like a sore thumb, has lived in Mexico city for over three years and taken many a 3am walk through some of its less salubrious parts, without a single mishap.
http://www.economist.com/cities/displayobject.cfm?obj_id=831688
Pamela D. Kreisman
A less salubrious area, perhaps
There is a lot of petty crime in Mexico city. The official crime rate is lower than in most large American cities, but that is partly because only about one in four crimes is reported (the police are incompetent at best and corrupt at worst). But if someone confronts you with demands for money (a criminal or, er, an officer), you are unlikely to get seriously hurt unless you put up a fight; there is not the same culture of violence as in, say, Brazil.
The usual big-city precautions apply. Take extra care against pickpockets in crowded places (such as the Centro Historico), avoid wearing expensive watches or jewellery, and keep a hand on cameras and bags. At night, leave your credit cards in your hotel safe, and take enough cash to keep a mugger happy. Because the city has no single centre, many areas are almost deserted at night; do not linger unless you know your way around. Be cautious when taking cash out of an ATM. See our taxi tips for further pointers.
To report a crime, dial 061. Better yet, go to the special 24-hour tourist office of the city police in Florencia 20, in the Zona Rosa tourist district (Tel: +52 (55) 5242 8154/6328). They are more helpful than most police and have translators.
Above all, don't be too worried. The Economist's correspondent, who with blue eyes and curly blond hair sticks out like a sore thumb, has lived in Mexico city for over three years and taken many a 3am walk through some of its less salubrious parts, without a single mishap.
http://www.economist.com/cities/displayobject.cfm?obj_id=831688