car rental in Mexico

Yes I was thinking of driving to Loreto, but the insurance thing is scaring
me a little and I figure you have to buy insurance for theft or others,
would it better to take the bus??

sam, thanks all for the info!!


"mrtravel" wrote in message
m...


DALing wrote:
no, he's right - the Mexicans have a "2 part" insurance system there
(which
I've had sort of explained to me but the nuances sort of escape me) in
that
"civil" insurance like you hit someone - something is different from
"you
hit someone-something GOVERNMENT".

IF they stop you and they fancy your car, you go to jail and your car
goes
where ever (unless you pay the bribe). No urban legend, just pure old
fashioned police corruption. There is virtually no where in TJ that you
can't get to by bus/cab (just takes a bit longer)

He only said he was thinking about renting the car TJ, not staying in
TJ. I took it to mean that he was going to drive somewhere else.

"samng" wrote in message ble.rogers.com...
Is it a good idea to fly to San Diego and take a trolley to Tijuana and rent
a car there. I figured you have to buy Mexican insurance anyway.

My opinion is that it is not a good idea to drive a car in Mexico,
especially in TJ. If you have been there, you have some idea how they
drive. The roads are not good, the traffic downtown can be awful.
Stoplights are often treated as optional. Sadly, corruption and
bribery are open and obvious among the police, and tourists are
targets of both criminals and police.

TJ is just across the border. During the day, you can easily walk
into the downtown area, at night take a taxi. You can go and have a
good time and be reasonably safe, but you must use common sense.
Don't get drunk, don't urinate in public (a big no-no, and one which
will get you a few days in a Mexican jail), don't get into a fight,
especially with a local. Stick to the tourist places, take a taxi
from one to the next if you are bar-hopping (yes, even if it is a few
blocks away). Muggers in TJ seldom have guns, but they all have one
big guy with them, who comes up behind you and applies a choke hold.
When you slump down unconscious, they pick your pockets and leave you
laying there. You wake up with a hell of a headache, no money, no ID
to get back into the US, and you can bet your personal information is
now in LA and your identity is about to be hijacked. Remember - walk
in daylight, walk in public, take a taxi at night. Going with friends
is better than going solo.

No, it never happened to me - but as a former Marine MP, I picked up
plenty of hung-over Jarheads from the Federales or Border Patrol and
drove them back to Camp Pendleton. I heard all their stories, I know
what happens, and it has not changed in 20 years since I used to go to
TJ.

Unless you have some important reason why you must drive in Mexico, I
advise against it.

Watch your six.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

I stopped one of those muggings in the Zona a few years ago - grabbed the
guy from behind while he was picking the mark's pockets. His buddy came
back and started throwing punches which hit (ta-da) the guy I was holding in
front of me. All the time I'm yelling "POLICIA" as loud as I can. Finally
a moto cop came over (after I body slammed the little ******* bandito to the
ground he was a BIT more cooperative) and was going to arrest us BOTH (but
then the Chinese guy he was trying to rob came to and claimed his wallet -
still in the bad guy's hands) Helps a lot hablar espanol. even poquito.
"The Bill Mattocks" wrote in message
om...
"samng" wrote in message
ble.rogers.com...
Is it a good idea to fly to San Diego and take a trolley to Tijuana and
rent
a car there. I figured you have to buy Mexican insurance anyway.

My opinion is that it is not a good idea to drive a car in Mexico,
especially in TJ. If you have been there, you have some idea how they
drive. The roads are not good, the traffic downtown can be awful.
Stoplights are often treated as optional. Sadly, corruption and
bribery are open and obvious among the police, and tourists are
targets of both criminals and police.

TJ is just across the border. During the day, you can easily walk
into the downtown area, at night take a taxi. You can go and have a
good time and be reasonably safe, but you must use common sense.
Don't get drunk, don't urinate in public (a big no-no, and one which
will get you a few days in a Mexican jail), don't get into a fight,
especially with a local. Stick to the tourist places, take a taxi
from one to the next if you are bar-hopping (yes, even if it is a few
blocks away). Muggers in TJ seldom have guns, but they all have one
big guy with them, who comes up behind you and applies a choke hold.
When you slump down unconscious, they pick your pockets and leave you
laying there. You wake up with a hell of a headache, no money, no ID
to get back into the US, and you can bet your personal information is
now in LA and your identity is about to be hijacked. Remember - walk
in daylight, walk in public, take a taxi at night. Going with friends
is better than going solo.

No, it never happened to me - but as a former Marine MP, I picked up
plenty of hung-over Jarheads from the Federales or Border Patrol and
drove them back to Camp Pendleton. I heard all their stories, I know
what happens, and it has not changed in 20 years since I used to go to
TJ.

Unless you have some important reason why you must drive in Mexico, I
advise against it.

Watch your six.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

DALing wrote:
I stopped one of those muggings in the Zona a few years ago - grabbed the
guy from behind while he was picking the mark's pockets.

Was it a mugging or a pick pocket attempt?

On Mon, 29 Sep 2003 13:57:06 GMT, "DALing"
daling43[delete]-at-hotmail.com wrote:

I stopped one of those muggings in the Zona a few years ago

And what "Zona" would that be? (wink wink) And what do you do
there?

- grabbed the
guy from behind while he was picking the mark's pockets. His buddy came
back and started throwing punches which hit (ta-da) the guy I was holding in
front of me. All the time I'm yelling "POLICIA" as loud as I can. Finally
a moto cop came over (after I body slammed the little ******* bandito to the
ground he was a BIT more cooperative) and was going to arrest us BOTH (but
then the Chinese guy he was trying to rob came to and claimed his wallet -
still in the bad guy's hands) Helps a lot hablar espanol. even poquito.

I go down there about twice a week, have been for years and walk all
the streets they say not to. Personally I have only been robbed by
the cops a couple of times. Never had any trouble with the rateros
myself but the description of the big guy puts the victim in a choke
hold from behind and chokes him unconscious while the little guy
empties his pockets is exactly how it happens. Solution is to always
be aware of who is behind you. They generally wont confront you
directly. As for driving, I usually walk these days but I wouldn't
hesitate to take a well insured rental car down there (after all it's
not mine LOL). Usually traffic infractions can be handled by a small
mordita. Hell, I was totally **** faced drunk once and after failing
the Mexican Breathalyzer test (cop motions for you to breath in his
face) the cops resolved it by taking all of my money (about $40) and
even checked my socks to be sure I had no money hidden. Then they
sent me on my way, open beer in hand. The same offence in San Diego
later cost me about $4,000 so being robbed for $40 is not so bad. But
another time I was walking down the street in the tourist area totally
sober and minding my own business when a couple of cops pulled me
aside, searched me, made me get in a cop car without explanation, and
drove me around alleys and ghetto neighborhoods for 30 minutes or so
before stopping in an alley and saying (in perfect English) that they
think I was fighting is some bar (a rediculous charge) and I would
have to see the judge, but that wouldn't be until tomorrow so I would
probably have to spend the night in jail except........... (wait for
me to offer mordita). I called there bluff and said bring on the
judge tomorrow so I can argue my innocence in a Mexican court. They
discussed it in Spanish. Drove around some more and finally just told
me to get out in some ghetto neighborhood I had no idea where it was.
I figured they had a superior somewhere that they didn't want hearing
my side of the story. I got off for the cost of cab ride back to the
border but I bet most real tourist crack under that kind of pressure
and offer whatever cash they have to avoid Mexican jail. No
way is Mexico as safe as America but risk is all relative. I do love
Tijuana though.