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Mexico City's Metro too "much" with kids?
I've read about Mexico City's Metro; that it's really crowded and full
of pick-pocket crimes. We'll be there the week between X'mas and New Year. Are the metro still crowded then since I've heard the city is quite empty. We will be travelling with our two kids, ages 9 and 11. Should we just forget about metro and stick with official taxis? We plan to stay in the Zona Rosa and from there, go to: Zocalo, Centro Historico, etc Museo Nacional de Antropologia Terminal Norte (for bus to Teotihuacan) Is official taxis that best/safest way? Thanks. |
#2
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Mexico City's Metro too "much" with kids?
No problem with kids
Its just the wife's bottom you should watch after... a écrit dans le message de om I've read about Mexico City's Metro; that it's really crowded and full of pick-pocket crimes. We'll be there the week between X'mas and New Year. Are the metro still crowded then since I've heard the city is quite empty. We will be travelling with our two kids, ages 9 and 11. Should we just forget about metro and stick with official taxis? We plan to stay in the Zona Rosa and from there, go to: Zocalo, Centro Historico, etc Museo Nacional de Antropologia Terminal Norte (for bus to Teotihuacan) Is official taxis that best/safest way? Thanks. |
#4
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Mexico City's Metro too "much" with kids?
"Runge" on 27 Nov 2003 suggested:
No problem with kids Its just the wife's bottom you should watch after... This is far more an issue in Tokyo's metro. I haven't seen, nor heard of, it being much of a problem in the Mexico City metro. --Douglas |
#5
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Mexico City's Metro too "much" with kids?
"Douglas S. Ladden" wrote in message
7.77... "Runge" on 27 Nov 2003 suggested: No problem with kids Its just the wife's bottom you should watch after... This is far more an issue in Tokyo's metro. I haven't seen, nor heard of, it being much of a problem in the Mexico City metro. I have, though only for women travelling in the metro alone. Richard |
#6
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Mexico City's Metro too "much" with kids?
I think that the Metro is OK, if you leave your valuables, credit
cards, etc., in the hotel safe. My experience is that the city is empty during the holiday season. More info on taxis, etc., below. MEXICO CITY TAXI ROBBERIES For tourists, perhaps the most serious crime problem in Mexico is taxi robbery in Mexico City. This problem is more or less unique to Mexico City, so many tourists are not aware of the problem. The governments of the US, UK, Canada, France and Australia warn travelers of taxi robberies. I have also read several first person accounts of taxi robberies, via the internet and in the media. Taxi robberies in Mexico City have been covered in US and Mexico media, both TV and newspapers. Basically, anybody who knows Mexico knows that taxi robberies are a problem in Mexico City, and takes certain precautions to prevent themselves becoming a victim. The exact recommendations may vary, but it is unwise to ignore the problem and pretend that "It can't happen to me." A taxi robbery generally works something like this: The victim or victims get into a taxi, usually a green VW beetle taxi. After a few blocks, the taxi stops, and one or two armed men enter the taxi and rob the victim. In many cases, the victim is held for hours while the robbers use the victim's ATM card to get more money. This is sometimes called a "fast food" kidnapping. In a few cases, the victim is held overnight to allow withdrawing more money the next day. The taxi driver is part of the gang, and may have stolen the taxi. In some cases, a waiter or hotel employee may also be part of the gang. In one article that I read, the robbers found out that they were robbing a reporter. While he was being held at gunpoint on the floor of the taxi, they told him not to write anything bad about Mexico! An American resident of Mexico City was killed in a daylight taxi robbery in December 1997. An American reporter was shot in a taxi robbery April 20, 1998. The personal accounts that I have read indicate that a taxi robbery, even if you are unhurt, is a very traumatic experience. So, what can you do to protect yourself from taxi robberies? Use the official sitio taxis at the airport and bus stations. Buy a ticket at the window, and take that ticket to the official taxi stand. If there is no taxi stand (sitio) where you are, call a radio taxi. Get the taxi number so you get into the correct taxi. According to an article about taxi robbery in the November 1998 issue of US/Mexico Business, radio taxis have become so popular that it is difficult to get a radio taxi after dark on a weekend. Generally, the roving taxis are the problem, not the ones that work from official taxi stands, which should have a supervisor with a clipboard logging taxi departures. I was in Mexico City in January 2002, and I was very satisfied with the radio taxi company "Radio Servicios Moviles de Transporte", and got their card, which showed numbers 5771-4012, 5771-0130, 5760-4696 and 5551-7710. One of the taxi drivers told me that the company was founded more than 30 years ago, partly at the instigation of the then US ambassador, because American visitors were being robbed in those days also. If you call yourself, you will need to give your location and what you are wearing. I am not sure if their dispatchers speak much English, I did not put them to the test. They will give you the color of the taxi and it's unit number. One time they asked me to move to the other side of the street to simplify a pickup, I did, and the taxi was there in five minutes. These taxis are not marked. There are many other radio taxi services. The US government suggests the following phone numbers. 5271-9146, 5271-9058, and 5272-6125. You can ask your hotel for a recommendation. The Canadian government in their March 1998 advisory said that you should leave your credit cards and ATM cards in the hotel safe, to minimize the risk that you will be held prisoner while the robbers use your cards. (The current warning is worded more mildly). The current Australian government also advises you to leave your credit cards in the hotel safe. Only carry the cash that you will need that day. Some people, including the French government, say you should carry 20 or 30 dollars US, to prevent a robber from becoming angry with too small an amount. Consider using your ATM cards only at ATM machines inside a bank or other commercial facility during regular banking hours, as recommended by the US government. Even the Mexican government recommends that you not carry your ATM card with you unless you plan to use it. If you are robbed, comply and hand over your valuables immediately. This will greatly reduce the risk of violence. Don't look the criminal in the eye. Your life is worth much more than your camera or your credit cards. Other types of public transportation are also targets of crime. The buses are robbed often enough that the government has listed the bus routes and times that are most frequently robbed, and gives specific instructions about what to do if the bus is robbed. The metro (subway) also is subject to crime, both pickpockets and robbers. Official statistics show that crime in Mexico has doubled since the start of the economic crisis in 1994. However, I should note that victim surveys and many government crime statistics indicate that crime rates in Mexico City are similar to or lower than rates in urban areas in the US. In private correspondence with a university professor working in statistics, I have been told that Mexican crime statisics are a little primitive, and are not really worthy of confidence. I have seen few crime statistics for visitors and tourists, just overall statisics or surveys of residents. There is some information to indicate that crime in Mexico is more likely to include violence or threats of violence than in the USA. In a brief visit to Mexico City in July 1999, my friend Miguel, a lifelong resident of Mexico City, said that he felt that the crime situation was exaggerated. When I was with him, I did get into a couple of roving taxis, somewhat against my better judgement. I still feel that roving taxis should be avoided, and I did avoid them for the rest of our time in Mexico City. I also carefully reviewed the ID for the driver before I got into a tourist taxi outside a museum. We did see one noteworthy thing on that trip, relating to the police. There was a police car, running red lights and siren, so overstuffed with police officers that neither of the rear doors could close. It looked a lot more like the Keystone cops than a professional police force. Of course, the Mexican police are often critized for being ineffective and corrupt. Should you go to Mexico City? Of course, the decision is yours. There are lots of things to do in the largest city in the world, but it is not a place to relax and let down your guard. Mexico is a big country, and most areas of Mexico are much safer than Mexico City. If you do decide to go to Mexico City, read the various government travel advisories before you arrive, and practice security while you are there. Richard Ferguson August 3, 2003 There are several web sites with security information for travelers and tourists. The ones that I am aware of are listed below. I urge people to review the information on these web sites, compare the recommendations of the various countries to each other, and compare the various government recommendations to any personal opinions expressed on the internet. The government web sites include security and other travel information for virtually all the countries in the world, including each other. USA - http://travel.state.gov/travel_warnings.html UK - http://193.114.50.10/travel/default.asp Canada - http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/graphic...os/cntry_e.htm Australia -http://www.dfat.gov.au/consular/advice/advices_mnu.html The French government has a web site with security information, in French. http://www.diplomatie.fr/voyageurs/e...avis/conseils/ The following web sites offer personal views on security. Mexico Mike gives his views about security in Mexico at www.mexicomike.com wrote: I've read about Mexico City's Metro; that it's really crowded and full of pick-pocket crimes. We'll be there the week between X'mas and New Year. Are the metro still crowded then since I've heard the city is quite empty. We will be travelling with our two kids, ages 9 and 11. Should we just forget about metro and stick with official taxis? We plan to stay in the Zona Rosa and from there, go to: Zocalo, Centro Historico, etc Museo Nacional de Antropologia Terminal Norte (for bus to Teotihuacan) Is official taxis that best/safest way? Thanks. |
#7
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Mexico City's Metro too "much" with kids?
Hi. First this is from a woman's perspective. I traveled independently
mostly in the south of Mexico in April. Then at the end of my trip I visited Mexico City and spent most of my time with a friend of mines brother-in-law who lives over by the airport, which is a rougher area. He had advised me not to travel by myself in the metro, as he had the view that a foreign white woman could become a magnet for people who thought they might be able to steal some easy money... The times I traveled alone were without incident and I never felt threatened. Unlike London and Paris, there were few if any tourists on the metro, so I did feel I stood out in the crowd. However, I am positive I was not the first tourist on the train and people didn't seem very interested in me. Sometimes I would see young peope who had an air of "toughness", but not unlike in London. For a family, I wouldn't worry about the metro for safety. Of course, I wouldn't venture into it with small children during rush hour -- it's extremely crowded and people are pushing and cramming to squeeze into crowded cars and you'll find yourself like a sardine -- just like in other cities. As you are going with your family, I would highly recommend the zoo in Chapultepec, with the added bonus that it would be easy for your children to meet Mexican children... Also, a very family type of trip would be Xochimilco where you can have a trajinera (gondola) trip. These boats are brightly colored and have a table in the middle, perfect for having a picnic on board! And if you'd rather not bring your own food, you can buy from vendors who bring their boats up to yours and have food and drinks, including beer for sale. Adding to the festive atmosphere are roving mariachi bands on trajineras who will play your favourite songs. Of course, you can listen to them for free when they are playing for others. My host, his wife, their 5 year old daughter and I all traveled by metro to Xochimilco. You'll have to change trains at least once, but as I recall most of the trip is above ground, so it can be interesting to see the city. Once we found our train in a small traffic jam -- battling with cars to get through an intersection. Apparently a taxi is only around $12 USD, so it could be a good option for the return trip. Bon Voyage! "Richard" wrote in message ... "Douglas S. Ladden" wrote in message 7.77... "Runge" on 27 Nov 2003 suggested: No problem with kids Its just the wife's bottom you should watch after... This is far more an issue in Tokyo's metro. I haven't seen, nor heard of, it being much of a problem in the Mexico City metro. I have, though only for women travelling in the metro alone. Richard |
#8
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Mexico City's Metro too
Wow....lots of degativity concerning safety. I hope they didn't scare you with all of that. I just got back from spending 2 years in Mexico City with my daughter (10). We travelled by subway everyday and must say it's probably the safest metro system I've ever been on. It does get very busy, when this happens, try to stick to the first cars or last cars. People are very courteous and friendly (I am blond and very fair skinned, so I stuck out quite a bit!) but I never once encountered any sort of problem, even while travelling alone.
The Zona Rosa is a beautiful place and you'll enjoy your stay. The nearest metro station is Insurgentes or Sevilla. Insurgentes is a VERY busy station...always. The metro is a very quick, inexpensive way of getting anywhere you want to go in Mexico City. However, if you don't mind the long wait in traffic (sometimes hours, depending on time of day) official taxi's are also very safe. You won't have any problems with them. They have a set rate and don't hassle or take advantage. They are much more expensive then the metro though. Enjoy your trip...it's a beautiful city....which I'm desperately missing as the 2nd foot of snow continues to fall!! |
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