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.

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.

on 27 Nov 2003 suggested:

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?

I don't think the metro would be that much of a problem. I don't
recall the metro being much different in terms of crowds based on the
holiday season. The key is to avoid rush hour. If you do that, it
shouldn't be much of an issue at all.

We plan to stay in the Zona Rosa and from there, go to:
Zocalo, Centro Historico, etc

From the Zona Rosa, you'd get on at Insurgentes station, and get
off at Pino Suarez to be in the Centro Historico. Now, Pino Suarez is a
transfer station, and thus always very busy.

If you don't want to do the metro, you can take a Colectivo
(MicroBus or VW Combi) on the Avenida Reforma that takes you into or
very near the Centro Historico, depending on which one you take. Your
hotel can probably tell you better what the sign on the Colectivo should
say to get you were you want to go. It's been a year since I've been
there, and don't want to give you stale info that may be wrong.

Also, I don't know how much of a walker you are, but I used to
regularly walk from the Zona Rosa to the Centro Historico. It is a LONG
walk, but very doable.

Museo Nacional de Antropologia

If I recall correctly, the Chapultepec metro station is the
closest, and that is also a straight shot from Insurgentes station.

Terminal Norte (for bus to Teotihuacan)

For this, I would take a taxi. You CAN get there by metro, but it
involves either two transfers, or one very long ride for a single
transfer followed by another very long ride.

You may also want to check with your hotel about buses (or even a
taxi for the day) that will take you to the Pyramids from the Zona Rosa.
It may be just as economical (since there are four of you), but far more
convenient.

Is official taxis that best/safest way?

Taxis from "Sitios" (fixed locales) and RadioTaxis are probably
the safest (and usually fastest, though not always) way to get around.
Best is subjective based on your needs and desires. When I'm in Mexico,
I mostly use the metro and Colectivos, unless I am really time pressed,
or I'm going somewhere I don't know how to get to using the metro and/or
colectivos.

I don't know if you have one yet, but you might enjoy taking a
look at a map of the Metro in Mexico City. You can find one he
http://www.metropla.net/am/mexi/mexico.htm. It also contains a good
amount of additional information. I hope you have a wonderful time down
there, and we might actually run into each other, as I am planning on
being down there at that time, myself.

--Douglas

"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

"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

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.

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

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!!