Safety if you live in Mexico
‘I live in Mexico, and I’ve lived in Playa del Carmen on the Riviera Maya for five years, and I feel perfectly safe. The question is: why?‘ – Lydia Jones
Safety is an oddly personal perception. If you want statistics, you can study the Global Peace Index and decide to move to Iceland (the safest country in the world, but watch out for those geysers, glaciers, and volcanoes) or wonder where New Zealand (second) will stand this time next year. The media point out that drug-related violence in Mexico has increased over recent years. But it concentrates in specific areas, and some regions are very safe. Also, it’s bad guy on bad guy violence. Keep well clear of the cartels, and you’ll be fine. The Mexican government makes a special effort to protect tourist areas such as the Riviera Maya. These areas also attract peaceable Mexicans who are getting away from other more violent regions.
Here’s the view of Paul, a retired sheriff from Florida. ‘After a career spent facing dangerous situations and people, I wanted to find a safe place for my wife and me to retire. I definitely found it here in the Riviera Maya.’
Do as you will at home
So safety is local, as well as personal. Let me ask you some personal questions. How safe do you feel in your home town? Do you go downtown at night? I do. It’s one of the many pleasures of living in a laid-back tropical village. Do you carry a lot of cash with you? I don’t unless I have to. I certainly don’t take it in a fancy shoulder bag that screams, ‘Grab this and you’ll be rich beyond your wildest dreams.’
So if you live in Mexico, a country where the poor are poor, and you appear to be wealthy, you need to take some obvious precautions. Live in a secure place. It doesn’t have to be a fortress, and it doesn’t have to be cut off from the pleasures of Mexico. But it needs good locks, barred windows and no way of crawling in.
What I Have Learnt
Then there are odd details one picks up the hard way. For example, there are two completely different breeds of taxi drivers: the smiley, helpful ones, and the hard-faced creepy ones. The answer is to take Smiley’s cellphone number and call him (or her) if you need a ride.
As far as I know, there is only one kind of cop. They are hunters, not shepherds, and they’re chasing the cartels. They are not interested in you. Keep it that way.
I’ve left out what I can only call the silly stuff. I meet tourists terrified to step out of their all-inclusive hotels because it’s ‘dangerous’ out there. So why come here? I feel it’s my mission to take them down the back roads of Yucatan (the safest state to live in Mexico) and meet the hospitable, charming people for themselves, share the food, listen to the music, join in the dancing, and enjoy the constant laughter.
Remember, at Top Mexico Real Estate … we make it happen!
