Federal Foreign Office © mattstravelblog.org

As a typical – and therefore quite fussy 😀 – German I recently checked the website of our Federal Foreign Office for security information about Mexico.

The concerns about my security had come to life because of the warnings from distant relatives who are curently living in the San Antonio area. My Grandmother’s sister (who went to America with a GI after the WWII) and her whole family tried to persuade me to cancel my trip.

Sure I was aware of the fact that travelling to Mexico will be far less secure than Europe or even N.Y., but after studying the information from our Foreign Office I have to admit: It’s not more/less worse than I expected.

Here the advices from our goverment’s website:

1. At crowded places (airport, train stations, bus stops and  subway stations) make sure to take good care of your valuables and luggage.
2. Follow instructions from police officers and behave cautiously.
3. If you are the victim of a robbery don’t put up resistance, they may use their weapons.
4. Avoid the lonely city parts and driving by car in the dark. Traveling by bus should also be done by the day.
5. Avoid isolated bus stops.
6. Never hitchhike or pick up hitchhikers.
7. Do not use eye-catching (fashion) jewelry and take money and valuables with you only in the necessary amount.
8. Caution at ATMs: Don’t draw money alone and watch the surrounding area.
9. Important documents (passport, plane tickets, etc.) should be leaved at the hotel. A digital version is highly recommended.
10. While driving the car, keep windows closed and the door locked.
11. Store bags under your carseat or in the trunk. Never leave them at the seat.

In my humble opinion points 1-3, 7-9 and 11 are common sense. The points which I left out are pretty much that what I expected from a country like Mexico. So nothing new (to worry about) there either.

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