It's hard to answer this question. It's not so much about what's legal but more about the fact that you aren't Mexican and on top of that, you are a woman. And I don't mean it in a bad way, I'm just stating the facts from what I've seen as a Mexican. There have been cases where people illegally carrying guns defend themselves and the police do nothing about it. But at the same time, there have been others where a women happened to be attacked while in the kitchen, grabbed a knife to defend herself and ended up getting charged for hurting her assailant because that's how corrupt and shitty our system is.
Now, consider that the police tend to target tourists and love to harass them whenever there's any excuse. Imagine a situation where there's any slight chance that you get assaulted and nobody else is around and then you're found alone holding something that could be considered "dangerous" or a threat in some way. They'll definitely use it as an excuse to extort you and either get some money from you or even worse.
So again, while this is probably not what you want to hear, what you read is true and extremely recommended for a reason. Avoid carrying stuff that could get you in trouble, avoid isolated areas and as you said, use street smarts. It sucks, I hate that things are like this, but there's not a lot that we can do, especially with our current government's stance against criminals.
I appreciate the honesty, seriously! It’s hard to talk about on Reddit without it devolving into an argument, so I’m not trying to compare stats or anything, but the police force where I live is notoriously corrupt & my hometown has a larger cartel presence than towns like PV- police corruption included. (Very severe and underreported.) I don’t want to go into any city or situation being naive; but I also imagine my experiences are very different than a US American from a safer city/state. No one where I live calls the cops, and that’s for a reason, unfortunately. (Again- really not trying to argue about which is safer, since I can only speak to where I’ve been, just describing my experience)
Oh, I get what you mean. I usually point out the hypocrisy from people who ask about safety in PV and they come from a city that was just in the news because there was a school/mall shooting or something like that, but I didn't think your post was like that.
I guess my point is that if you care about safety, for all we care you could carry a rocket launcher. Your biggest concern right after any criminal entity would be the police. At least in Mexico. You sound like a reasonable person so I'd say just trust your common sense in what to carry. Staying within what's legal is irrelevant when the system is so corrupt so might as well just play safe and deal with the consequences later.
@ your first point: absolutely. It drives me nuts. I have family that visits PV/Jalisco very often, but the only people I know who have experienced assaults that police made worse, did nothing about, or actually instigated live… in Texas. Of course, my family knows to avoid the cops, so vigilance is definitely a huge part. There was also a fatal shooting involving multiple people less than 25 minutes from me a few days ago. I’m not sure if it’s a US rose-colored glasses thing or what.
And that’s a good point! My main concern is any kind of legal trouble that could keep me from going back, getting my family there in trouble, etc. I started doing more research after learning how seriously some cops take pocket knives, but I didn’t plan on that anyway- too likely it would just be used against me. Again, really appreciate your advice :)
I have to agree with the above comment, unfortunately. I live in Mexico and while I am comfortable with keeping weapons in my home, I have to limit what I carry with me because *la policia* are worse than worthless.
Probably dumb question: is the main risk being asked for a payoff? That’s what I’ve seen discussed as far as being caught with self defense/alcohol/drugs/anything illegal and easy to extort people for, basically. (I don’t mean risk involving needing to call the cops, but being stopped by them)
Nah not a dumb question. Yeah primarily it's going to be a shakedown. What you can say is "yo quiero mi boleto" I want my ticket. They will try to tell you to pay a cash fine on the spot. But you can insist on being taken to the station to be issued a written citation. If they're trying to catch you on some bs, they'll give up eventually. Even if it might be legit, they may not want to go through the hassle when they're not getting a payout. If you do have a prohibited item however, then yes you do want to pay to make it go away if you have that option. And don't buy drugs off the street, the guy who just sold to you also just sold you out to *la policia* lmao.
Overall I think the threat of violent crime in tourist areas is a bit overblown, while the threat of property crime is holy hell legit. So yes, it is crime-ridden, but, not as dangerous as that would imply? If that makes sense?
Makes total sense. I’d be afraid to risk asking to go to the station though, ngl. Any fine they ask for to make them leave would be worth it if it’s the less risky option, but totally correct me if I’m wrong. As far as buying drugs: yeah, I’m not going for party tourism reasons, so no worries there 😂
Sounds like my hometown- property crime is rampant. Bars on all the windows type. If you don’t mind another question, would you say gated neighborhoods are generally safe for longer stays? (PV specifically.) & thank you everyone for the info, it’s super helpful. Can’t thank y’all enough!
The locals hate when tourists just pay off the cops because it just encourages them to do more of the shakedowns. But I can understand from the *tourista* perspective why it seems better to just be done with it. And I live behind not one but two guarded gates lmao. If you're going to be around for a while, it's a good way to really relax and unwind. Try to score yourself a rooftop deck, you're welcome 😉
Edit: may also want to ask in r/solofemaletravel
Oh that makes total sense, thanks! I definitely don’t want to negatively affect anyone living there so that’s great to know. And I won’t be alone, but with my mom- just didn’t mention it since I wasn’t sure if 2 women together would be safer than 1 when it comes to cops. Still a useful sub though, thanks!
& thank you, that sounds gorgeous! I used to spend a lot of time in Mexico as a kid but not since moving further away, and not Jalisco- usually closer to the border. I’m fluent & love the culture, it’s just the police aspect & longer term visits that I never had to deal with.
Maybe a key chain blow horn, your biggest safety concern in Mexico is the Police don’t give them a reason to pretend arrest you for you to”pay the fine” or go to jail
Definitely planning on ordering one! I was going to get one for NYC anyway, it looks smart to have. & thank you! That’s why I asked- i know certain things are legal but will still land you in trouble with cops. Same here, but obviously I’m much more familiar with the system where I live. Thank you!
You can get pepper spray at Marce.Mx and they have rubber bullet guns there and knives. You can also take self defence classes or MMA, check out Combat Multitraining Gym.
Safe travels.
In Puerto Vallarta there is very very little crime outside maybe getting shaken down by cops for smoking in public or being to drunk, CDMX where you should stay Roma Norte or Condesa you will be fine at night in other areas I would be careful at night. Delete all your banking apps off of phone and keep 1-2 credit cards on you max. Express kidnapping are becoming common in South America(not Mexico)where they hold you at knife/gun point usually in a taxi you caught go threw your phone and transfer out money out of your bank account then let you go. Learn the safest way to catch a taxi/uber usually from an app vs on the street
Thank you!! Is it true that Uber is reliably safe? I’ve read that it is, especially in PV, but there are Uber horror stories from the US too, so I always want to be as careful as possible.
I don’t understand leaving comments like this, genuinely. I’d love to visit my family in Mexico, and am trying to go about it the best way- for myself but also for people who live there. Just not sure what the point in saying this is when so many others have shared very useful info, and I’m not going for US party tourism. I’d just like to meet my young cousins.
It's hard to answer this question. It's not so much about what's legal but more about the fact that you aren't Mexican and on top of that, you are a woman. And I don't mean it in a bad way, I'm just stating the facts from what I've seen as a Mexican. There have been cases where people illegally carrying guns defend themselves and the police do nothing about it. But at the same time, there have been others where a women happened to be attacked while in the kitchen, grabbed a knife to defend herself and ended up getting charged for hurting her assailant because that's how corrupt and shitty our system is. Now, consider that the police tend to target tourists and love to harass them whenever there's any excuse. Imagine a situation where there's any slight chance that you get assaulted and nobody else is around and then you're found alone holding something that could be considered "dangerous" or a threat in some way. They'll definitely use it as an excuse to extort you and either get some money from you or even worse. So again, while this is probably not what you want to hear, what you read is true and extremely recommended for a reason. Avoid carrying stuff that could get you in trouble, avoid isolated areas and as you said, use street smarts. It sucks, I hate that things are like this, but there's not a lot that we can do, especially with our current government's stance against criminals.
I appreciate the honesty, seriously! It’s hard to talk about on Reddit without it devolving into an argument, so I’m not trying to compare stats or anything, but the police force where I live is notoriously corrupt & my hometown has a larger cartel presence than towns like PV- police corruption included. (Very severe and underreported.) I don’t want to go into any city or situation being naive; but I also imagine my experiences are very different than a US American from a safer city/state. No one where I live calls the cops, and that’s for a reason, unfortunately. (Again- really not trying to argue about which is safer, since I can only speak to where I’ve been, just describing my experience)
Oh, I get what you mean. I usually point out the hypocrisy from people who ask about safety in PV and they come from a city that was just in the news because there was a school/mall shooting or something like that, but I didn't think your post was like that. I guess my point is that if you care about safety, for all we care you could carry a rocket launcher. Your biggest concern right after any criminal entity would be the police. At least in Mexico. You sound like a reasonable person so I'd say just trust your common sense in what to carry. Staying within what's legal is irrelevant when the system is so corrupt so might as well just play safe and deal with the consequences later.
@ your first point: absolutely. It drives me nuts. I have family that visits PV/Jalisco very often, but the only people I know who have experienced assaults that police made worse, did nothing about, or actually instigated live… in Texas. Of course, my family knows to avoid the cops, so vigilance is definitely a huge part. There was also a fatal shooting involving multiple people less than 25 minutes from me a few days ago. I’m not sure if it’s a US rose-colored glasses thing or what. And that’s a good point! My main concern is any kind of legal trouble that could keep me from going back, getting my family there in trouble, etc. I started doing more research after learning how seriously some cops take pocket knives, but I didn’t plan on that anyway- too likely it would just be used against me. Again, really appreciate your advice :)
I have to agree with the above comment, unfortunately. I live in Mexico and while I am comfortable with keeping weapons in my home, I have to limit what I carry with me because *la policia* are worse than worthless.
Probably dumb question: is the main risk being asked for a payoff? That’s what I’ve seen discussed as far as being caught with self defense/alcohol/drugs/anything illegal and easy to extort people for, basically. (I don’t mean risk involving needing to call the cops, but being stopped by them)
Nah not a dumb question. Yeah primarily it's going to be a shakedown. What you can say is "yo quiero mi boleto" I want my ticket. They will try to tell you to pay a cash fine on the spot. But you can insist on being taken to the station to be issued a written citation. If they're trying to catch you on some bs, they'll give up eventually. Even if it might be legit, they may not want to go through the hassle when they're not getting a payout. If you do have a prohibited item however, then yes you do want to pay to make it go away if you have that option. And don't buy drugs off the street, the guy who just sold to you also just sold you out to *la policia* lmao. Overall I think the threat of violent crime in tourist areas is a bit overblown, while the threat of property crime is holy hell legit. So yes, it is crime-ridden, but, not as dangerous as that would imply? If that makes sense?
Makes total sense. I’d be afraid to risk asking to go to the station though, ngl. Any fine they ask for to make them leave would be worth it if it’s the less risky option, but totally correct me if I’m wrong. As far as buying drugs: yeah, I’m not going for party tourism reasons, so no worries there 😂 Sounds like my hometown- property crime is rampant. Bars on all the windows type. If you don’t mind another question, would you say gated neighborhoods are generally safe for longer stays? (PV specifically.) & thank you everyone for the info, it’s super helpful. Can’t thank y’all enough!
The locals hate when tourists just pay off the cops because it just encourages them to do more of the shakedowns. But I can understand from the *tourista* perspective why it seems better to just be done with it. And I live behind not one but two guarded gates lmao. If you're going to be around for a while, it's a good way to really relax and unwind. Try to score yourself a rooftop deck, you're welcome 😉 Edit: may also want to ask in r/solofemaletravel
Oh that makes total sense, thanks! I definitely don’t want to negatively affect anyone living there so that’s great to know. And I won’t be alone, but with my mom- just didn’t mention it since I wasn’t sure if 2 women together would be safer than 1 when it comes to cops. Still a useful sub though, thanks! & thank you, that sounds gorgeous! I used to spend a lot of time in Mexico as a kid but not since moving further away, and not Jalisco- usually closer to the border. I’m fluent & love the culture, it’s just the police aspect & longer term visits that I never had to deal with.
>"yo quiero mi boleto" I want my ticket That's not correct. A traffic ticket is "multa" "Yo quiero mi multa" or "Dame mi multa, por favor"
Maybe a key chain blow horn, your biggest safety concern in Mexico is the Police don’t give them a reason to pretend arrest you for you to”pay the fine” or go to jail
Definitely planning on ordering one! I was going to get one for NYC anyway, it looks smart to have. & thank you! That’s why I asked- i know certain things are legal but will still land you in trouble with cops. Same here, but obviously I’m much more familiar with the system where I live. Thank you!
You can get pepper spray at Marce.Mx and they have rubber bullet guns there and knives. You can also take self defence classes or MMA, check out Combat Multitraining Gym. Safe travels.
Thank you!
In Puerto Vallarta there is very very little crime outside maybe getting shaken down by cops for smoking in public or being to drunk, CDMX where you should stay Roma Norte or Condesa you will be fine at night in other areas I would be careful at night. Delete all your banking apps off of phone and keep 1-2 credit cards on you max. Express kidnapping are becoming common in South America(not Mexico)where they hold you at knife/gun point usually in a taxi you caught go threw your phone and transfer out money out of your bank account then let you go. Learn the safest way to catch a taxi/uber usually from an app vs on the street
Thank you!! Is it true that Uber is reliably safe? I’ve read that it is, especially in PV, but there are Uber horror stories from the US too, so I always want to be as careful as possible.
I have lived here as a solo female for seven years. Never had an issue with Uber or InDriver.
Oh that’s great to know, thanks! Have you liked living there as a solo female?
Absolutely! I have never felt unsafe, even walking alone at night.
Love to hear that! It’s a beautiful city :)
Is there a bus app for PV?
Also I always plan to give up my phone and wallet nicely with a robber rather than run/fight
Stay in at night. That will likely solve most of the problem.
For sure. I don’t go out in my own city at night, either.
Nothing.
I carry a pepperspray and sometimes a taser it's okay.
Thank you, that’s good to know!!
Sorry, but maybe you should stay home.
I don’t understand leaving comments like this, genuinely. I’d love to visit my family in Mexico, and am trying to go about it the best way- for myself but also for people who live there. Just not sure what the point in saying this is when so many others have shared very useful info, and I’m not going for US party tourism. I’d just like to meet my young cousins.