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Rolly

Jun 10, 2012, 7:30 PM

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Armed Guards

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It is my habit to go to Torreón for lunch every Sunday. We usually go to fairly high-end restaurants.
In recent weeks, I have noticed that most of the places now have armed guards.
Do you see this in your part of the country?

Rolly Pirate

La Isla

Jun 10, 2012, 7:33 PM

Post #2 of 28 (3705 views)

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Re: [Rolly] Armed Guards

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No armed guards in the restaurants I frequent in Mexico City, but then they're rarely the high-end variety. But Starbuck's always has an unarmed guard in place.

YucaLandia

Jun 10, 2012, 9:00 PM

Post #3 of 28 (3686 views)

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Re: [Rolly] Armed Guards

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None in Merida, Progreso, Campeche, etc.
-
Read-on MacDuff
E-visit at http://yucalandia.com

morgaine7

Jun 10, 2012, 9:28 PM

Post #4 of 28 (3678 views)

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Re: [Rolly] Armed Guards

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Plenty in Baja California Sur. The G20 meets in Los Cabos later this week, so it's probably the safest place in Mexico right now.

Kate

richmx2

Jun 11, 2012, 12:58 AM

Post #5 of 28 (3668 views)

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Re: [Rolly] Armed Guards

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Not armed, but at the bookstore we have one that's pawed and clawed... Zoë the guard cat only pretends to sleep on the job.

http://mexfiles.net
http://voiceofmexico.com
http://editorialmazatlan.com

happyjack

Jun 11, 2012, 6:37 AM

Post #6 of 28 (3634 views)

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Re: [Rolly] Armed Guards

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Face the facts Rolly. You have live in the heart of the cartel´s battleground. Where cartels not only live but own most everything worth having, like high end restaurants.
I guess that is why your fear, postings and thoughts are violence based, at most times. All of Mexico is no way near as corrupt and violent as your area which is too bad for home owners since property values must be at an all time low.

YucaLandia

Jun 11, 2012, 7:16 AM

Post #7 of 28 (3612 views)

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Re: [happyjack] Armed Guards

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Thanks! The best laughs come from unexpected sources. Sly humor & wry humor are always much appreciated.
-
Read-on MacDuff
E-visit at http://yucalandia.com

Rolly

Jun 11, 2012, 7:53 AM

Post #8 of 28 (3587 views)

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Re: [YucaLandia] Armed Guards

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No, Steve, it wasn't humor, just ignorance.
Remember, his e-mail address is Dogdroppings.

Rolly Pirate

panama john

Jun 11, 2012, 8:16 AM

Post #9 of 28 (3573 views)

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Re: [Rolly] Armed Guards

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No, None yet in Cordoba, Orizaba Veracruz.

Phil in SLP

Jun 11, 2012, 8:41 AM

Post #10 of 28 (3567 views)

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Re: [panama john] Armed Guards

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None in San Miguel de Allende, but I heard an interesting story about a restaurant that caters to roughneck oil workers in West Texas near Monahans. Dangerous place. When a customer enters the front door he/she is greeted by the owner, who asks "Are either of you carrying a gun or a knife?" If you say "No" he asks "Would you like us to lend you one?" At that point my appetite would have disappeared.

happyjack

Jun 11, 2012, 12:16 PM

Post #11 of 28 (3521 views)

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Re: [Rolly] Armed Guards

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Well Rolly, so far it is Merida, Progresso, Campeche, Mexico City, Cordoba, Orizaba, San Miguel and either puerta vallerta or mazalan since I can not remember where RichMx lives, have no reports of armed guards. Other cities are welcome to chime in at any time.
You need to face the facts buddy, you live in a drug infested, cartel managed hell hole. It is not like that all over Mexico .It never was, and odds are it never will be the same as your area. At least property taxes are still affordable.

La Isla

Jun 11, 2012, 12:35 PM

Post #12 of 28 (3509 views)

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Re: [happyjack] Armed Guards

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In Reply To

You need to face the facts buddy, you live in a drug infested, cartel managed hell hole.

Why the nastiness?

happyjack

Jun 11, 2012, 12:43 PM

Post #13 of 28 (3506 views)

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Re: [La Isla] Armed Guards

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I really did not think it was nasty, blunt with out a doubt. Truthful,yes. Honest, yes again. But I did not call him ignorant "No, Steve, it wasn't humor, just ignorance.
Remember, his e-mail address is..."
That is a quote Isla and I am being nasty?.
.

(This post was edited by happyjack on Jun 11, 2012, 3:04 PM)

Sculptari

Jun 11, 2012, 12:46 PM

Post #14 of 28 (3501 views)

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Re: [happyjack] Armed Guards

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We arrived here in Puerto Vallarta last year in March 2011, we hadn't been back to Mexico in about five years. We live on the beach between two high end restaurants. There was a change of management at one the restaurants, and three uniformed, professional security guards were posted 24/7. Then Semana Santa, and they sent the Marines in. They were stationed right on the beach, many carrying assault rifles. Then can a truck mounted machine gun (50 mm?) which was parked right level with our terrazo. Passers by must have wondered just who the h&#& we were with all this protection! In 2012, Semana Santa, this was all gone, The Marines were still there, but it was hard to spot any rifles at all. I would like to think they completely changed once they realized what a total bad ass I really am Angelic

.

So security levels seem to change on the whim in Mexico - and Rolly has the very best protection anyone could ever have here - an adopted family, a fine hound, and a community which loves him, protects him and even feeds him. Not many in Canada or the U.S. could claim the same - he is one lucky son of a gun Smile

RickS

Jun 11, 2012, 1:35 PM

Post #15 of 28 (3489 views)

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Re: [La Isla] Armed Guards

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Why the nastiness?

It is his nature. "Oh would some power the giftie give us......"

(This post was edited by RickS on Jun 11, 2012, 1:37 PM)

cbviajero

Jun 11, 2012, 6:26 PM

Post #16 of 28 (3414 views)

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Re: [happyjack] Armed Guards

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That is a quote Isla and I am being nasty?.
.

Yes and clueless as well.

(This post was edited by cbviajero on Jun 11, 2012, 6:30 PM)

tashby

Jun 11, 2012, 7:06 PM

Post #17 of 28 (3400 views)

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Re: [Rolly] Armed Guards

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Haven't noticed any armed guards in restaurants at Lake Chapala, but then, this is Hooterville. Don't know about Guadalajara.

cookj5

Jun 11, 2012, 8:04 PM

Post #18 of 28 (3389 views)

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Re: [tashby] Armed Guards

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Haven't noticed any armed guards in restaurants at Lake Chapala, but then, this is Hooterville. Don't know about Guadalajara.

We haven't either, in the Lake Chapala area. However, when we recently visited Mexico City, we were struck by how many armed guards there were at stores (but not necessarily restaurants) throughout the Centro area. I'm not just talking a pistol on their hips, but riot guns and assault rifles. A couple of armored car guards delivering money on a pedestrian-only street a block from the Zocalo did so with their guns drawn and appeared extremely alert. In addition to all this private security, there were cops everywhere we looked.

salto_jorge

Jun 12, 2012, 6:32 AM

Post #19 of 28 (3328 views)

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Re: [cookj5] Armed Guards

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The newest mall in GDL has armed guards. In the underground parking lot they ride around on bikes and have a few canine officers. Spotted a few near the big box stores that are in mini-malls, including Walmart. Private security is very common and some are armed, some in marked vehicles some not.

Gri-lango

Jun 12, 2012, 12:02 PM

Post #20 of 28 (3251 views)

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Re: [Rolly] Armed Guards

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I live in DF and I do see guards at many establishments. Uniformed guards but not with guns displayed.

At the high end places, there is always a row of body guards and chauffeurs of armored cars waiting outside the restaurants...I suspect they are all heavily armed.

I am curious, does this make Rolly feel better or worse about going out to eat?

GringoCArlos

Jun 12, 2012, 12:59 PM

Post #21 of 28 (3227 views)

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Re: [Gri-lango] Armed Guards

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Haven't seen guards of any type - armed, unarmed or uniformed - outside restaurants anywhere in Querétaro state. Then again, we're campesinos so high-end means something else here - cloth napkins instead of paper.

There are men in black combat gear (Federales or state police) with automatic weapons stationed outside most banks sometimes on the 15th or at the end of the month. Bank robbery seems to be the major crime of choice here.

Rolly

Jun 12, 2012, 1:16 PM

Post #22 of 28 (3221 views)

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Re: [Gri-lango] Armed Guards

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"...does this make Rolly feel better or worse about going out to eat?"
None of the above. It's just a note about the changing times.
I still think the dangerous part is on the street driving to and from the restaurant.
I did make a gallows joke that with an armed guard outside,
there would be shooting outside first that might give us time
to hide under the table before the shoot 'um up moved inside.

Rolly Pirate

Sculptari

Jun 12, 2012, 1:26 PM

Post #23 of 28 (3215 views)

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Re: [GringoCArlos] Armed Guards

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Here's an interesting but gruesome link to the latest local drug related killing. This sort of stuff happens so often in, and around Puerto Vallarta, that it is rarely reported by the English language papers. This link will only last one day, the paper does not archive. This is not actually that gory - one of last week's drug hit photos included actual brains on the sidewalk.

http://translate.google.com/...oj%3D1%26prmd%3Divns

The point is that this took place in a new suburban strip mall, with big box stores, that would not look out of place anywhere in Canada or the U.S.A. The guy that was killed was driving a new Lincoln. All the cars in the mall that caught some lead are all new and expensive. The top cops are driving Toyota FJs (sort of like Miami C.S.I. driving Hummers).

Now if you owned this mall, or one of the many stores or eateries there, what would you do to make sure patrons came back, and felt safe there? This stuff is not some sort of cheesy "B' movie out of Juarez - though I am sure there is that aspect out there too.

(This post was edited by Rolly on Jun 12, 2012, 1:36 PM)

sioux4noff

Jun 12, 2012, 8:19 PM

Post #24 of 28 (3144 views)

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Re: [Sculptari] Armed Guards

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Quote

This sort of stuff happens so often in, and around Puerto Vallarta, that it is rarely reported by the English language papers.

That is not true on several levels.
"This sort of stuff: does not happen "so often." It does happen, but Vallarta is a sizeable city. We've lived in Bucerias almost 7 years, and I can remember maybe 5 murders in Bucerias, tops, in that time.
Also, the English language papers do not cover this type of thing no matter how often theyhappen. They are tourist oriented publications. It wouldn't further their causes to do anything to lower tourism.
As far as the incident yesterday at Mega, well, by yesterday afternoon and certainly today, it appears to be business as usual. It is hardly a new suburban shopping mall with big box stores, there is Mega, several banks, PiksClub and one Chinese take-out place. People still need groceries, still need to go to the bank. The vehicles you will see in the lot there are like anywhere else, pretty much run of the gamut from crappy to nice.
After the murder in Starbucks in Nuevo Vallarta this year, I noticed no change in business.
Toyota FJ's are not like Hummers, and they are driven by the tourist police, not by "the top cops."

JR, did I miss anything?

(This post was edited by sioux4noff on Jun 12, 2012, 8:21 PM)

Sculptari

Jun 13, 2012, 6:15 AM

Post #25 of 28 (3097 views)

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Re: [sioux4noff] Armed Guards

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Kind of shows what I have been getting at here, and on other posts - Siempre Libre's count is over 70 regional murders THIS YEAR, and 50 of them are drug related - according to their ace reporters. The paper is a scandal rag, and politically motivated -but still? I don't know, nor would I find it comforting, how it compares to other cities in the world of 350,000 population.

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