Chicago Tribune article about GTO

[doncoulter]

cam00:

Thank you once again for the name-calling. You are good at it, and I can understand your desire to flaunt your strengths.

Just to recap a little: Your post of 6:39 p.m. today made several false claims about Guanajuato, e.g., that the sale of Tasers to civilians is legal here and that there are "Gringo neighbor-hoods" here. I challenged those claims and asked you to provide evidence in support of them. Your response is to call your own claims "true" and my responses "incorrect" and "petty." That's not the sort of evidence I was hoping for.

I don't know how new you are to Guanajuato, cam00, but do you know what we who've lived here awhile call a person who makes wild, unsupported claims about our town and then insults anyone who dares to challenge those claims? We call such a person Doug Bower.

Don

[cam00]

I'm not interested in any more of your frothing, so not reading the inane remarks, don't bother with more. Poor fragile ego ? Try moderating, isn't that what you're supposed to be doing? LOL

[philyrossy]

Then, it sounds to me like the problems (and solutions) here in Gto. with violence/crime are basically the same as I experienced in the Chapala area, except there were less muggings in the nights/streets as most people no longer go out a lot at night there, especially walking on the streets. Also, there are more "Gringo neighborhoods" and gated communities there, but crime still can find its way there from time to time. Not many "go to extremes" on protection there, but razor wire, electrified wire, bars on windows and doors, etc. are common. A few guns, some tasers, but not a lot. Since Guadalajara "invades" the Chapala area now on weekends and holidays, many Gringos don't get out a lot on these days. Otherwise, people live their lives normally, much like here, I think. I would think that "common sense" would work well in protecting from crime/violence. The same things that you would do in any large city NOB should serve you well here. I grew up and lived in small towns in Texas, and did not experience any of this, so it has been a learning experience for me. Where I live NOB (when I am there) is like when I grew up. :) Thank you.

[doncoulter]

Thank you, philyrossy, for returning this thread to the topic at hand. I know little of the Chapala area so won't attempt comparisons. But I would say that common sense, as you suggest, goes a long way in Guanajuato.

To begin with, don't live in a "Gringo neighborhood." Since there are none here, that's easy. There is certainly no need for Tasers or guns here, and their possession could land one in jail. Window bars and good locks are also common sense, but I think razor wire and electrified wire might be more enticing than protective; they're like a sign that says, "Rich People Live Here." As for muggings, they do seem to be on the rise, but, again, reasonable precautions can prevent most of them: take taxis at night, and stay the hell out of the dicier neighborhoods, such as Cerro del Cuarto and Cerro de los Leones. Comparing Guanajuato with cities NOB, I don't know of any NOB city of similar size that doesn't have a few muggings and burglaries. Also, it seems half the people up there are packing heat these days; that doesn't comfort me at all.

My biggest fear when I'm out and about in Guanajuato is not that I'll be mugged but that I'll be attacked by a pack of street dogs. Sometimes I wish there were a Cervantino every month, as it seems the only time of year when the dogcatchers do their job.

Don

[jesm]

So pleased to have philyrossy and don offering a return to sanity. Useful, realistic suggestions to fully enjoy living here. Well played amigos.

[cam00]

Reality dogs without PROZAC.
A neighbor has a dog that, every time I walk by, barks barks and barks, snarls and growls, foams at the mouth. Poor dog is so dumb that he doesn't even realize he's chained to a very short leash and can't do a darned thing....lacks critical thinking skills and doesn't communicate well. Que susto!!!

[peddler665]

As a old guy (71) who spent a month in Guanajuato this year I must say I have been/lived places that are dangerous/violent. Guanajuato AIN'T one of them.
Come to West Oakland After Dark, Or San Francisco Tenderloin & Mission. Chicago's Projects or LA's Ghettos.
I wandered Guanajuato day & night not once feeling in danger.