I was assaulted last night at across from the Baseball Stadium

[J Anoni]

I really think that this forum is becoming like the rest of the Mexican Forums, that is arguing for the sake of it, putting down logical suggestions, rudeness, no response when a question is asked, etc. I guess Mexconnect leads the pack on that one though.

Anyway, my suggestion of 10 to 4 is no doubt 99.9% safe.

Why I walk in Guanajuato from 10 to 4 however has absolutely nothing to do with safety and everything with not being interested in local night life, not being a drinker, not wanting to walk when it is cold, wanting to go to places like the post office when it is open, and owning a car that I can use at any time if so desired if I do go places after dark.

I was relating what I do, and a suggestion for complete safety. If you do not want to be completely safe, then walk around Guanajuato at 3 in the morning. I really do not care.

[DML]

J Anoni,

I am sorry that you think this forum is picking on you. However, your suggestion to only leave your home during the hours of 10 and 4 is NOT a logical response. Who wants to live anywhere that they do not feel safe enough to go out at 8am or 8pm? Yes, it is a shame that there are problems late at night and that the poster (among others) were attacked. But seriously, we leave the house at 7am to catch a taxi to take our daughter to school during the week. And the streets are packed with others on their way to school or work as well. These are people going about their normal daily lives and routines.

But while you say your suggestion is 99.9% safe....what about bank holdups during the day? Banks are generally robbed during the hours you suggest because that is when they are open. Now, does that happen as often as an assault of someone after midnight? Of course not. What about a home invasion? That could easily happen before 10am and after 4pm while one is "safely behind closed doors."

You might not be interested in nightlife. That is fine. Your choice. But you are the one being rude in your latest response. But you must see that your suggestion to stay enclosed within the "safety" of your home will no doubt appear illogical to most.

[vagamundo]

I joined this site last week as my travel plans include a visit to GTO later in January. I have to say that it was distressing to read about the assault since part of the reason I wanted to visit GTO was due to the relative safety it appears to offer. Hopefully, this incident is a one-off, not a general occurrence.

I used to live in Cusco and belonged to a Peru expat blog. The comments there frequently were out of out of bounds to others but I do not find that to be the case on this blog board.

However, I think it is ridiculous to live in a city where one only feels safe between the hours of 10-4pm. If that were the case, and I trust it is not, I may consider going elsewhere in Mexico.

Could someone who has lived here for a while, comment on general safety issues in GTO? What are neighborhoods to avoid in addition to the baseball field?

[doncoulter]

@DML: Excellent response, Donna. I would only add that I can't fathom why anyone would choose to live in a city that he believed to be unsafe for all but six hours at midday. Perhaps J Anoni would like to explain why he lives here.

@vagamundo: Please don't let one report of an assault discourage you. Guanajuato, like any city of its size, has the occasional mugging and so on, but it remains one of the safest cities in Mexico. And safer than many if not most cities of comparable size in the United States.

I've lived here for fourteen years, and I've never been assaulted, despite frequently daring to venture outdoors before 10 a.m. and after 4 p.m. You ask about dangerous neighborhoods. I would avoid Cerro de los Leones and Cerro del Cuarto at all hours. I would be careful in parts of Pastita (near the baseball stadium) and Valenciana. I would also be careful in any neighborhood after dark, just as I would in any city anywhere. I usually drive or take taxis at night, but I don't completely rule out walking after dark.

On this forum, vagamundo, as on any such forum, there will always be a few extreme opinions. I advise you to ignore the extremes at either end. The truth is somewhere in the middle.

Don

[peddler665]

The month I spent in Guanajuato the first of the year was possibly the most serene/peaceful of my life. I often was out after 4:00 PM attending theater, opera, eating & such. After dark I usually did take the bus home (Presa) often around 10:00 pm but never having a problem.
Of course the last time I was out anywhere after 2:00 AM was 1997.

[jesm]

Please don't let a single, rouge incident, no matter when/how, prevent you from experiencing this magical place. We move all over the town and surroundings, not real late into the night as we are old(er) but always without issue or concern. Do not be deterred, try it!

[Mykul]

I am surprised at the comments regarding Cerro de Cuarto. Mind you we have only lived here three months, but we walk home after work most nights from the restaurant and have never felt unsafe. I probably wouldn't venture into the alleys late at night, but walking up the Calzada from the university has never made me feel insecure. But as I said, we are new.

[cam00]

I have lived in 20 + countries including the uSA, and 10 years here in GTO. I have heard of numerous offenses of assaults here, including rape of a 10-tear old girl in a "normal" callejon. The assaults also included knives on more than one occasion. I myself have been assualted in the upstairs embajadores with MANY people looking on just a month or two ago.

I still have to say that I feel safe much of the time, but I've also lived in very big cities where a person learns to practise body language, and a kind of close-proximity-awareness that helps keep one safe. I'm also 6" 1 and know how to assert myself very well. Still, certain parts of the city are not safe at most times, expecially someone by themself that looks vulnerable, old or very young. The tunnels are notorious for problems, as are a number of callejons after dark. Check with the police to get info about which neighborhoods are dangerous, as some really are.

Nevertheless, I walk around GTO pretty much when, where and how I please, and virtually never have anything happen to me. It is NOT a fairy-tale-totally-safe-place though, and anyone suggesting that it is, is a fool or an idiot or both.

[raquelita]

Back to the Original Post: calling the emergency number 066 is likely to get a quick response. It did for me with a followup by a paramedic.