Personal Safety

[glenthekiwi]

I am planning a 3 week road trip. I am travelling with my wife and 3 year old daughter.

I am trying to find out what areas to avoid in LA, San Diego and maybe Tijuana (or anywhere in the west). Will I be seen as a target with a child or do bad guys have a bit of honour and not target familes?

I am wanting to have a great time but I am concerned about the safety of my family.

We are also travelling through the deserts, would it be advisable to by a CB radio as cell phone coverage is pretty poor in these areas?

Cheers
Glen.

[Mark Sedenquist]

I am planning a 3 week road trip. I am travelling with my wife and 3 year old daughter. I am trying to find out what areas to avoid in LA, San Diego and maybe Tijuana (or anywhere in the west). Will I be seen as a target with a child or do bad guys have a bit of honour and not target familes?

Generally, it is very safe to travel in the USA. Common sense and being aware of the surroundings will keep you far safer than knowing about any specific places. But there are some rougher areas in LA (near USC) and much of Tijuana could be considered risky. Predatory "bad guys" view all folks as potential opportunities -- I don't think "honor" is part of their equation.

If you travel on Interstate highways in the desert -- you will probably have cell coverage. But CB radios are always a good investment. I always use one when on the road.

You will have a great adventure!

Mark

[glenthekiwi]

Where would the safest border place be in Mexico. I am going as far east as El Paso and west to San Diego. I'd like to see Mexico but don't want to attract ruffians.

[Mark Sedenquist]

It occurred to me that your view of the USA and Mexico may be based upon the fictional depictions shown in movies and on TV. What is "real" has little to do with either fictional TV or "reality TV shows".

I have driven hundreds of thousands of miles in North America and I can only think of three incidents where something went amiss (and in each of those situations I was "looking" for trouble).

I really like the border town of Tecate -- but just about any Mexican town is full of warm, gracious folks. You are worrying way too much!

Mark

[Syv]

I drove alone (single female) along the Rio Grande - Presidio, El Paso, Big Bend National Park. Drove from Ontario Canada down to Texas & back. No cell phone. No CB radio.

Never encountered any problems whatsoever. Slept in my vehicle along the way.

It won't be as bad as you might be imagining. Folks are friendly & welcoming in the small towns of the desert / west. They'll chat & help you with directions or questions. I even approached a "mean lookin' cowboy" ;-)
and asked if I could take a picture of his BOOTS & SPURS! He laughed & let me do so.

The only surprise was that there was a "check point" for all vehicles where patrol officers asked if anybody had tried to get in my vehicle or if I had seen any hitchhikers. I learned later that they were keeping an eye out for folks crossing the border illegally along the river.

Have a fun & memorable trip!!!

[Mark Sedenquist]

You might want to look at Dot and Bill Bell's website. They have traveled extensively in Mexico and some of their tips might be useful to you.

Mark

[Robert Schaller]

I especially like the little town of Algodones, just west of Yuma, AZ. A friend of mine used to go there for dental work (less expensive than USA dentists) and the day always included lunch at a streetside taco stand (not to be missed).

[BoredTXGirl]

Of all of the border towns, Tijuana is one of the worst as far as unsavory characters and risk. I've always enjoyed Nogales, which is due south of Tucson, Arizona, and one of my favorites is Boquillas-del-Carmen, which is a tiny town right up against the southern edge of Big Bend NP across the Texas border. Los Laredos (the twin Laredo-Nuevo Laredo cities of Texas and Mexico) is easy to find and easy to navigate. I suppose these are a bit outside your eastern edge, though. As Bob stated, Algodones (across from Arizona) is quite friendly too.

If you're not on a time/cash budget crunch, the Copper Canyon area is easy to reach and is a fabulous thing to behold. We usually drive about 4 hours south from El Paso to Chihuahua, where you can get a train that will take you through the canyon area to the southwest, and bring you back. This canyon is actually more spectacular than even the Grand Canyon, and is occupied by many gringo-friendly services. The route from the border to Chihuahua is along a modern interstate (Mex-45).