Sorry Steve but please tell me the one city in the world that if you get so drunk you pass out in the street that absolutely no one will take advantage of you and take your cash. Just one city where that would never happen. I don't mind people coming on here and telling their stories. Just don't like it when folks come on here and say "Watch out for the theives here cause I was stupid and was taken advantage of." And what does one have to do to be called a "real Tourist"? Does the fact that I go there a lot no longer qualify me as a Tourist? LP has gone 7 times so is he not a real "Tourist" anymore? Or does that come at 8 times? And LP - what does the fact that I got to TTR have anything to do with my comments? You didn't mention them at all. You made some rash generalizations about all of Cancun and then attacked anyone that disagree with you or said they didn't have the same experiences. There have been lots of people that have come on here and posted they had problems and had no problems posting. I guess us "fake" Tourists had a problem when someone does something stupid and then blames it on someone else. And if you read my post you would see that we have all run into that bartender that won't server you in an all inclusive environment without being tipped. Is that right - Hell No! Do we say "if we were in the US we would start a fight but wanted to be safe in Mexico so we didn't"? No one I've been out with has said that. Maybe I lead a sheltered life. But when we encounter this problem we go to another bartender or management to get it fixed. The rest - well yeah, I still think your friend was real lucky. You don't have to live in NYC to know that you don't walk Central Park after dark and not expect to have problems. So yeah, I would expect that you would know not to go to a bar district, get drunk, pass out in the street and not expect to get robbed. But hey.. what do I know.. I'm just a fake tourist.... Jamie
Jamie: Regarding the wristband: Its a common(yet ugly) way for many nightclubs to make money. They can sell the guest a new wristband, many times at a lower price("hey man, we feel for you... $30 for a new wristband...") Gabesz: To put all the blame on the person, to me, is just as f*cked up as slamming an entire club or even city for one incident. What I lack in this entire thread is an open mind: To most, it seems to be as simple as this or that, black or white, etc. His friend is at fault for getting too drunk - that you cant argue with. But to blame the same guy for getting his wristband stolen, along with $400? "Too drunk in Cancun = get robbed" ? Doesnt that type of thinking justify the "fear" many has about this entire country? Maybe we were all brought up completely different, but ever since I was a kid(lol), my dear mom made it clear that a thief is a thief, regardless if the wallet is left on the seat of a bus or taken from you pocket/bag. Regarding the tipping: I tip, but only when I feel that the person is worth it. Regardless if its my first or third beer, I would not be comfortable with the person asking me for money. Just like Id never pay for a new TV until I have it in my hands, Id never give tips until the service has been delivered. Im sure other waiters/waitresses would be interested however, so no probs there - just ask for someone else. To switch clubs could/would be a bit more painful, I assume, since one has already paid a decent amount to get in. On the part of bringing the girl back to the room: $90 is cheap if you ask me, considering she/they arent even allowed to be there, hehe.
Kinda nervous posting here, people are getting highly emotional, Conclusions from reading posts ,,, Guy had his wallet but no money, If a mugger mugs you they usually take your whole wallet, he may have lost the money or overpaid for something Wrist band, the guy was pass out drunk, maybe the door man took it away from him for obvious reasons, not to let him back in, Puke , well for $90 I would have called the maid It's too bad some of you had a bad night, but maybe its time to move on and enjoy life
You know you're right.. a thief is a thief... but stupid is stupid. And poor is poor. For all it's glitz Cancun is in a poor country. Salaries are low and expenses high. And all the tourist come down there flash hundreds and tip singles. They come with attitudes that would get their butts kicked at home and expect the local peons to jump at their slighest wims. So yeah, some of the locals develop an attitude. If I saw some drunk person with better than a month and a half's salary sitting there passed out during the slow season when I didn't know if I'd have a job tomorrow - I'd be really hard pressed to say I wouldn't take it. I don't know. I've never been in that position thank God. And that's going along with everyone's assumption that he wasn't robbed by a fellow tourist. That we don't know. And too drunk = getting robbed? Nope.. too drunk, off on his own, passing out = getting robbed. That kind of works no matter what city you are in. Which is why everyone here posts common sense rules time after time. Don't drink till you pass out. Don't go out alone to drink if you are going to drink a lot, don't go down dark alley with strangers by yourself.. but these are common sense types of advise no mater what city you are in. This is not unique to Cancun. But hey.. I'm done on this one. This guy has some sort of axe to grind that has nothing to do with the fact that for the last 7 trips he keeps going back to the City although every time he goes they do the same thing in not serving him till he tips. (Isn't that the definition of insanity - doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results?) So I'm not going to play along with him anymore. People can read his posts and form their own opnions. Jamie
Jamie: Some good points, and some of us have mentioned the "regardless where in the world" several times. I still cant blame someone completely for getting robbed. It takes two in that scenario, so the second part is also guilty, if you ask me. Regardless their status, salary etc. Most local friends I know here, are decent enough to think further and put themselves in a similar situation, and thus realize that what they dont want done to themselves, they wont do to others. What I was after was an open mind - see things as they are, in a whole, not just "Side A" or "Side B". His friend put himself in that situation, but it still doesnt make it defend-able to take advantage, at least not to me. On the tip-part, I can never budge, haha. Tip is deserved, not begged or blackmailed for. On the personal attacks, well, I stay away from them, as I had enough time in the sandbox as a child. Im done as well... New green tea awaits, as does the latests episodes of Family Guy, Parks and Recreation and Big Bang Theory.
Of course it could happen in any city in the World. My point is, in some cities it is more likely to happen (both being that drunk and being taken advantage of). Cancun (well the HZ anyway) is one of them. The you being a "fake tourist" thing is something your own imagination conjured up. You might have visited Cancun a few more times than the OP but don't kid yourself that you know any more about what goes on than he does. You are still a real tourist since it seems you're equally oblivious to the scams, tricks and attitude towards you (the tourist) from a significant minority of workers in the HZ as he is.
Unfortunately Cancun has deteriorated into a Tourist Trap. It was a boom town like the Wild West in the eighties. Everybody in Mexico and even euro trash who over stayed their visas, went to Cancun for work and opportunity. Now its an over populated city with fewer opportunities for the average citizen. The huge tourist movement has brought in opportunists, confidence scams, and just plain thievery. Also, alcohol poisoning is rampant and many take advantage of idiots who don't know how to imbibe. Word of advice; stay out of the city, travel with friends, and don't get stupid drunk. If you do, you deserve what you get! Remember, this is a depressed economy and many are desperate for the quick buck!
LOL, you serious? So, does this apply to all other situations where the perpetrators feel that they have the "right" to act like they did? (Just curios )
This is what got me thinking that you thought there were real tourist and fake tourists. Glad to hear that I'm still a real tourist but your definition. I hate to be fake. Also glad to see that you agree that it is a significant minority of workers in the hotel zone that rip people off and not the overall cess pool it looked like you were describing being so bad that the expats won't go there. I don't think there has been a single poster here that has not agreed that there are bad apples in the hotel zone like any other place in the world. And if you read my last post you will see that I fully understand the attitude of some of the folks there towards tourist. That attitude is everywhere in the world too. In Orlando they have a saying, "If it's Tourist Season, why can't you shoot them?" So I guess we are in total agreement on everything. Jamie
Aren't we always My "real tourists" comment was because a lot of the early input was from expats. And expats, naturally, have a different perspective. We have tons of tourists seeking info before their trip but very few post anything afterwards. This was an after the trip post by a "real tourist", so very welcome even though it brings up subjects that might be viewed as taboo by some, and don't necessarily cast Cancun in a good light. The number of workers in the hotel zone who are out to fleece tourists is a minority - the vast majority aim to give tourists a great time, a great deal and great service (HZ taxi drivers excepted!). What bothers me though is those that dont, they see tourists as a cow to be milked - some will do it by fair means others will do it by foul. I think you have to live among and know people who have that attitude to really understand their logic and methods. The bad guys spoil the reputation of the place and the good guys get tainted with the same brush unfairly. That is my beef, I like to think of myself as a good guy. Not saying for one minute this kind of thing doesn't happen in other parts of the World, it surely does. I've experienced the very same thing in Barcelona, Rome, Prague, Amsterdam and others. But Cancun is my City and it bothers me more than it does in those places. Let's not forget, my business is Cancun based I gain nothing from letting negative reports being aired, but I gain a lot less by sweeping them under the carpet.
