# Assaulted in Puebla



## elsonador (Feb 16, 2011)

Well folks I must admit I suppose the first thing I need to say is I may have brought this upon myself.

We have been living in the colonia La Paz in Puebla for roughly 3 weeks now. We own a Chihuahua who when we lived in our apartment in Chicago was use to going outside at night for one last bathroom walk. I have been taking the dog out around 10-10:30 every night, one thing I always noticed was a gathering of taxis parked at our corner everynight at this time and all the drivers huddled and talking nightly although there are no bars or anything of interest near. 

So maybe being born and raised in Chicago I should know better than to walk around at night by myself, but this night Friday at 10:30 I took the dog out and walked up a block turned left to a street that is somewhat dark (thinking back now there is no one walking the streets here at night.) while the dog stopped to pee I got the urge to look back and I saw someone walking up the street as I turned to check to see if the dog was done I looked back one more time but then the guy maybe late 20s early 30s was in my face with a knife saying "dame lo que traes" I had nothing on me...no wallet no phone just my clothes and the dog, without thinking I bolted full speed in the opposite direction. I looked down to see I was dragging my dog and told him "come on" to my surprise the assailant was running after me, i let out a big ayudame as i picked the dog up to run faster two cars stopped one lowered a window and shouted vete. I looked back to see the man running away in the opposite direction, i ran all the way to the apartment to see the taxi drivers all walking toward me somewhat alarmed. I opened the gate to the house and then to the apartment. 

I wanted to call police just to file a report but thought better of drawing anymore unwanted and unneeded attention. Hopefully this was just my stupid mistake of leaving the house late at night on foot and not something more serious. In the end I truly am to blame. No one walks around at night. This could happen anywhere in the world. I began to get too comfortable.

Back to reality.


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## gwizzzzz (Apr 21, 2013)

Time to get the dog a big brother


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## Anonimo (Apr 8, 2012)

Scary. But good thing he didn't have a gun.


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## Longford (May 25, 2012)

Not a pleasant experience, I'm sure. It's good to read you were not harmed physically. Could it be that the grouping of taxi drivers was because that is where their sitio is located? My sense is they may have been responding to your call for help and that they we're not affiliated with the man you assaulted you. Oftentimes, elsewhere in Mexico, the sitio drivers act as sort of a neighborhood watch group, because the do not want trouble or police near where they park/work. However, if the are themselves part of the criminal element and regularly position themselves near where you live ... It is probably time for you to look for a different neighborhood to live.


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

Time to train the dog to go out during daylight, forget the big brother, it is just one more dog to take care of and to have to take out. Just do not go out in deserted streets. (anywhere)


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## maesonna (Jun 10, 2008)

Glad you and the pooch are all right!

A language tip: everyone should mentally practice ”_¡Socorro!_” and ”_¡Auxilio!_” so that we shout these expressions automatically in an emergency situation. They are more appropriate to the situation than “_¡ayuda!_” or “_¡ayúdeme!_” _Ayuda_ is perfectly understandable, but it sounds more pitiful, like what a beggar might moan, whereas _socorro_ or _auxilio_ are what people shout in an emergency like a fire or mugging.


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## elsonador (Feb 16, 2011)

maesonna said:


> Glad you and the pooch are all right!
> 
> A language tip: everyone should mentally practice ”_¡Socorro!_” and ”_¡Auxilio!_” so that we shout these expressions automatically in an emergency situation. They are more appropriate to the situation than “_¡ayuda!_” or “_¡ayúdeme!_” _Ayuda_ is perfectly understandable, but it sounds more pitiful, like what a beggar might moan, whereas _socorro_ or _auxilio_ are what people shout in an emergency like a fire or mugging.


Thank you for the tip, for a split second I almost shouted help! Luckily there were cars otherwise it appeared this guy was determined to chase me. In the future I will have to be smarter and avoid situations like this.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

Very sorry to hear about this unsettling experience and glad to know that you (and your dog) escaped unscathed from the bad guy. My neighborhood is pretty quiet around 10:30 pm, but there are usually a few people out and about, maybe because the local Superama and a couple of taco places are open till 11:00. Because it's not totally deserted, I would feel safe popping over to the convenience store a couple of blocks away at that time. Does your neighborhood feel safe to you in daytime hours?


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## elsonador (Feb 16, 2011)

Yes during the day we feel fine walking around. I assume the assailant is not from the neighborhood.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

elsonador said:


> Yes during the day we feel fine walking around. I assume the assailant is not from the neighborhood.


Let's hope not. Be careful, or as we say here, "¡Cuídate mucho!"


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## megarox11 (Jul 28, 2013)

elsonador said:


> Well folks I must admit I suppose the first thing I need to say is I may have brought this upon myself.
> 
> We have been living in the colonia La Paz in Puebla for roughly 3 weeks now. We own a Chihuahua who when we lived in our apartment in Chicago was use to going outside at night for one last bathroom walk. I have been taking the dog out around 10-10:30 every night, one thing I always noticed was a gathering of taxis parked at our corner everynight at this time and all the drivers huddled and talking nightly although there are no bars or anything of interest near.
> 
> ...




Sad to hear, and glad to know you and your pet were unharmed. I am new to this forum, and currently living in Florida anticipating retiring to Mexico in a couple of years. My husband is a Law Enforcement Officer, homicide detective. Crimes of this nature are common place world wide, crimes of opportunity. I would suggest also know you surroundings, listen to your gut feelings, if it does not feel right it is not. Used areas with proper lighting, train your pet for a change in bathroom calls. would not hurt to carry a large flash light. Enjoy.


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## Uecker_seats (Jan 26, 2012)

Unfortunite. There has also been a spike in street crimes in Pto Vallarta, one long time expat who lives there has been mugged 2x within a 6 year span, the second time they pinched his Kindle, both later at nite and both times had been drinking. Last time I was in PV 2010, I have never seen such a influx of pimps, drug dealers, and prostitutes, and hustlers as I have ever seen in the past down there. Up untill recently the Zetas only used to be involved with high level ogrganized crime i.e. extortion and drug catels. Now they are involved with members of that gang at the street level crime....


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## AlanMexicali (Jun 1, 2011)

megarox11 said:


> Sad to hear, and glad to know you and your pet were unharmed. I am new to this forum, and currently living in Florida anticipating retiring to Mexico in a couple of years. My husband is a Law Enforcement Officer, homicide detective. Crimes of this nature are common place world wide, crimes of opportunity. I would suggest also know you surroundings, listen to your gut feelings, if it does not feel right it is not. Used areas with proper lighting, train your pet for a change in bathroom calls. would not hurt to carry a large flash light. Enjoy.


I do those except carrying a flashlight plus walk anyplace without obviously looking afraid to be there and so far no incidences.


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## AlanMexicali (Jun 1, 2011)

Longford said:


> Not a pleasant experience, I'm sure. It's good to read you were not harmed physically. Could it be that the grouping of taxi drivers was because that is where their sitio is located? My sense is they may have been responding to your call for help and that they we're not affiliated with the man you assaulted you. Oftentimes, elsewhere in Mexico, the sitio drivers act as sort of a neighborhood watch group, because the do not want trouble or police near where they park/work. However, if the are themselves part of the criminal element and regularly position themselves near where you live ... It is probably time for you to look for a different neighborhood to live.


The more time you spend here the more you learn and less gessing what it is. Some taxistas sell drugs.


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## Detailman (Aug 27, 2011)

megarox11 said:


> Sad to hear, and glad to know you and your pet were unharmed. I am new to this forum, and currently living in Florida anticipating retiring to Mexico in a couple of years. My husband is a Law Enforcement Officer, homicide detective. Crimes of this nature are common place world wide, crimes of opportunity. I would suggest also know you surroundings, listen to your gut feelings, if it does not feel right it is not. Used areas with proper lighting, train your pet for a change in bathroom calls. *would not hurt to carry a large flash light.* Enjoy.


Doesn't even have to be large. At night, if I must be out, I carry a small Fenix PD35 flashlight (5" long and 1" in diameter) that will last 140 hours on low output (5 different outputs) but on turbo or strobe it will put out 850 lumens which will disorient a person. You simply cannot see after having this shined in your eyes. Much better than even a very large mag lite. It will throw a beam 600 feet.

Again, better to not be out but when I have no choice I would never be without it. Probably one of the brightest flashlights in the world for its small size.


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## Tucson (Oct 30, 2010)

elsonador said:


> Well folks I must admit I suppose the first thing I need to say is I may have brought this upon myself.
> 
> We have been living in the colonia La Paz in Puebla for roughly 3 weeks now. We own a Chihuahua who when we lived in our apartment in Chicago was use to going outside at night for one last bathroom walk. I have been taking the dog out around 10-10:30 every night, one thing I always noticed was a gathering of taxis parked at our corner everynight at this time and all the drivers huddled and talking nightly although there are no bars or anything of interest near.
> 
> ...


Can your dog use the inner apartment courtyard for his evening trips? 

It is chilling to think about how things could have taken a turn for the worse during your walk. And there is always the lingering thought that he may be out there, waiting for the next person.

Do not blame yourself, don't let him make you into a victim. Your quick thinking (and good foot speed) saved the day! Hopefully the dog made a good recovery, after a few scrapes.


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## elsonador (Feb 16, 2011)

I do have a SureFire Flashlight from my days in the Army, but that only has a max output of 200 lumens. I wasn't scared walking around at night, I should have known better. During the day all is fine. At night there is no one in the streets walking alone. 

The dog is fine now, for the past two days he has been licking his paw pads as I think he scrapped them up pretty badly.

I believe the guy was in a vehicle with another person and they may have seen me and doubled back because I did run past a parked car with someone in the driver seat, seemed odd looking back.

Again folks I feel this could happen anywhere during the night or day its all about being aware...I will avoid night time walks. I feel anything after 9pm maybe too late around here. 
We use to go on night patrols in Iraq in 2009 but with a whole squad and weapons thats a different story.....Running was my best option I had nothing on me and I imagine if I told him that he would either ask for the dog/my clothes or stab me just for "wasting his time".

The past two days I have been somewhat on edge. Today while walking through a church/plaza area in our neighborhood with the dog we sat down and I heard someone behind us and I jumped up and turned around quickly...I don't act scared or show fear in any part of Mexico, it surprises me that after years of driving and traveling through Juarez and the entire state of Chihuahua in a 2012 black SUV this is where something happens.

Just have to avoid bad situations and all is fine.


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## Tucson (Oct 30, 2010)

Thank you for your former military service, Sr. elsonador, and to all those brave soldiers who have served their USA country. I don't think any of us can say that often enough (and we should). 

Will you and your family stay in La Paz or will you explore other options in Mexico? Sometimes you just have to try different options before you find the right combination of comfort level and amenities that brought you south-of-the-border in the first place. If at first you don't succeed... 

If that is the case (and you decide to keep looking), you will find no shortage of recommendations from this ex pat forum community on the best place to live. They seem to be really committed to their own personal choices. 

After 3 weeks, are you totally committed to La Paz? Just wondering. 

We appreciated another post from someone (on another forum site) who suggested looking at "Mexico Gulf Reporter" (a website) to get a handle on what is happening out there in Mexico. Now it is a weekly read, at least, for us. Better to keep informed. 

I wish you well on your new adventure in Mexico. Hope your little dog recovers quickly and those sore paws heal ASAP.


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## mes1952 (Dec 11, 2012)

There aren't many places I'd walk a dog outside at night time in the U.S....much less in Mexico. So the moral of the story is to use caution anywhere you live including the U.S....and Mexico. A large percentage of crimes to foreigners in Mexico are due to things like flashing money around in public, wearing expensive jewelry, being in high crime areas, etc., etc.


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## Longford (May 25, 2012)

mes1952 said:


> There aren't many places I'd walk a dog outside at night time in the U.S....much less in Mexico. So the moral of the story is to use caution anywhere you live including the U.S....and Mexico. A large percentage of crimes to foreigners in Mexico are due to things like flashing money around in public, wearing expensive jewelry, being in high crime areas, etc., etc.


Obviously, Mexicans are victimized more than expats ... because there are more of them around (the Mexicans, that is). These are typically crimes of opportunity. The victim just happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Mexican or Expat. Some colonias or neighborhoods present greater risks than others, however, and the sense and feeling of safety is a very subjective determination. We respond to these things differently. Of the places / neighborhoods I've lived in the USA - Chicago (probably a half-dozen areas), Detroit, Tucson, Des Moines, LA County - I've never felt uncomfortable walking at night. Of the many places I've either lived or spent time in in Mexico, there are several neighborhoods where I was (and continue to be) especially cautious. But if I were troubled by a sense of lack of safety ... I'd move to another location.


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## GARYJ65 (Feb 9, 2013)

mes1952 said:


> There aren't many places I'd walk a dog outside at night time in the U.S....much less in Mexico. So the moral of the story is to use caution anywhere you live including the U.S....and Mexico. A large percentage of crimes to foreigners in Mexico are due to things like flashing money around in public, wearing expensive jewelry, being in high crime areas, etc., etc.


And standing out as foreigners


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

GARYJ65 said:


> And standing out as foreigners


So how do I avoid doing that? At least I'm not tall with blonde hair, and I don't have any money or fancy jewelry to show off. I think I blend in better on the street when I'm not talking in English to foreign friends.


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## GARYJ65 (Feb 9, 2013)

Isla Verde said:


> So how do I avoid doing that? At least I'm not tall with blonde hair, and I don't have any money or fancy jewelry to show off. I think I blend in better on the street when I'm not talking in English to foreign friends.


That's the thing! When we are foreigners we cannot avoid standing out from the rest of people, and we should be extra careful for safety, even with shopping for something, so that the sellers no nos vean cara de turistas !


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## AlanMexicali (Jun 1, 2011)

GARYJ65 said:


> That's the thing! When we are foreigners we cannot avoid standing out from the rest of people, and we should be extra careful for safety, even with shopping for something, so that the sellers no nos vean cara de turistas !


I stand out as a foreigner if you are close enough to see my blue eyes but dress in the same fashion as others my age here so don´t get many looking my way from a distance.

If I speak they will know. 

I sometimes joke with people when wanting to buy something in a place where prices are not clearly marked about me getting a higher price and they say you don´t, this is in your imagination.

I don´t see this as a bad thing here, no tourists per se, and business is business where I live, however in touristy places I would get a higher price, I feel, so my wife goes in to negotiate and I stand out on the sidelines until she finishes. This seems to work well, usually.

It could be that I am dreaming this as so far only once did I get into a situation where a salesman tried to screw me out of $500.00 pesos when I cancelled buying a dining room set from him after finding another I liked better an hour later. The lady at the desk gave me back the whole amount without hesitating and when leaving they were having a fight about it. That was a long time ago and since then I am careful when making deals.


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

I think that if you know what the price should be you do not get taken for much. I have not seen merchants at the tianguis or market especially produce market charge more because you are a foreigner. 
In San Cristobal I shop at the municipal market every day and it I can hear what people are getting charged and I get charged the same price, on top of it they always add some produce to whatever you are buying. 

The trick is to do your homework and know what the going price is if you go and buy artesania or other aricles that are bought by tourists. There it is another game.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

citlali said:


> I think that if you know what the price should be you do not get taken for much. I have not seen merchants at the tianguis or market especially produce market charge more because you are a foreigner.
> In San Cristobal I shop at the municipal market every day and it I can hear what people are getting charged and I get charged the same price, on top of it they always add some produce to whatever you are buying.
> 
> The trick is to do your homework and know what the going price is if you go and buy artesania or other aricles that are bought by tourists. There it is another game.


I agree. In the mercado near my house, they never see foreigners and it would not occur to them to charge a different price.

However, in the large Mercado Libertad or Mercado San Juan de Dios, where many tourists shop, the price is dependent on the customer. I was there a few weeks ago with a visiting friend from north of the border. He was looking at hats. He asked the price of a hat and was told $400 mxn. But just two minutes before that I heard the proprietor tell a Mexican couple that a very similar hat was priced at $200. The proprietor assumed that we did not understand Spanish. In the end my friend bought the hat for $270.


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## AlanMexicali (Jun 1, 2011)

TundraGreen said:


> I agree. In the mercado near my house, they never see foreigners and it would not occur to them to charge a different price.
> 
> However, in the large Mercado Libertad or Mercado San Juan de Dios, where many tourists shop, the price is dependent on the customer. I was there a few weeks ago with a visiting friend from north of the border. He was looking at hats. He asked the price of a hat and was told $400 mxn. But just two minutes before that I heard the proprietor tell a Mexican couple that a very similar hat was priced at $200. The proprietor assumed that we did not understand Spanish. In the end my friend bought the hat for $270.


Exactly what I have witnessed in some touristy places just by standing around waiting on my wife to buy a bunch of small presents for her family. I do see it as sort of normal.

When in the archeological sites in the Yucatan Peninsula I saw it happen more than other Central Mexican places we frequent on weekends, close by. [2 hour drive]

The marked prices in Dolores Hildalgo are almost 1/2 the marked prices for the same popular stuff than San Miguel de Allende 30 minutes away, to be expected considering the rent etc.

Tonala is very completive and prices there are excellent on artist´s stuff.

Other small city mercados where no tourists hang out, like Matehuala, Silao, Cuidad Valles and San Luis de La Paz have overall cheaper prices on many items compare to here in SLP. Interesting thing is in San Luis de La Paz the Chedraui has better overall prices than the one here.


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## grotton (Apr 20, 2012)

citlali said:


> I think that if you know what the price should be you do not get taken for much. I have not seen merchants at the tianguis or market especially produce market charge more because you are a foreigner.
> In San Cristobal I shop at the municipal market every day and it I can hear what people are getting charged and I get charged the same price, on top of it they always add some produce to whatever you are buying.
> 
> The trick is to do your homework and know what the going price is if you go and buy artesania or other aricles that are bought by tourists. There it is another game.


That's my experience here in San Cristobal too. However my Mexican Spanish teacher told me that her husband (also Mexican) always gets over charged in the market because he doesn't know what the prices should be. Of course he could just be stashing away something extra for beer money; that's what I do.


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

grotton , I think you have something there with the beer money.. I bet he does not get overcharged on the beer either!


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

Yesterday in the mercado, I got to chatting with the seller. It turned out we both had spent some time in San Francisco. By the end of the conversation we were good buddies and he gave me what he called a foreigner discount of 40% off. ($30 pesos instead of $50 for some key rings).


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

The "estilista" who gives me great haircuts charges me a special "friend" price since I agreed to help him informally with his English. He hasn't had time lately for us to meet outside of his salon, but he still gives me this special discount.


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