That's My Story

THE ROAD TOO TRAVELED

Originally published the week of Dec. 12th 2008. Western Outdoor News

This is a bit of a touchy subject to write about and I’m can already imagine the e-mails that I might get. But, I guess it’s about time I say something about it and throw in my two-centavos. .

Do you ever do something or say something then two seconds later wish you could take it back? Like those TV ads for Southwest Airlines where the rockstar yells out, “Thank you Cleveland” to the crowd and he’s actually in Miami. Or the gal who accidentally launches the pink slip virus at her workplace while goofing around on the internet. You wish you could take one step back and have the moment over again.

Last week, I wrote about Impulse Fishing and jumping in your car basically on a whim and driving over the border to go fishing at places like San Quintin or Ensenada. I still stick by that. I’d do it in a heartbeat.

But, that column was written BEFORE a big story appeared in the Los Angeles Times as well as other publications about the increased violent attacks on tourists driving the Baja especially near the border.

After reading those articles, I wished I had worded my column a bit differently, but it had already gone to press. Like I said, I’d still love to drive the Baja and miss those weekend runs to just south of the border. I’d do it in a minute. But there’s no mistaking that there have been an increased number of incidents against tourists. So, I keep getting asked why I don’t write about the crime issues?

Sure, I’ve heard about the increase in incidents against tourists but I’ve refrained from writing more for several reasons. For one, I have only a limited space to write about a subject that I could write pages on so understand the limitations in this column.

I’ve also tried to keep this column on the lighter side and apolitical. To me, WON is supposed to be about fun. Fishing and Baja are supposed to be about fun. You get enough bad news on the TV and can find plenty in your own daily newspaper. I’d rather write about tacos and tuna than people getting robbed or political corruption (on BOTH sides!).

Second, a lot of what you hear and read about is in northern Baja. It seems the closer you are to the border, the more these incidents increase. I talk to my compadres down here in the south and road crimes of the nature and violence we read about, are almost unheard of down here.

That’s not to say there’s not crime, but even my Mexican amigos down here look at me and ask, “What the heck are you talking about? What road crime? Why is anyone attacking tourists?”

Third, it’s touchy living down here; running a business; and writing a column in a popular fishing publication. I’ve never ever been censored by WON or anyone else who thankfully have given me pretty much free reign to write.

But, I’m not stupid either. There are many good and reputable advertisers who are in this paper. It would hurt them if I said certain things. And, to every story you read, there’s often two sides to every story. For example, several years ago, an angler was beaten by locals. That was the big story. The part you didn’t hear was how he had cheated at a drunken card game the night before and how he refused to pay a panga captain for a bad day of fishing.

I’ve also been subtly warned here in Mexico that I have a high profile and my writing is being watched and read by certain uh…”influential people” so I have to self-censor myself at times from writing things that might be too controversial. Part of the game.

I’m a guest down here. I don’t have First Amendment rights in Mexico. And I work and live and write with that understanding. This is not the U.S. I’m still just a little guy in a big pond down here.

So, let me revise and re-iterate a few things about driving down here to Baja. Many are things I’ve said before. Yes, crime is higher, but it’s higher everywhere! It’s the unfortunate way of the world. The best you can do is not let it govern your life to the point of avoiding life and locking yourself in your room. But minimize yourself as a potential target.

As mentioned earlier, the closer you are to the metro areas along the border, the higher the incidence of crime. Fact of life. More transients. More poverty. Too many people in too little space feeling hopeless and trying to survive.

If there’s places in YOUR community you wouldn’t visit, for Pete’s sake stay out of places you shouldn’t be at either when you come across the border . You may hate tourist spots but stay out of dark bars, narrow alleys, dark campgrounds, lonely beaches and long stretches of deserted road. The intrepid days of Ray Cannon and even Gene Kira are gone.

Don’t travel alone. Have a wingman with you and preferably caravan with amigos. For crying-out-loud, stay sober too while driving for all the reasons you already know about. Drunks are easy victims of themselves and others. ‘Nuff said.

Don’t travel at night. Makes common sense. It’s not like cruising down a U.S. freeway or thinking, “I can make Loreto if I drive non-stop from San Diego.”

Don’t tell everyone you’re a target! Yes, you have all your toys and your lady has all that bling you bought her showing it off proudly. You love to roll with your ATV and with a boat and your pickup stacked with goodies. You pull-up into a little bar some night on the way down the Transpeninsular and proceed to pay with a 100 dollar bill you peel off a wad. You drop another 100 bucks on gas at a little Pemex.

You have more swag in your space than that whole little village will see in a month. You think people aren’t watching you? The smiling guy next to you at the bar just earned 5 dollars today busting butt and is drinking it all up tonite. He’s watching the rich gringo. If it can happen in Bakersfield, it can happen in Baja.

Ninety-nine-point-nine percent of ALL people are good folks. Use common sense so you’re not victim to the small rabble that ruin it for so many others.

I’ll write more in another column.

That’s my story. If you ever want to reach me, my e-mail is riplipboy@aol.com.