That's My Story

It's not all fun-and-games on the road. This year there was a darker sadder side.

ARE YOU TALKING TO…ME?

Originally Published the Week of March 24, 2011 in Western Outdoor News

I’ve been writing this column since 2004 for Western Outdoor News.  I like to write an informative column.  I like to have fun and write feel-good stuff.   I mean…this is fishing, right?  It’s a kid’s sport.  I’ve always tried not to take it too seriously. 

I surely have tried to avoid being too controversial or inflamatory although, it’s impossible to please all the people all the time. Oh well.  Agree or disagree or agree to disagree.  That’s fine.

I’ve had to sit on this particular column for a few weeks.  My initial reaction was to put fingers to keyboard and just fire this out.  But, my wife Jill, who’s smarter than me, told me to hold onto it for awhile.  I spoke to one of my competitors, but someone I respect alot, David Jones of the Fisherman’s Fleet in La Paz.  He said to sit on it for awhile too. 

So, I did.  Until now.  It’s sad actually.

Since Dec. 31st, my wife and I have been “on the road” doing our usual promotional tour at some of the biggest fishing and hunting shows on the west coast.  We’ve driven 11,000 miles and crossed about a dozen states with our booth doing shows in Denver, Phoenix, Portland, Boise, Long Beach, Sacramento, Billings and more…talked to hundreds and maybe thousands of fishermen. 

We do this every year.  Sure, we promote our own fishing operation in La Paz, but consider ourselves ambassadors for the city; for Baja; for Mexico as well.  In the same way as Americans living in Mexico, we try to be ambassadors on behalf of Americans as well. 

I’ve been doing this almost 16 years.  I’ve been in the fishing industry for close to 25 years.  I’ve probably done close to 200 shows each 3-5 days long.  I’ve made dozens of public appearances and taught seminars for clubs, groups, and associations.  It’s been great.  Love it!  Life on the road talking fishing…how does it get better than that?

But this past year is the first time ever, we’ve run into problems…

By now,  must be living under a rock if you didn’t know that Mexico has some serious problems with violence.   Big problems.  But, like the U.S., it’s a big country.  It’s not everywhere.  It’s not everyone.  It’s not specifically directed at tourists. 

OK, I get it.  I’m not naive.  I know there’s exceptions.  But I’ve also lived and worked in Washington, D.C., New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles.  Everyone has crime problems.  (Most of which, by the way, have higher crime stats than Mexico City!)

As any of our compadres from other outfitters, hotel owners,  tour operators or charter boats will attest at  these shows, we are constantly answering questions about whether it’s safe to take the family to Baja.  Are the cartels in Loreto?  What are the chances we’ll get robbed by druggies in East Cape or kidnapped in Cabo?  How many people are dying daily in La Paz?  If we drive to San Quintin or San Felipe to go fishing, are the banditos waiting to carjack us?

We do our best to give responsible informed answers. It’s not easy for little mom and pop operations like us to compete against CNN or every local newspaper that screams about anarchy  across the border for every single act of violence.  I get it.   People are concerned.  They’re nervous. 

We arm ourselves with statistics.  We remind people that 20-second sound bites on the evening news can hardly give the “whole story.”  We ask people to see beyond the newspaper headlines.  Read the rest of the article. 

Do their own research.  Talk to their friends who have visited Mexico recently.  Most will tell you they never felt threatened or unsafe…certainly no more than walking through the darkest spots in American cities.

But, folks are scared.  Yes, I get it.  Hell, I would be too if my emotions were only based on doses of headline news.  I’m a former radio and TV reporter.  I know how it works.

But this is the first time during our travels that I’ve had fear manifest itself against us.

I won’t give the names of the cities, but it happened in almost ALL the cities.  It happened at least once and several times more than once in each city.   And the first time it happened, it was hard to believe.

A couple came up to the side of our booth and said it to my wife…It came from the side of their mouths too, but loud enough to hear…

“How did they let people like YOU in OUR show?”

They didn’t wait for a response and we could hardly believe we heard it.  We’re they talking to us?  Me?  You?  What did they mean by “people like us?”

OK, I’m short and brown and funny looking.  Born in the U.S. Got a law degree and everything.  My wife… pretty brilliant red-headed firebrand San Diegan go-getter. 

We were sure they were talking to us.  But why? Tried to blow it off. Whatever.

But, it didn’t stop.  There were those with the snide remarks from the side of their mouths that wouldn’t come directly up to us to tell us what they meant.  They’d stand to the sides.

“What are people like YOU doing here?”  But they said it loud enough for us to hear it.  The stings got deeper.

There were those who came right up.  Made a bee-line right up to the counter and got in my face. 

“They should just KILL all YOU people right now!!!  Just wipe out all people like you!” 

Whoa! Sir!  Just hold it right there.  Let’s talk about this.  Are you talking to me?

Some would just walk away swearing.  Some would continue with the vitriol. 

“Your whole country is full of nothing but scum and we’d be better off just eliminating the whole place!”  They would jab a finger directly in my face or pound my counter with a fist. 

Most times, you just try to tell the person to kindly move on down the aisle.  Surely, I was never going to convince these folks to ever come fishing with little old us.  Their minds were pretty much made up about “us.” Didn’t even want to discuss it.

Others wanted to confront us.  My wife got upset several times. Folks, please don’t say that to my wife.

 I’m about as confrontational as a teddy bear.  I can and will get in someone’s face physically or verbally if pushed.  I know how.  But why?  Sir, please don’t jab your finger two inches from my face.   You don’t want to do that.  My fists would clench by my sides. I’m gritting my teeth.

Several times, I will admit she had to tell me to back down or other people visiting at the booth had to tell me to,  “Let it go.”  or  “That guy is a jerk.” Even they were shaking their heads in disbelief.

But that was the confusing part.  Who is this “US” that these people were so angry with?  And why “US?” 

Why is some guy dressed like Wyoming ranch hand or a mist-soaked coast from Washington or  the perfect west-side  tanned couple in Santa Monica angry with US that they would come up to say those things  as if we had personally offended them?  Who me?

What did WE do to THEM?  Or even on a broader scale, what had Mexico or a Mexican personally done to them to raise that level of hate or fright?

One or two incidents happen.  You blow it off.  Later, Dude.  Sorry, you feel that way.

 But, it actually happened several times per show.  Ten shows. Even ran into one small town where we were refused service. (But that’s another story!)

The more it happened, the angrier I got.  I just wanted them to stop for a moment and think about what they were saying.  Come back here!  Why do you feel that way? Why are you so angry?  I just saw you walk all the way down the aisle to tell me to go to hell. You want to punch me in the nose.  Then you walk away shaking with anger.

You’re scared. I know why. 

I’m scared  too. Not of you.  I’m scared because of how you feel about me. That’s sad.

We just wanted to invite you to go fishing with us. 

_________________________

Jonathan Roldan has been writing the Baja Column in Western Outdoor News since 2004.  Along with his wife, Jill, they own and run the Tailhunter International Fishing Fleet in La Paz, Baja, Mexico  www.tailhunter-international.com.  They also run their Tailhunter Restaurant Bar on the famous La Paz malecon waterfront.  If you’d like to contact him directly, his e-mail is riplipboy@tailhunter-international.com  or drop by the restaurant to say hi!