Burt... I think your practice with regard to money and ID was a good one. I don't get to TJ very often so maybe I have not become overconfident myself... though I believe in the end, crimes against pedestrians can and do happen in every big city in the world every day... SD and LA included. So TJ may or may not be more dangerous then other big cities... I don't know.
As for me, I feel confident when walking around TJ, and carry myself in a confident manner (avoiding the look of an easy mark, hopefully!). I walk close to the curb or in the street and avoid close proximity to alleyways and doorways. I usually know where I am going and move pretty quickly. I am probably somewhat more vulnerable as I do TJ runs by my self. If I am going any distance, I will generally take a cab, especially after dark. There's only so much you can do I suppose. I suspect "the powers that be" in the zona do what they can to minimize attacks of any kind on tourists as it is bad for busine$$.
After reading Romantics experience I realize that I may have grown overconfident while wandering around TJ. When I first started going to TJ I was very cautious. I got a California ID card. I left my rings, wallet, cell phone, good watch, drivers license, etc. in the trunk of my car together with enough money to pay parking fees and get me home. I only took a spare car key, my California ID card, and a cheap watch with me. In a business card case, that I carried in my front pocket, in addition to my California ID card, sometimes I also carried one credit card, one ATM card, and my AAA card. (Great for discounts.) I made sure I had a list of all my credit card numbers, etc. at home. Sometimes I went so far as to carry a Xerox copy of my ID card with me in a different pocket, just in case “they” got my ID card. In my right hip pocket I carried a bulky wallet that had some ones, fives, and whatever money I was going to spend on the girl and a room. I always paid taxis, bought drinks, etc. using the money in this wallet. I often wore pants with a button over my hip pocket. All my other money I carried in a money belt. My money belt, which I bought from LL Bean, look like a regular belt but it had a zippered compartment for folded bills. I figured that unlike a standard money belt it wouldn’t be noticeable when I took off my clothes. Sometimes I added an ankle belt for extra ones and five, which I’d try to discreetly put in my shoe when taking off my socks. I wanted people to think that all my money was in the wallet I carried in my hip pocket. I’d only moved money from my money belt(s) to my wallet in privacy. After awhile I felt like I was acting paranoid and stopped taking all these precautions. My questions are: (1) does anybody have any good safety tips or advice for those of us who may be overconfident and (2) how paranoid/safety conscious should I become in light of Romantic’s experience.
Burt... I think your practice with regard to money and ID was a good one. I don't get to TJ very often so maybe I have not become overconfident myself... though I believe in the end, crimes against pedestrians can and do happen in every big city in the world every day... SD and LA included. So TJ may or may not be more dangerous then other big cities... I don't know.
As for me, I feel confident when walking around TJ, and carry myself in a confident manner (avoiding the look of an easy mark, hopefully!). I walk close to the curb or in the street and avoid close proximity to alleyways and doorways. I usually know where I am going and move pretty quickly. I am probably somewhat more vulnerable as I do TJ runs by my self. If I am going any distance, I will generally take a cab, especially after dark. There's only so much you can do I suppose. I suspect "the powers that be" in the zona do what they can to minimize attacks of any kind on tourists as it is bad for busine$$.