Purse Snatchers at Red Cabbage

We left the Red Cabbage last night and did what we always do, start walking to the Malecon, since it´s only about 10 short blocks. We were only a few feet from the door when one kid, about 15, bumped me on the narrow sidewalk, which was puzzling since he had the whole rest of the street to walk on, but next thing I know my girlfried, about 20 feet in front of me started shouting. Then she took off after him but nobody can outrun a 15 yr old. We eventually found the purse, but the Mac card and 4,000 pesos were gone. We took a cab home and reported the stolen card right away. Why so much cash? ATM fees are going up so she got out as much as reasonable to last the whole week.

We´ve been told it´s a waste of time to report this to the police. We still might try (it would be so easy to trap the kid, and his three buddies who stood there laughing at us then ran off).

We do in the meantime want to warn people to
a) assume there are purse snatchers and pickpockets out there so keep wallets in front pockets and across the shoulder purses only (but even that might not work if they want to get rough)
b) assume no bystanders will help
c) avoid le Remance zone and by implication, the Red Cabbage, and perhaps other cash-only restaurants because the thieves know you´ll be carrying cash.
d) it happened in view of the front door of the Red Cabbage, so it´s hard to believe the help there doesn´t know this is going on. We told them we were going to walk, no cab, and got no warning. Even if we were taking a cab, we still could have been robbed between the door and the cab.

Sorry to warn people away from the Red Cabbage, and sorry to reverse what I´ve been saying for years about Puerto Vallarta. Pretend it´s New York, and never drop your guard.

Sorry if it sounded like I was blaming the Red Cabbage staff. The only person to blame is the thief. And since the incident, Ive seen reviews of the Red Cabbage advising people to take the walk. If its never happened there before, then its happened now and people should made beware.

Of course the combination of a restaurant and the neighborhood had something to do with it. This guy new just what he was doing and where a victim was likely to appear

Whether it was $400 or $40, its still a violation. Of course carrying more is riskier that carrying less.

Not comparing the crime rate to NYC, just suggesting taking some lessons from there about what to do and not do.

Didnt go back to Red Cabbage right away because by the time we stopped our futile chase, we were already at Aguacates and the priority was to get the credit card stopped. I did take a cab back later but they were closed. Have since tried to go the web site on their flyer, but no dice.

Unless someone can convince me it was a bad dream, I stand by what I said about the neighborhood, and about keeping ones guard up, everywhere. Our strong feelings about this incident are within the norm for people who have this kind of experience.

We plan to come to PV for many years to come, no worry there.

Alot of people go to PV with the idea that it is Paradise and nothing bad ever happens there. I do feel safe in PV but you do have to stay aware. I have had a couple of incidents, not with theft but with young guys that have hormones raging. That being said, the age of the kids that did is not at all surprising.

In Mexico the majority of 15-year-old kids are no longer in school, unless their parent have the money to send them to a private school. So you take a bunch of 15-18-year-old boys and put them out on the street to do what they want to do, no school, no job. no responsibility, more often than not parents who let them do what they want because they are considered of age in Mx, and they are going to get in trouble. That is not any different than if they were in the US or Canada. At 15 they are hardly adults and they do stupid stuff at the drop of a hat. Add to these circumstances the fact that they are usually expected to contribute to the support of the family and that they want things every teenager wants. It is a different culture that we as tourists are often not aware of. So depending on the kid and the way they were raised they are going to do whatever they have to do to either get what they want, help the family or in alot of cases just to survive.

This will be our 10th trip to Mexico and I am using your post as a wake-up
call to our family. I know on past trips we have left ourselves open to
problems. Luckily nothing happened. This year we will have a 1 y/o and
an 8 y/o to distract us. Before leaving the room we will discuss ways to
avoid muggings and purse-snatching. I appreciate alll of the postings
on this thread.

I keep a credit card and some folded pesos in my front pocket and leave my wallet at home. I so this wherever I go in any tourist areas, including the US. Seems to work. Never lost anything.

For the Ladies... :D
Bra Stash..Ditch the underwire...Along with your boobies fill your cups with money... :lol:

Satin Bra Stash by Austin House- Personal Stash


Austin House Bra Stash is back in stock! Perfect for stashing money, credit cards or jewelery.

Has a snap closure and adjustable straps
Tapered shape prevents visible corners
Washable, ivory color, satin material
By Austin House, Travelpro
4-1/4 x 3-1/2\" - Large enough to protect valuables,
small enough not to show

Convenient to access
Lightweight and comfortable
Like a secret, secure pocket
http://www.travelwares.com/Bra_Stash_p/a1130004f.htm









:lol:

What a brainy idea! Thanks, Plus4. I just ordered one.

You are welcome Donna Kawakubo :)

Let us gals know how the stash bra works out OK.. :)

Enjoy your PV trip...

Good bras cost a pretty penny .... they should multitask :lol:

Bras have been used for years to stash things.. I would rather put money in mine than Kleenex like our Grannies did... :shock:

I suppose :? one could always stash a thong..
:lol:
http://www.iliketotallyloveit.com/story/reef-stash-thong-1/

Just my humble :) I think Donna was wanting to know how concerned they should be about getting robbed while they were on foot at night in October in El Centro and the Romantic Zone...

There must be many places in that area that have washrooms... be it restaurants nightclubs etc where one could discretely take out hidden stash....

A problem would be if you went out for the day with USD or CDN and changed in to Pesos, I guess you would be making a mountain out of a mole hill. :lol: :lol: The Devil made me do it. :twisted: :twisted:

aw, that would be the \"breast\" vacation ever!

gives another meaning to \"Puerto Vallarta or \"bust\" \"

\"honey, I said leave a TIP\"

I have never had any problems with theft in Mexico or other countries,but you never know.Are Tasers allowed in checked baggage traveling from USA ? I think giving a buzz to a thief would be interesting. I myself carry a small wallet in the front pocket of my shorts or jeans and i also carry a money belt, creates less attention than trying to get money from your bra.
:lol: :lol: :lol:

I suppose one could always stash a thong..

Oh ... that kind of thong ... :(

funny!

have always wondered if there is a purse sized pepper spray available for ladies who wish to secure themselves from muggers.

being that this is mexico we are talking about here, maybe some very hot sauce in a spray bottle might do the trick!

ha!

Yes there is purse sized pepper spray, it has been available for years in the US. I have one that fits on my keyring.

There is one that I have always wanted to find that not only sprays pepper spray but it strays some type of bright green colorant that you cannot wash off with soap and water. They might run away with the pepper spray but they would be pretty noticable for at least a few hours. I can hear the explainations now as to why their face is bright green. :D

Yes there is purse sized pepper spray, it has been available for years in the US. I have one that fits on my keyring.

There is one that I have always wanted to find that not only sprays pepper spray but it strays some type of bright green colorant that you cannot wash off with soap and water. They might run away with the pepper spray but they would be pretty noticable for at least a few hours. I can hear the explainations now as to why their face is bright green. :D
I have a question, have you found that pepper spray? I want that for my protection. Sad to know its illegal.

Clark1,

http://www.defensedevices.com/worhotpepspr.html

Note, there are restrictions as to where and how it can be shipped.

If you google pepper spray with dye, there are all kinds of options available through different suppliers.

Hola, thisisthis, welcome to actually posting here and congratulations on your recent marriage. I totally understand your entire story....it just brings about one of those what was I thinking/doing moments. I too think Red Cabbage should have assisted you in some way, at least after the fact, by calling the police, etc. That area around the Red Cabbage can be dark and confusing after dark. I too decided I was going to walk to Olas Altas from there one night, in the rain...well actually it had stopped when I started out. I ended up God only knows where. What I found funny was when I stopped in a small internet cafe and asked in spanish how to get to Olas Altas/Los Muertos Pier and they looked at me like I had 3 heads sticking out of my shoulders and had to ask each other how to get there. I took alot of twists and turns and \"I\" finally found my way out of the maze. The entire time I was thinking...stupid move, you have your camera, you have more money than you need to have right now and no one knows who or where the heck you are.

Luckily nothing happened and quite a few people said hello to me in the neighborhood, so while it was an uncomfortable situation, I never felt I was in any real danger. I can say unlike the \"tourist\" areas, I never saw one police car until I got back into the tourist area.

oneistwo, many fond memories of Yardley, please tell these fine people of the PV forum how many times your purse was stolen in PA, why in the hell would anyone want to travel to a place where its a real possibility of being assaulted and robbed by police, beat up at a timeshare or have your purse stolen? I believe you were to easy on the Red Cabbage and Mexico, you should have included a few expletives. Go to Florida next time leave the money in the states. Its obvious the Mexicans are to dumb to realize where their bread is buttered.

Yes there is purse sized pepper spray, it has been available for years in the US. I have one that fits on my keyring.

There is one that I have always wanted to find that not only sprays pepper spray but it strays some type of bright green colorant that you cannot wash off with soap and water. They might run away with the pepper spray but they would be pretty noticable for at least a few hours. I can hear the explainations now as to why their face is bright green. :D Really? a purse sized pepper spray!., Do you have idea where I can buy one?

actually---on one of the other boards--locals reported that in the neighboorhood of the red cabbage and los arbolitos---teenage kids have been pulling petty robberies such as this lately.

This is an old topic that has been brought back to life from several years ago. This same restaurant and local happenings were recently discussed on the Restaurant forum.

http://www.puertovallarta.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=18258

oneistwo, many fond memories of Yardley, please tell these fine people of the PV forum how many times your purse was stolen in PA, why in the hell would anyone want to travel to a place where its a real possibility of being assaulted and robbed by police, beat up at a timeshare or have your purse stolen? I believe you were to easy on the Red Cabbage and Mexico, you should have included a few expletives. Go to Florida next time leave the money in the states. Its obvious the Mexicans are to dumb to realize where their bread is buttered. Your ancestors worst fears will soon be realized here in the USA dude. Darker skinned people (dumb Mexicans as you say) will be a majority in the USA. Your slaver ancestors always feared African descendants and Native Americans (Mexicans) would out number these foreigners that tried unsuccessfully to use ethnic cleaning and genocide to rid the USA of darker skinned people. Well, these plans did not work out. Latinos will be a majority of the US population. Some cities like Chicago will be majority latino by 2016.
Mexicans do not have to like you. Your ancestors stole half their country after American colonists were arrested and executed at the Alamo for trying to overthrow the Mexican government. U.S. Marines invaded Mexico and slaughtered children at the military academy.
Your slaver ancestors feared Indians and blacks would pay you back for slavery and ethnic cleaning if ever we were a majority. If you go to Mexico try to behave yourself. You are the reason Americans are hated around the world dude. In Vietnam, the war I fought in, and World War II, Mexican- Americans were the highest decorated ethnic group. The pitiful laws this country trys to pass to disenfranchise Mexicans is an international disgrace as was American Slavery. Be careful what you say. You want to sit in your house, drink beer, and sing old Nazi songs be my guest. My advice to you slick homie, is to slow your roll before you loose you soul.