I am a 10 year veteran of Tijuana and from time to time just update on the scene for this board, what's going on,etc. There are a couple of new scams going right now, just watch out for. First, some cheap bars have a scam where you go in, order a couple of beers and the bartender will give you a bar tab for $40-$50 bucks. You say "What? I just had three beers?" He'll call his corrupt police buddies and say you refused to pay you bar tab and the cops will shake you down for a couple hundred bucks and split it with the bartender. This is a new one, but just started noticing it. I have been down so long, I was able to call some people and talk out of it, but if you do have a beer, go to a tourist, gringo type place and you'll be fine. Go to a real Mexican bar in Tijuana and you might have some problems, particulartly in the first few blocks of Revolution...calle Primera to Calle Tercera. It really has gotten nasty. Other than that, just noting that drug scene is VERY heavy in Tijuana right now. The drug of choice is called ICE, and it is taking over the TJ scene. I don't do illicit drugs, but maybe some of you know about this drug more. The only thing I know is that people in Tijuana smoke it in lightbulbs. They break a lightbulb and put the drug in the bottom of the lightbulb, kind of like a cheap TJ crack pipe. So if you go into a bathroom or somewhere and lights are missing from the sockets, its a drug haunt...run! Anyway, be VERY careful lately about people asking to "help" you. They'll tell you they have a great Granero with great prices or they'll FEDEX you all you gear,cross the border with your stuff,etc. You'll get in a cab with them and they'll demand money from you, go buy their ICE and you'll never see them again. Finally, the cop scene is really bad right now. There are a lot of corrupt cops that shake down gringos. As I said, I am a LONG time vet of Tijuana. I don't want to scare anyone, just kind of letting you know a few new dangers about the scene right now for newbies thinking of going. Most of the time you'll be fine though, just be careful and go before 3 p.m. when all the dumb tourists are buying crap off the street hustlers. You'll blend in, get your gear and be just fine. Just be careful as its a little treacherous right now.
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Originally Posted by limelight
