Haven't been to Boca Chica since late 2002 so I can't tell for sure but...
If you're out of luck, you're out of luck and that's all there is to it I
suppose.
Ricktoronto and others are mostly spot on though methinks.
One will usually be ok unless one acts really stupidly, like walking around
drunk late at night ( say after 11 ) alone. I know a few people who have
been robbed, but most if not all of those have been stupid in one way or
another. I had breakins in my place because I was stupid and lazy with my
security.
Being the cheap kind of guy who'd walk and save 20 pesos rather than pay
some loud motoconcho, I've also walked a lot on my own late at night.
Never drunk, but never with any real problems. I've walked all over the
place, from Duarte to Los Coquitos, across the autopista..whereever.
Women apart, I suppose the most likely scenario would be 2 guys on a
motorcycle ( pasola?? ) stopping you. Guessing/based upon personal
experience these will have followed you from Duarte/where you came
from. If you follow the same route/routine every night they might even
wait for you somewhere they know you'll be. That means they've watched
you a few times in advance.
Whenever I was out in Boca Chica, and I've stayed there for months, I
usually had a fair idea about who was who and doing what. At some stage
one guy kept following me, and sat nearby when I played chess with the
guys selling paintings there. Always supposedly speaking in his mobile, no
matter how long I sat there..
When he saw I headed for home he'd link
up with a friend on the pasola (?) and they'd pass me a few times. They'd
discuss good places to wait, build up courage and just yap, somehow they
didn't consider the fact that gringos can actually understand Spanish too.
So they never really got anywhere..,I kept changing time, paths and even
accomodation, so it was quite fun in a way and I thought it was almost
charming.
I confronted the guy in the end,telling him to stop being such
a stupid jerk, and that he should stop yapping next time, 'cos gringos
speak Spanish too. I suspect their way of doing it isn't uncommon, but I
would also imagine there'll be lurkers in areas where tourists pass.
So.. I felt safer in Boca Chica than places like Oslo and Dublin, don't be
stupid and one will mostly be ok. Doodoo happens at times but..
General things I do.. I never tell people where I live or my actual date of
departure, unless I have to. ( I add a week or two... )
I'd change my routines quite frequently, never walk the same way twice
etc. Methinks that helps.. For longer stays I'd even change housing.
If you speak Spanish you might have an advantage if people don't know
that you do.
It's not a good idea to walk alone at night so I won't recommend
it even though I did it every night and liked the walk quite a bit.
If worst comes to worst, I'd like to know enough martial arts to
be able to gain enough time to get rid of 2-3 lowlife sods with nought
better to do than trying to pinch my 30 pesos in some ungodly hours.
And the list goes on I suppose. Most of all, don't worry and don't let
anxieties reduce the quality of one's holiday! An AI is the better choice if
one is likely to do so. Personally I would suffocate in an AI and I stick to
walking around in Boca Chica at night time whereever I may be heading.
