Tijuana Kidnappers Targeting Doctors

[agranulocytosis]

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=90907266

What do you guys think of all this?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[chris1264]

how do they know if someone is a doctor?

 

[mjl1717]

Its volatile at that border!

 

[BSN2DOC]

There is a Filipino nurse practitioner that I know who was an MD (pediatrician) in the Phillipines and his wife was an MD cardiologist in the Phillipines. Their entire family moved to the US (they are both in their late 40's) and he became a nurse practitioner and she became a pharmacist to avoid having to find residencies to practice medicine in the US.

The reason they moved her is because in the Phillipines, doctors were being kidnapped and held for ransom. Apparently some of them were even killed because they didn't get their ransom money. They had a guarded estate and their kids were driven to their private schools with body guards! Apparently while an MD was captive he found a list with other physicians names on it and found that both of his colleagues were on there (the two mentioned above). Thus they quickly vacated the country and was granted citizenship in the US.

 

[moe_4eva]

Damn, now I have to stop wearing my white coat to score free drinks while in Tijuana? What is the world coming to?

 

[cfdavid]

The world consists of scarce resources. There's rarely "enough" to go around. As long as there are disparities, there will be people willing to risk all in order to improve their lot in life.

So, I suppose I sound like the average liberal. Well, quite the contrary. It is what it is. It'll always be that way. You can pick your societal structure, and there will always be disparities. We can work to reduce them, but they will never be eliminated.

 

[Bushido416]

true enough about the persistent existence of disparities but disparity or not doesn't justify or rationalize these people who commit crimes. This isn't the equivalent of improving one's life by climbing the corporate ladder and it doesn't need to be phrased as such. These people should be punished to the fullest extent of social control within those countries which in some cultures is death. Anyway travel tips for Americans don't wear american flags keep a low profile don't dress flashy or do anything stereotypical of tourists or americans (fanny packs cameras on your neck taking pictures of mundane stuff) Those kind of tips will keep you safer because when you're abroad americans are always targets for violence and kidnapping because the perception of the rest of the world is we're stinking rich. so American tourist > local doctor. Anyhow be vigilant and travel in groups of people and don't get singled away from your friends. That's some of the rules I was given for travel working with govt and some of my medical missions trip talks.

 

[Mr. Freeze]

I guess that's one good thing about going to Europe, with the declining dollar and all. You aren't worth as much.

I just tell people I'm Canadian. Everyone likes them.

I didn't read the story, but again, how do they know these people are doctors? If you are going around telling people in a border town you are an American doctor, you pretty much deserve whatever comes your way. Pretty piss-poor situational awareness...

 

[gstrub]

Mexico sucks.

 

[kdburton]

.

 

[Trismegistus4]

Welcome to the third world, open immigration supporters. Are you sure this is what you want?

 

[cfdavid]

true enough about the persistent existence of disparities but disparity or not doesn't justify or rationalize these people who commit crimes. This isn't the equivalent of improving one's life by climbing the corporate ladder and it doesn't need to be phrased as such. These people should be punished to the fullest extent of social control within those countries which in some cultures is death. Anyway travel tips for Americans don't wear american flags keep a low profile don't dress flashy or do anything stereotypical of tourists or americans (fanny packs cameras on your neck taking pictures of mundane stuff) Those kind of tips will keep you safer because when you're abroad americans are always targets for violence and kidnapping because the perception of the rest of the world is we're stinking rich. so American tourist > local doctor. Anyhow be vigilant and travel in groups of people and don't get singled away from your friends. That's some of the rules I was given for travel working with govt and some of my medical missions trip talks.

I agree. I should have emphasized my belief that poverty and despiration need not lead to crime, but often do.

This is why it's of paramount importance that the U.S. stem the crisis of our dwindling middle economic class. We need to shore up our debts and deficits before more wealth is drained from the average American.

Also, most poor people don't commit violent crimes. But there will always be a miniority that does resort to that, and they obviously have a disproportionately negative impact on society.

We can take this a step further and look at immigration. We're essentially importing a significant amount of poverty into our country. Personally, I don't think this is a good thing. And there are forces pushing towards an even MORE porous border with Mexico (and Canada) under the guise of the "Security and Prosperity Partnership" between our 3 countries.

This will result in a major depression of American wages as they would need to equillibrate with those in Mexico. We'd also be importing the crime and corruption that are so rampant south of the border. I'm not blaming the average Mexican citizen. But, it is what it is.

 

[cfdavid]

Welcome to the third world, open immigration supporters. Are you sure this is what you want?

Amen. People need to wake up. Enough of the global elites telling Americans that we are net benefitiaries of rampant immigration and "free trade". This may be true of less than 1% of Americans, but the vast majority stand only to lose and lose in a very big way.

 

[Bushido416]

ok I agree with your clarification and the border needs to be closed for the free and rampant immigration thing.

 

[notdeadyet]

Anyway travel tips for Americans don't wear american flags keep a low profile don't dress flashy or do anything stereotypical of tourists or americans (fanny packs cameras on your neck taking pictures of mundane stuff) Those kind of tips will keep you safer because when you're abroad americans are always targets for violence and kidnapping because the perception of the rest of the world is we're stinking rich.

You can follow all that advice above and you'll STILL look like an American tourist down in Tijuana. Even if you're a latino kid from San Diego, you will just stand out.

 

[cfdavid]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAs7XZVgKhI

you can see it for yourself here:

http://www.spp.gov/

****you can see the FAQ's on the government website. it's quite defensive, and if you believe everything our government tells us, then you need not worry about anything. you can just go back to sleep.

The bottom line here is what the congresswoman is saying. This is NOT in the interests of your average American (or Mexican and Canadian for that matter).

For those that need the mainstream media for qualifying a topic, here you go.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H65f3q_Lm9U

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIRK1y52FTQ



Now if you're the CEO of a large corporation, how many American truck drivers would YOU hire at what historically has been a liveable wage when Mexican truck drivers are willing to haul your frieght for 1/3 the cost or less??

How about doctors? Sure, a lot of medical care is local by nature. But, what about scheduled surgical procedures? With a wonderful new North American Union, perhaps insurance companies will benchmark an average cost of a procedure based cost structures in all 3 countries.

 

[Isoprop]

You can follow all that advice above and you'll STILL look like an American tourist down in Tijuana. Even if you're a latino kid from San Diego, you will just stand out.

have you ever been to TJ? there's plenty of american kids down there all the time. the tip is to not try to blend in with the mexicans but blend in with the other americans.

 

[devilpup]

have you ever been to TJ? there's plenty of american kids down there all the time. the tip is to not try to blend in with the mexicans but blend in with the other americans.

As a native of Tijuana (born and raised) I always tell my friends that if they're going to visit Tijuana, to stay within La Revo, if you are caucasian and wonder outside that venue, you will stick out like a sore thumb. If you travel 20-30 miles more Southbound, you'll hit Rosarito/Ensenada which is a bit safer and more American friendly.

Violent crimes and police corruption has become much more obvious during the last several years. I'm sure some SDN'ers have first-hand experiences in bribing cops for some of the most ridiculous charges.

 

[notdeadyet]

have you ever been to TJ? there's plenty of american kids down there all the time. the tip is to not try to blend in with the mexicans but blend in with the other americans.

Read the post I was replying to. Bushido416 was giving advice of how not to look like an American. If you're a twentysomething white, Black or Asian kid, you're going to look American. By all means, don't wear American flags (do people really do that???), but you ain't gonna blend.

 

[agranulocytosis]

KDBURTON was the only one on this thread to actually address what was in the article. This was about the drug cartels and how they are targeting Mexican doctors whose names are available for all to see. Their logic is that doctors are rich and people would pay top dollar to get them back. At one point in the article, a wounded criminal was being treated and more criminals came into the hospital and started shooting up the place to save their comrade.

The point of this broadcast was not American doctors, but doctors in general, and whether or not they should be the target of crimes like this. They are there to serve the sick and wounded (even criminals), yet they get **** on by the same criminals being cared for by those doctors.

Even the Mexican government sucks at its job. They told the doctors to "take karate lessons" to protect themselves.