Mexico City comes with an
unenviable reputation for
overcrowding, grime and crime. To
some extent this is deserved, but
things have improved a lot over
the last few years, and in general
they're no worse than you might
expect of a city of the same size
and population elsewhere in the
world, and often a lot better.
Certainly none of these issues is
reason enough not to visit, and
the frenetic atmosphere is part of
what makes this such a fascinating
city.
Certainly there is pollution. The whole urban area sits in a
low mountain bowl that tends to
deflect smog-clearing winds away
from the city, allowing a thick
blanket of haze to build up
through the day. It is
particularly bad in winter when
there is no rain to wash the skies
clean and pollution levels
(reported daily in the
English-language newspaper The
News ) tend to peak in the
early afternoon, yet even at its
worst, the sky overhead is almost
always blue and the haze only
apparent as you look towards the
horizon. Couple this with the
capital's altitude, and those
prone to respiratory problems
sometimes have difficulty on
arrival, though most suffer no ill
effects. The city's stringent
anti-emission regulations mean
you'll be spared the clouds of
black diesel smoke found in less
developed countries all over the
world, with the Hoy No Circula
("Don't drive today")
law prohibiting car use
from 5am to 10pm for one day in
the working week for vehicles
built before 1994, the day
depending on the car's number
plate; newer vehicles and rentals
are exempt. On particularly high
pollution days, the city
government may declare a Doble Hoy
No Circula day, on which two sets
of cars are not permitted to
drive. As an indication of the
success of such anti-pollution
measures, the year 2000 was the
first year in over a decade
without a single day declared as
such.
Mexico City newspapers take
pleasure in reporting the city's crime
in grizzly detail. Much of what is
reported is gang or drug related
and takes place far away from
anywhere you are likely to be. The
capital is also where the Mexican
extremes of wealth and poverty are
most apparent, with shiny,
valet-parked SUVs vying for space
with pavement vendors and beggars.
Such financial disparity fuels theft, but you only need to take the
same precautions you would in any
large city, and there is no need
to feel particularly paranoid:
keep your valuables in the hotel
safe (even cheap hotels often have
somewhere secure), don't flash
large wads of money around, and
keep an eye on your camera and the
like when in busy market areas. In
some quarters, the ubiquitous
green-and-white taxis found
cruising the streets have a bad
reputation, and there are reports
of people being robbed at
knife-point, though drivers are
mostly helpful and courteous. It
is difficult to give hard and fast
guidelines, but in general it is
best to get your hotel to call you
a taxi (more expensive) if you are
going somewhere unfamiliar. Once
you know your way around a bit
better, or know enough to appear
confident, you are safe enough in
the green-and-white taxis.
