Bustling streets, tranquil gardens, modern skyscrapers, and ancient treasures – that's Mexico City. Mexico's capital quickly captured our hearts. In addition to the diverse population and fascinating Aztec remains, a banal yet equally astonishing experience in this charming metropolis has remained in our memories forever: Mexico City, honesty instead of crime! We had a positive experience in Mexico, even though the media usually only portrays the dark side of the coin.
Mexico City Honesty instead of crime
Crime in Mexico City
Is Mexico City dangerous for tourists? There are certainly areas in Mexico City where you shouldn't be. Especially not as a tourist and especially not at night. Nevertheless, we had no problems on our trip - even outside the typical tourist areas. On the contrary, we even walked through at night with our backpacks. However, this is probably due to the phenomenon that we affectionately call the backpacker bonus and that we observe all over the world: as a backpacker, you belong and are not a target. Of course, we still stay away from the typical restricted areas.
What does that have to do with our special experience? Well, if you talk to people who don't travel a lot, you'll quickly encounter bewildered concern. "Mexico as an individual tourist? Isn't that dangerous?" "Mexico City? And then by subway? Oh dear, watch your bags!" But things turned out very differently.
Storytelling • The world is good • Mexico • Hauptstadt • Mexico City • Honesty instead of crime in Mexico City
Positive experience: Mexico City Honesty instead of crime
On a beautiful day in the world metropolis, we buy a little something to eat on the street. I pay, put my wallet in my pocket and stroll on. "Seniora!", "Seniora!" I hear a call from behind me. I don't react, it doesn't even occur to me that the call could be for me. "Seniora!", "Seniora!" The call becomes more urgent and louder. "Seniora!", "Seniora!" Now I turn around. What's going on?
A middle-aged woman rushes towards me and I stop in surprise. I don't know her. How could I? I've never been to Mexico City and unfortunately I can't speak Spanish. She is dressed simply, but clean. It's strange that I still try to judge people by their appearance... She stops in front of me, breathless, and offers me her hand.
And in your hand is my wallet. I reach for it, shocked but at the same time infinitely relieved. I had obviously forgotten one crucial detail: I had put the wallet in the wrong trouser pocket.
In the pocket with the hole that was created during the trekking tour through the Santa Teresa Canyon in Baja California. A remote canyon with fantastic rock paintings that are more than 5000 years old - but that's another story. In any case, the wallet ended up in the trouser pocket with the hole and thus pretty quickly in the middle of the street in Mexico City. And I didn't notice.
In the middle of Mexico City Honesty instead of crime
But because the world is much better than the media would have us believe, there was no loss of card, no card blocking or even card fraud. As for crime in Mexico City: Nothing was missing, not even cash. No, instead, my wallet was carried after me in the middle of Mexico City.
In typical western thinking, I wanted to give the woman a reward and thank her for returning the item. Unfortunately, the poor woman was rather hurt by this, shook her head defensively, raised her hands and hurried as fast as she could across the traffic light next to us, which was still showing green for a short time.
Everything happened so quickly that I didn't even have a chance to thank them properly and I was left on the other side of the street, amazed, grateful and a little bit ashamed.
The world is better than you think
An unusual and lucky individual case? Maybe. But probably not. If we have learned one thing while traveling, it is that the vast majority of people in the world are good. And with so many people in Mexico City, it is very unlikely that you will meet someone on the street who is not.
Storytelling • The world is good • Mexico • Hauptstadt • Mexico City • Honesty instead of crime in Mexico City