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I am a Bandster who has posted a lot here before. But I am using a new ID for this one post. I just had a horrible experience in Tiajuana and was told by my doctor and coordinator to never talk about it. That isn't right. People need to know.

I was banded last autum by a good Lapband surgeon in Tiajuana. I just went for a fill and was told it was safe enough even though I read all the stories of murders, drug problems, and more in the newspaper almost every day here.

My husband and I were mugged in broad daylight one half block from Angeles hospital on the way for a band fill. 2 men with guns knocked us down, took our jewelry cash and wallets with licenses and ID's and kicked my husband so hard in the back he got 2 ribs broken. One of them hit me in the face with his fist and I have 2 big black eyes and bad bruises.

We went back to the Palacio Azteca to get our suitcases and left right away. I'll get my fill in the US, i don't care if it costs more.

I talked with another lady in the lobby there who was there for a fill with another surgeon and she told me she knows of many more cases like this and we are all told to not talk about it so people are not scared away.

People need to know the violence stories and reports are real and true. I like Mexico and we have gone there many times for vacations in our 20 yrs of marriage. but the last 2 years are horrible and we will never go there again.

Mexico is just NOT SAFE ANY MORE.

"Melissa"

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Melissa, I am so sorry that this happened to you and your husband. Your story is terrifying. I keep hearing stories on NPR of the drug war fights happening in Mexico and along the U.S. Border.

This is just scary.

I am so glad you are alive to share the information with us.

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Im sorry you and your husband had to go through that. How traumatizing! I am glad you guys are physically okay, though I am sure emotionally not.

I do want to add - that I go to Tijuana every 6-8 weeks and havent had anything happen. I also want to add that stuff like this does happen in other places not just there. Actually statistics for other places including Philadelphia (another place I frequent) has worse stats than TJ. I am going back there next Wednesday.

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Why a new id just to report that? If you are worried about reprisals from someone in the Mexican Banding Industry, then it sounds like you should never have trusted them in the first place?

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Hmm I smell troll. I am sorry but if you want to be legit you would use your real name and stuff to get the word out.

If they stole your ID how'd you get back to the US? Did you file a report?

If this did indeed happen I would urge you to use the real you.

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Hmm I smell troll. I am sorry but if you want to be legit you would use your real name and stuff to get the word out.

If they stole your ID how'd you get back to the US? Did you file a report?

If this did indeed happen I would urge you to use the real you.

The point is not that the poster uses their real name. The point is just to get the word out. She is not saying to go or not to go, she is only letting you know what happened to her and her husband and to be careful if you choose to visit.

Sometimes people take things so out of proportion and totally miss the point of the story.

I am glad that you and your husband are ok.

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Hmm I smell troll. I am sorry but if you want to be legit you would use your real name and stuff to get the word out.

If they stole your ID how'd you get back to the US? Did you file a report?

If this did indeed happen I would urge you to use the real you.

Wow come on now. She is just trying to share her experience. Let her.

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Thanks for sharing your story. I am glad that you guys are ok. How scary that must have been!

Don't pay attention to the people who left negative comments.

I would be scared too if I had guns pointed at me.

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There IS a travel advisory for Mexico. Check it out if you don't think there really is...and border towns (like Juarez and TJ) are especially dangerous. I'm enrolled at nursing school in San Antonio Texas and we got an email to avoid Mexico during spring break. There are drug wars going on. Just be informed...that's the smartest thing.

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Just to clarify, I wasn't doubting the poster's story....I just didn't see the necessity of making a new id for such a story.

By the way, when traveling outside of the US, as a US citizen you are very commonly a target of crime. Always be awhere and cautious.

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Just to clarify, I wasn't doubting the poster's story....I just didn't see the necessity of making a new id for such a story.

By the way, when traveling outside of the US, as a US citizen you are very commonly a target of crime. Always be awhere and cautious.

With 20 years of internet experience, I tend to doubt things like this when they make up a different ID to tell the story. Do they think Mexican bandits read this forum?

Why would someone do this? Because they have something to lose by people going to Mexico perhaps? I see it all the time on many forums. Ever notice the tricks spammers use to sound legit and to get you to pass on their message? First there is the supposed need to post with a new ID and the need to tell us, they are a legitimate poster here. I just don't buy it. By the way, I have 2 million dollars stuck in Nigeria and I need your help getting it out.

Edited by BillOh

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Yeah, although I wouldn't be too quick to call the OP a troll, the way this was posted still doesn't sit right with me.

If you want to get a message like this out, wouldn't it be more trusted using your regular user ID, the one everyone knows you by?

While I agree that there is some really bad stuff going on at the border and everyone should be careful no matter where you are, I would be careful not to read too much into this particular story, not the way it was presented here.

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With 20 years of internet experience, I tend to doubt things like this when they make up a different ID to tell the story. Do they think Mexican bandits read this forum?

Why would someone do this? Because they have something to lose by people going to Mexico perhaps? I see it all the time on many forums. Ever notice the tricks spammers use to sound legit and to get you to pass on their message? First there is the supposed need to post with a new ID and the need to tell us, they are a legitimate poster here. I just don't buy it. By the way, I have 2 million dollars stuck in Nigeria and I need your help getting it out.

Agreed

Yeah, although I wouldn't be too quick to call the OP a troll, the way this was posted still doesn't sit right with me.

If you want to get a message like this out, wouldn't it be more trusted using your regular user ID, the one everyone knows you by?

While I agree that there is some really bad stuff going on at the border and everyone should be careful no matter where you are, I would be careful not to read too much into this particular story, not the way it was presented here.

Agreed

I have been posting here a long time and normally wouldn't say something like that. I called it like I saw it. I have my opinion and I felt strongly about it.

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Hmm I smell troll. I am sorry but if you want to be legit you would use your real name and stuff to get the word out.

If they stole your ID how'd you get back to the US? Did you file a report?

If this did indeed happen I would urge you to use the real you.

Oh get real! There is no troll here. You have to be living under a rock to not know that there are serious drug war crime issues happening on the U.S. Mexico border, which by the way is spilling over into San Diego County. Crazy as it might sound, but true. Do a Google search. Check out NPR.org. Educate yourself.

There is also a travel advisory for this region as well. Whether your going for WLS surgery or just wanting to go on vacation to Mexico, be aware that there is extreme drug war turf fights going on on the Mexico border.

I appreciate the poster sharing her story.

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Oh get real! There is no troll here. You have to be living under a rock to not know that there are serious drug war crime issues happening on the U.S. Mexico border, which by the way is spilling over into San Diego County. Crazy as it might sound, but true. Do a Google search. Check out NPR.org. Educate yourself.

There is also a travel advisory for this region as well. Whether your going for WLS surgery or just wanting to go on vacation to Mexico, be aware that there is extreme drug war turf fights going on on the Mexico border.

I appreciate the poster sharing her story.

Nobody is disputing the fact that things are tough at the border. We are questioning the validity of this particular story. The person gives the excuse for this being her first and only post as being because she didn't want to use the user ID that she usually uses here...that doesn't make any sense. Why would a regular here feel the need to create a new user ID just to tell this story??? (btw, she posted, logged off and never returned to this site)

Edited by Jodi_620

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