100% agreed.
That advice about where to stop your wandering on foot also applies in cities like New Orleans.
Specific to Mexico, many folks buy into the idea of all of Mexico being a violent and lawless place. I have a bit more experience with the level of safety than most, because Iโve worked along the US side of the border and managed operations that extended into Mexico.
I wonโt even pretend to speak to the current specifics since my information is 5+ years out of date, but the level of violence and who is truly in control varies wildly from state to state within Mexico, and also based on proximity to the US border.
If youโre in a place that meets the following criteria, youโll be safe unless you do dumb things:
1. It is clear who is in charge (whether itโs Los Zetas or the Mexican Federal Government is immaterial). If who is in charge is contested in that area, donโt go there!
2. Your presence there (and what youโre doing) contributes to lining the pockets of those in charge. Nobody likes touristsโฆ.but the majority of people really like the cash they leave behind.
If you can accurately answer those two questions, you can know how safe you are. That doesnโt just apply to Mexicoโฆ.it also applies to the work that I did in the Middle East, during the Arab Spring. Just donโt try to get a massage in the Middle East unless youโre in Dubai.