Are taxis safe to trust with the increased cartel activity?

[Beth Hazard]

My adult daughter and I will be visiting Cozumel on a cruise and planned to take a taxi from the port to Mr Sanchos and go right back to the port afterward. My husband has been reading about the increased cartel activity and is very concerned about abduction. Has anybody heard of or experienced any problems?

[tw67]

56 minutes ago, Beth Hazard said:

My adult daughter and I will be visiting Cozumel on a cruise and planned to take a taxi from the port to Mr Sanchos and go right back to the port afterward. My husband has been reading about the increased cartel activity and is very concerned about abduction. Has anybody heard of or experienced any problems?

Take the taxi from the port area, and then when leaving Mr Sanchos use a taxi that they allow to pick up cruise passengers.  Pay in cash.  You shouldn’t have a problem.

[c-leg5]

18 minutes ago, tw67 said:

Take the taxi from the port area, and then when leaving Mr Sanchos use a taxi that they allow to pick up cruise passengers.  Pay in cash.  You shouldn’t have a problem.

Interesting comments. 
 

Interested to know how cash helps, and what else would you pay with?
 

The question is usually US$ or pesos, tip/ no tip.

[tw67]

36 minutes ago, c-leg5 said:

Interesting comments. 
 

Interested to know how cash helps, and what else would you pay with?
 

The question is usually US$ or pesos, tip/ no tip.

There are people who want to pay with credit card… I always tip.

[EatonDoolittle]

Also of note, there is one main road around Cozumel. It is a straight shot on a very busy highway from the port to the beach clubs. 

Along with the fact that the reported cartel activity is on the mainland, not on Cozumel, the likelihood of an abduction is just about zero. 

[crewsweeper]

And the taxis lined up  in port and picking people up at beach clubs are unionized and regulated.Not sure why a taxi would be associated with a cartel and out to kidnap tourists.  Not what cartels do.

[nascarcruiser]

We just spent 3 weeks there and saw no cartel related activities and no we did not stick to the tourist areas.  Yes I know there is cartel activity but it is not as bad as it is being made out to be.  Taxi's are safe just ask before you get in the charge. Cash is preferred.  I never saw a taxi taking a credit 

[clackey]

And always have small bills.  It is amazing that no one has change for a 20 and if they do, it will probably be in pesos.

3 hours ago, nascarcruiser said:

. Cash is preferred.  I never saw a taxi taking a credit 

 

[nascarcruiser]

For some reason they love $2 dollar bills if you can get some

[blue_water]

1 hour ago, nascarcruiser said:

For some reason they love $2 dollar bills if you can get some

The $2 bill thing is just a novelty there, just as it was at first to us…
Use pesos when not using credit…They appreciate you making the effort!

[blue_water]

On 1/15/2023 at 10:36 AM, EatonDoolittle said:

Also of note, there is one main road around Cozumel. It is a straight shot on a very busy highway from the port to the beach clubs. 

Along with the fact that the reported cartel activity is on the mainland, not on Cozumel, the likelihood of an abduction is just about zero. 

Actually no, the cartel activity occurring on Coz is well documented. Historically she’s been more “immune” to this than the Riviera Maya, but it was inevitable that the violence and business harassment would be here too, since the cartels follow the $$$…
Very profitable tourist sector on Coz…

[blue_water]

On 1/16/2023 at 4:20 PM, crewsweeper said:

And the taxis lined up  in port and picking people up at beach clubs are unionized and regulated.Not sure why a taxi would be associated with a cartel and out to kidnap tourists.  Not what cartels do.

I know from personal experience that some drivers here are basically criminals with licenses to extort tourists. It happens everywhere, including Coz I’m sure.

 

We have two friends who had two separate but identical incidents- one in PDC and one in Cancun. In both cases the passenger was one woman, and the driver locked the back doors until they paid what he demanded, ~ $2,000 for a $100 fare. In one case our friend threw the correct fare at the driver and started kicking the back window and he unlocked the doors. In the other the passenger hailed police who happened to walk around the corner.

 

So not the typical cartel protection racket and businessman harassment activities, but something to be aware of…

[s2kskibum]

No cartel crimes against tourist have occurred as of yet, and have never heard of an abduction on the island. First assassination attempt of 2023 this week was on Melgar (the main street) at a popular restaurant...  Cozumel has changed. 

 

https://www.poresto.net/poresto-policiaca/quintana-roo/2023/1/23/reportan-el-primer-intento-de-ejecucion-en-cozumel-368425.html?fbclid=IwAR232fY1D1ZMjGDKZ8RbQ1xOMzpOCVmFr4LrxHtKL6RkgKJ32R8tJ0A6FPQ