Most problems gringos have…

Over 30 years ago, an American friend who had lived in the Zihuatanejo area for over a decade then, made the following comment to me. “The biggest problem most gringos have are caused when they leave their brains at the border.”

Few Americans or Canadians leave their homes with the doors unlocked or the windows open, yet they are surprised when such behaviour here results in some kind of loss. I would not walk away from valuables on a beach in Vancouver. Why would I do that in Zihuatanejo where the economic disparities are even greater?

I used to work in a correctional facility and I have a brother-in-law who is retired RCMP. One of the things I learned from both was that most losses stem from a “crime of convenience”. If I make it inconvenient for a person to steal from me, they are less likely to steal from me.