Thank God he is ok.

Sounds like a variant of the famous 1959 Junior World Series between Havana and Minneapolis, which was "the only Junior Series in which the submachine guns [of Fidel Castro's soldiers] outnumbered the bats."

“It wasn’t a setup. He wasn’t in on it,” Benson said of the cab driver. “He lost everything he had. The National Guard, thankfully, showed up about 10 minutes later and took me to a local police station, where I was picked up by some of the front-office guys from the Tigres.”

Not to accuse the cab driver, but if it were a set up, this is still exactly how it would look to the passenger.

Not to accuse the cab driver, but if it were a set up, this is still exactly how it would look to the passenger.

It would be kind of expensive to wreck a car per stickup though.

I had a friend recently who wanted to plan a vacation trip to Venezuela and Colombia. I told her to get her affairs in order before she went, because the odds were relatively high that she might not make it back.

I had a friend recently who wanted to plan a vacation trip to Venezuela and Colombia. I told her to get her affairs in order before she went, because the odds were relatively high that she might not make it back.

It appears Venezuela has spiked in that past few years but for all the scare talk about Central and South America it's not THAT bad. Murders in Mexico per 100,000 residents is roughly equivalent to deaths from car crashes in the US per 100,000 residents. (Columbia is approx two times worse, Venezuela is four times worse).

Sounds like a variant of the famous 1959 Junior World Series between Havana and Minneapolis, which was "the only Junior Series in which the submachine guns [of Fidel Castro's soldiers] outnumbered the bats."

At least Castro's men didn't kidnap any of the players. At the 1958 Cuban Grand Prix, they kidnapped Formula One World Driver's Champion Juan Manuel Fangio, and held him until the race was over.

Kidnapped in Cuba

it's not THAT bad. Murders in Mexico per 100,000 residents is roughly equivalent to deaths from car crashes in the US per 100,000 residents.

I think you're treating someone being murdered and someone being in a car crash as always having similar value/outcomes. I would say it IS that bad, considering murder has like a 100% death rate, and car crashes do not.

I think car crash deaths are pretty close 100%.

Murders in Mexico per 100,000 residents is roughly equivalent to deaths from car crashes in the US per 100,000 residents.

roughly equivalent to deaths from car crashes in the US

deaths from car crashes

Or, what AJM said.

I sorta just wanted to attempt that meme on this site, not trying to be a dick.

It appears Venezuela has spiked in that past few years but for all the scare talk about Central and South America it's not THAT bad. Murders in Mexico per 100,000 residents is roughly equivalent to deaths from car crashes in the US per 100,000 residents. (Columbia is approx two times worse, Venezuela is four times worse).

Why would you compare to car crash deaths? Why not compare to US murder rates? Or Detroit, or Gary, Ind., if you want to be less dire.

Cut him some slack guys, he has a head full of acid.

I lived in Detroit for years, and I never got murdered once!

Why would you compare to car crash deaths?

Because no one ever thinks about the risk of dying every time you get in your car and go somewhere. From up thread, 'my friend is going to Venezuela, I told him it's risky he might be murdered', is seen as practical and thoughtful advice. 'My friend is going to the store 10 miles away, I told him to be careful he could crash and die' is not seen as practical and thoughtful advice even though (outside of Venezuela as I mentioned) the risks could be the same.

I am just fascinated at times by what is deemed a risk and what is deemed as safe.

EDIT:
Or to expound further, the value of certain deaths over others is interesting. White baby is found dead mysteriously, bring in the media. Mexican baby dies from dehydration, no one cares. Rich athlete dies in a war he volunteered to fight in, he's a national hero. Poor 20 year old with no job dies in a war he volunteered to fight in, sucks to be him.

Because no one ever thinks about the risk of dying every time you get in your car and go somewhere. From up thread, 'my friend is going to Venezuela, I told him it's risky he might be murdered', is seen as practical and thoughtful advice. 'My friend is going to the store 10 miles away, I told him to be careful he could crash and die' is not seen as practical and thoughtful advice even though (outside of Venezuela as I mentioned) the risks could be the same.

I am just fascinated at times by what is deemed a risk and what is deemed as safe.

Well, most of us don't have any choice but to drive to the store and other places.

You have a lot of choices of vacation spot. If Venezuela has a high crime rate, I can go to a hundred other countries that don't.

Because no one ever thinks about the risk of dying every time you get in your car and go somewhere. From up thread, 'my friend is going to Venezuela, I told him it's risky he might be murdered', is seen as practical and thoughtful advice. 'My friend is going to the store 10 miles away, I told him to be careful he could crash and die' is not seen as practical and thoughtful advice even though (outside of Venezuela as I mentioned) the risks could be the same.

I am just fascinated at times by what is deemed a risk and what is deemed as safe.

Well, that only follows if Venezuela's death rate from auto accidents is 0. IOW, compare Venezuela's murder + auto death rate to the US. I'm sure it's much higher.

Then again, the fatality rate per vehicle is ten times higher in Venezuela compared to the US. (Twice based on population, but that's hardly interesting once you get into the car).

Well, most of us don't have any choice but to drive to the store and other places.

Do you consciously stop and think every time you get in a car about the potential consequences and weigh the risk vs reward? I would imagine 99% of people do not.

Well, that only follows if Venezuela's death rate from auto accidents is 0. IOW, compare Venezuela's murder + auto death rate to the US. I'm sure it's much higher.

That only follows if someone sits down and calculates expected death likelihood for vacations AND uses car accidents as a factor. Again, I am going to assume the vast majority of people do not do that.

Do you consciously stop and think every time you get in a car about the potential consequences and weigh the risk vs reward? I would imagine 99% of people does not.

No, but my choice is drive to the store, or walk 5 miles and carry the groceries back (not feasible) or go hungry. There's nothing to weigh.

That only follows if someone sits down and calculates expected death likelihood for vacations AND uses car accidents as a factor. Again, I am going to assume the vast majority of people do not do that.

One can choose any of a myriad of vacation spots. The decision come down to two places one wants to go 1) Venezuela - lots' of crime and murder 2) Place X - little crime and murder, so you pick X.

It's really not an advanced calculus, or that hard to figur out.

An example: Joe Spikowski and his lovely wife Linda are planning a vacation in Mexico. Joe's buddy Sal has been reading TIME magazine and has heard about frightening drug warfare in Mexico. He mentions this to Joe and says that Joe is ####### crazy for going to Mexico. Joe reassures Sal by telling him they are going to Cancun (cause Joe wants to see some college tail) and that it's all good.

Never once does car fatalities come into the discussion.

One can choose any of a myriad of vacation spots. The decision come down to two places one wants to go 1) Venezuela - lots' of crime and murder 2) Place X - little crime and murder, so you pick X.

It's really not an advanced calculus, or that hard to figur out.

I'm agreeing with you, and disputing the notion that Venezuela is just as safe because their murder rate is equal to out traffic fatality rate.

I'm agreeing with you, and disputing the notion that Venezuela is just as safe because their murder rate is equal to out traffic fatality rate.

Agreed, Venezuela is almost certainly more dangerous.

Also, as a tourist, you are much more vulnerable to ending up in unsafe places, b/c of lack of knowledge.

You can live in Detroit, or 1992 NYC, and avoid much risk of crims, by knowing where to go and where not to. That's much harder as a tourist. Especially in countries where the taxi drivers and police are often complicit in crimes.

I'm agreeing with you, and disputing the notion that Venezuela is just as safe because their murder rate is equal to out traffic fatality rate.

Their murder rate is four times higher than US traffic deaths, so I don't think anybody tried to make that comparison.

I'm agreeing with you, and disputing the notion that Venezuela is just as safe because their murder rate is equal to out traffic fatality rate.

Their murder rate is four times higher than US traffic deaths, so I don't think anybody tried to make that comparison.

You're right, it was Mexico.:

t appears Venezuela has spiked in that past few years but for all the scare talk about Central and South America it's not THAT bad. Murders in Mexico per 100,000 residents is roughly equivalent to deaths from car crashes in the US per 100,000 residents. (Columbia is approx two times worse, Venezuela is four times worse).

Still, the implication was as long as the murder rates were equivalent to our traffic fatality rates, it's not that unsafe..