Anyone see this on their FB feed? I think I no longer want an all inclusive in Mexico!

[The Mystery Machine]

Lakeville man home after ordeal in Mexican jail

http://sunthisweek.com/2016/04/08/spring-break-nightmare-in-mexico/

 

[scoutie]

This isn't something I'm worried about. We have been to Mexico many times, and have never felt unsafe. We are going to Playa del Carmen this July. I feel more unsafe in some neighborhoods in my city. I found the article odd, because the resort was not mentioned.


Edited to add: http://www.snopes.com/2016/04/10/spring-break-nightmare-in-mexico/

 

[sam_gordon]

FWIW, the snopes article links to a local TV station's story which says the resort was the Barcelo Riviera Maya. My family stayed there four years ago, and while we never were out for late night drinks, we never felt unsafe. It sounds like a case of mistaken identity (a woman claimed the guy hit her, but his friends say he never touched her).

 

[The Mystery Machine]

So no confirmation yet that this is true or false. Interesting. Thanks for the link, I will share it with my FB.

 

[mnrose]

EH. I just came back from Mexico. Never felt unsafe. Not for one second. Then again, I don't drink to excess, and don't go to "clubs." Also, I would NEVER agree to chaperone, as this man apparently did, a group of 75+ high school students on a spring break trip to an all-inclusive in Mexico. I believe that's just ASKING for trouble. The all-inclusive price you pay INCLUDES alcohol....why this makes sense with a group of high schoolers, I will never know or never understand. Over the age of 12 (some places 13 or 14), you pay the FULL adult rate, which includes alcohol. As high school students they undoubtedly were paying the "alcohol included" price. I can tell you from experience that some bartenders at all inclusives are more lax in handing out booze to minors than they should be.

I hate hit pieces like this! Like I said, I am perfectly comfortable traveling to the places I do in Mexico. The people are warm, friendly and nothing but gracious hosts. I DO think that many Americans (not all, but a goodly number) travel to those all inclusives and make complete asses of themselves with drinking to excess and generally being obnoxious. Exercise caution when you travel outside the US, behave yourself, and you can have wonderful experiences. Just as I exercise caution on where I go in the US (for example, Compton, CA is not high on my vacation hot spot list), I also use caution in my foreign travels. But stories like this do not sway me against travel at all. High on hysteria, light on facts.

 

[mnrose]

So no confirmation yet that this is true or false. Interesting. Thanks for the link, I will share it with my FB.

Read the whole Snopes piece. He wasn't an entirely innocent bystander as the original article made it appear. His friend WAS involved in a tiff with a teenage boy at the bar, a young lady loudly proclaimed that Tweed had struck her, and Security stepped in. This is from Tweed's OWN account:

"As we crossed the empty dance floor and approached the bar, a young Spring Breaker guy cut in front of Tim just as he got to the bar and said something to the effect of “Out of my way old man!” Tim obviously took offence to this and probably overreacted. He grabbed the back of this kid’s shirt collar and yanked him back hard. Drinks went flying and people were slipping and falling down."

Not buying his "out of nowhere" claim that security hauled him out of the club. Drinks are flying. People are slipping and falling down. This sounds quite chaotic....and remember this is Tweed's account! He's trying to present himself in the best light possible.

Tweed was quite drunk, according to other witnesses. By his own admission, he strongly resisted the security guards. (For example, this comment:
"My wife and I were there along with some friends and watched it happen. [Tweed] could have walked away 10x but wouldn't leave it alone. He was smashed, I was embarrassed for him and felt bad for the staff. He gave them no choice but to call the police. He has no right to make himself the victim here.")

I was also struck by this statement from Tweed:

"We walked into the club and made our way to the back to some tables across the dance floor from the bar. The place wasn’t very busy, maybe 25% full at the time. After we settled into a table in the back, me and Tim, one of the other Lakeville parents, went up to the bar to get some drinks. We noticed that Tim’s daughter and her friends were up at the bar as well."

The daughter and friend were "at the bar." These are high schoolers. They are UNDERAGE. Again, underage drinking with a large group of high schoolers just isn't going to end well, for anybody.

Sorry, I don't buy much of the original story.

 

[Maliboo]

Read the whole Snopes piece. He wasn't an entirely innocent bystander as the original article made it appear. His friend WAS involved in a tiff with a teenage boy at the bar, a young lady loudly proclaimed that Tweed had struck her, and Security stepped in....Tweed was quite drunk, according to other witnesses. By his own admission, he strongly resisted the security guards. (For example, this comment:
My wife and I were there along with some friends and watched it happen. [Tweed] could have walked away 10x but wouldn't leave it alone. He was smashed, I was embarrassed for him and felt bad for the staff. He gave them no choice but to call the police. He has no right to make himself the victim here.)

I was also struck by this statement from Tweed:

"We walked into the club and made our way to the back to some tables across the dance floor from the bar. The place wasn’t very busy, maybe 25% full at the time. After we settled into a table in the back, me and Tim, one of the other Lakeville parents, went up to the bar to get some drinks. We noticed that Tim’s daughter and her friends were up at the bar as well."

The daughter and friend were "at the bar." These are high schoolers. They are UNDERAGE. Again, underage drinking with a large group of high schoolers just isn't going to end well, for anybody.

Sorry, I don't buy much of the original story.

The drinking age in Mexico is 18. I don't know how old the kids in the story are, though. The article says it was a group of 75 families, with their high school age kids.

 

[mnrose]

The drinking age in Mexico is 18. I don't know how old the kids in the story are, though. The article says it was a group of 75 families, with their high school age kids.

I know that. But, everyone of those American high schoolers is underage to drink in the US. I can't for the life of me see why it's a "good idea" to take a bunch of high schoolers to Mexico and let them drink. Yes, that will end well. My kids high school has a ZERO tolerance policy toward alcohol use by any high schooler. For example, my daughter participates in many high school theater productions....drinking, even in Mexico where it *might* be legal, is reason for her to be banned from any further participation in any high school activity, and could lead to her suspension from high school all together. My high school's policy isn't that "out there" by Minnesota standards. It's just ridiculous to "look the other way" when your high school student is doing that. Like I said, it's not going to end well. And, gee, it didn't. Color me shocked.

 

[shoney]

We have been down there numerous times and never felt unsafe. There had to be a real reason for the police to be called. More to this story than is being told...

As for drinking...the drinking age is 18, but they really aren't that strict about it like in the US.

 

[Maliboo]

I know that. But, everyone of those American high schoolers is underage to drink in the US. I can't for the life of me see why it's a "good idea" to take a bunch of high schoolers to Mexico and let them drink. Yes, that will end well. My kids high school has a ZERO tolerance policy toward alcohol use by any high schooler. For example, my daughter participates in many high school theater productions....drinking, even in Mexico where it *might* be legal, is reason for her to be banned from any further participation in any high school activity, and could lead to her suspension from high school all together. My high school's policy isn't that "out there" by Minnesota standards. It's just ridiculous to "look the other way" when your high school student is doing that. Like I said, it's not going to end well. And, gee, it didn't. Color me shocked.

When we are in Mexico, I don't care what the drinking age is in the US. If my child is legal there, they are allowed to drink.

 

[mnrose]

When we are in Mexico, I don't care what the drinking age is in the US. If my child is legal there, they are allowed to drink.

Ok, but Minnesota State High School league rules will ban you from any sport or extracurricular activities for ANY alcohol or drug use. Period. I just looked that up. I thought I remembered that (we have to sign something every year saying we've read the rules and understand them...as does my daughter), and just looked it up. There is no 'exception' for "it was legal where we were at." It's the rule. Violate it at your own peril as a high school student. I've seen it happen in my kids' high school, and completely not worth the risk for me.

 

[mnrose]

We have been down there numerous times and never felt unsafe. There had to be a real reason for the police to be called. More to this story than is being told...

As for drinking...the drinking age is 18, but they really aren't that strict about it like in the US.

And, that was my point, and why I simply wouldn't agree to chaperone or travel with a large group of high school students to Mexico. Yes, I travel there with my family. Wildly different than a group of high schoolers on spring break.

 

[Maliboo]

Ok, but Minnesota State High School league rules will ban you from any sport or extracurricular activities for ANY alcohol or drug use. Period. I just looked that up. I thought I remembered that (we have to sign something every year saying we've read the rules and understand them...as does my daughter), and just looked it up. There is no 'exception' for "it was legal where we were at." It's the rule. Violate it at your own peril as a high school student. I've seen it happen in my kids' high school, and completely not worth the risk for me.

It's a good thing I don't live in MN, isn't it? You do you and I'll do me and mine.

 

[shoney]

And, that was my point, and why I simply wouldn't agree to chaperone or travel with a large group of high school students to Mexico. Yes, I travel there with my family. Wildly different than a group of high schoolers on spring break.

I agree ... I wouldn't want to do it either. But if we go down there and my sons are 18, they can have a drink. If I don't want them to drink, I just won't take them there. I honestly can not see telling 18 year olds that they can't do something that is legal.
I went to Canada when I was 19 and happily drank!

 

[plutotek]

And, that was my point, and why I simply wouldn't agree to chaperone or travel with a large group of high school students to Mexico. Yes, I travel there with my family. Wildly different than a group of high schoolers on spring break.

Love it when people make assumptions

 

[sam_gordon]

The daughter and friend were "at the bar." These are high schoolers. They are UNDERAGE.

I've got a picture of my then 9yo at the swim up bar at Barcelo (where this incident took place). Just because they were at the bar doesn't mean they were drinking alcohol. Yes, they probably were, but maybe not.

 

[mnrose]

Yes, many people are making assumptions that this guy was taken out of a club for "no reason" and tossed into a Mexican prison. The facts were oddly missing from the original article. So, people are assuming it's "not safe" to go to Mexico. Right.

 

[shoney]

I've got a picture of my then 9yo at the swim up bar at Barcelo (where this incident took place). Just because they were at the bar doesn't mean they were drinking alcohol. Yes, they probably were, but maybe not.

One of the kids club activities was to take the kids for "mocktails" at the swim up bar at the Barcelo Maya Palace. I know from reading tripadvisor, the Barcelo does have issues with high school spring breakers every year.

 

[georgina]

When I chaperoned a HS trip to France, the kids were not allowed to drink, but the adults were not allowed to drink either.

 

[plutotek]

Yes, many people are making assumptions that this guy was taken out of a club for "no reason" and tossed into a Mexican prison. The facts were oddly missing from the original article. So, people are assuming it's "not safe" to go to Mexico. Right.

You may want to re-read the article before you criticize the assumptions of others. There is no indication of the "victim" being a chaperone, since it was a group of 75 families.