Getting Arrested While on Vacation
Don't Ruin a Luxury Trip by Landing in Jail in a Foreign Country
Luxury Travel poll results: No one plans to get arrested while on vacation, but it happens. The top 10 foreign cities where Americans were arrested in 2006 are discussed.
Getting arrested while on vacation is probably not on many people's travel itinerary, but it does happen. A Luxury Travel poll asked, "When taking a vacation in a foreign land, what is your favorite way to appreciate and soak up this new-to-you place?" Results show that the fifth option, "Finding out what it takes to get arrested in a different country," came in dead last, with zero votes. No surprise, of course, and to be honest this was kind of the jokey option. Option Four, "Drinking the local brew, with the locals," came in fourth place with just under ten percent of the votes (9.68%, to be exact). This is a good thing, because getting drunk may in fact lead to that unwanted arrest in a different country.
What is it that luxury travel fans do like to do while on vacation in a new place? It's actually pretty close; first place, "Booking top 10-types of recommended travel tours," only beat out second place, "Seeking out off-the-beaten-track sights" by around three percentage points - 35.48% versus 32.26%. Third place, "Eating in as many family-owned restaurants as I can find," came in third with 22.58% of the votes.
In any case, no one wants to get arrested while on vacation, least of all in a different country with different rules (and levels of treatment!) around incarceration. The LA Times recently listed the top 10 places Americans get arrested overseas, and the list should not surprise any inveterate traveler.
- Tijuana, Mexico - in 2006, 520 Americans were arrested in Tijuana, mostly for alcohol, drug, and gun-related charges.
- Guadalajara, Mexico - Do people think they can get away with more illegal behavior in Mexico? In 2006, 416 Americans were arrested in Guadalajara, and four of the top five travel spots in which US citizens were arrested, were Mexican cities.
- Nuevo Lardeo, Mexico - Nuevo Laredo is right across the US-mexico border from Laredo, Texas, and U.S. citizens cross the border to buy cheap goods and Mexican crafts. And thats not all that Americans cross the border for; in 2006, 359 Americans were arrested here.
- London, England - Jolly old England may bring up images of refinement and grace, but the days of Miss Marple, Wooster and Jeeves are long gone. London is as modern a city as any, with problems to match. Luxury vacations in England can be enhanced by dining at one of the best restaurants in London, but certainly not by getting arrested in this old city. In 2006, 274 Americans were arrested in London: While the State Department won't give exact reasons, based on a recent trip Luxury Travel would wager than crimes related to drunkenness would certainly rank in the Top 5 reasons for US citizens getting in trouble with the law.
- Mexico City, Mexico - The capital of Mexico is one tough city, and pretty difficult to negotiate with public transportation; Mexico City covers 570 miles and is really crowded as well. 208 US citizens were arrested here in 2006.
- Toronto, Canada - Maybe US citizens think that Canada is a lot less like the United States than it is. Taking a vacation just north of the US doesn't change rules regarding public drunkenness or misbehavior. 183 Americans seem to have forgotten this in 2006.
- Nassau, Bahamas - The Bahamas are beautiful, sunny, and warmer than a lot of the USA in the winter. The home of the Atlantis resort, an incredibly popular luxury family travel spot, certainly seems like paradise. But all those happy families on vacation wouldn't be so pleased if mommy or daddy ran afoul of the law; 108 Americans were arrested in the capital of the Bahamas in 2006.
- Merida, Mexico - The Yucatan is a popular travel destination for Americans, and its surrounding areas (Cancun, Merida, etc) are hot spots for spring break. Freewheeling college students on luxury spring vacations can't get as drunk and rambunctious here as they'd like (without repercussions, anyway). The State Department reported 99 US citizens arrested in Merida, Mexico in 2006.
- Nogales, Mexico - Like Nuevo Laredo, Nogales is right across the border from the United States. Nogales isn't as rough a town as is Nuevo Laredo, and US citizens come here for both dining and shopping. Americans don't necessarily come to Nogales to get arrested, but in 2006, 96 people broke the law and spent some time in a Mexican jail. Dios Mio!
- Hong Kong, China - A center for business travel and commerce, Hong Kong saw 90 Americans get arrested in 2006. A glance at the news may lead one to think that Hong Kong is a haven for American fugitives - CNN reported that a US citizen, wanted for allegedly raping his daughter, was extradited from Hong Kong (May 2 2007) - but those are only the most sensational arrests. An otherwise typical American planning to travel to Hong Kong still must abide by the law of the land.
With six of the cities being in Mexico, the LA Times saw fit to speak to the marketing manager for the Tijuana Convention & Visitors Bureau, Juan Saldana (LA Times, Oct 23 2007). He told the LA Times that the majority of arrests involve underage drinking and other issues related to drunken behavior. Salada says, "Don't do anything in Mexico that you wouldn't do in the United States."
So, what can be learned from both poll results and this top 10 list of places Americans get arrested abroad? Well, obviously, be careful. No one sets out to get arrested while on a luxury vacation. Take the package tours, enjoy the sights and fine dining, but above all respect the destination country. A luxury travel buff used to high thread counts in 5-star hotels, will certainly not enjoy spending the night on a cot in a foreign prison.
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