Beach Campers Report Terror in Mexico

SignOnSanDiego.com, a web site of the Union Tribune newspaper reports that Americans are increasingly reporting robberies by paramilitary types along the Baja coast. While the site indicates reports are incomplete, and much of their information comes from tallies of internet sites, there are some solid reports of some scary incidents along the Mexican coastline.

In one account, the owner of a California surfer academy said his camping group was set upon by men wearing military clothing and ski masks. Pat Weber said he and his girl friend at first refused to come out of their motorhome--until shots were fired through it. Once outside he says, "They made us get down on all fours -- execution position -- and put guns to our heads." Weber's girlfriend was sexually assaulted by the gunmen, and the banditos left with $10,000 worth of high tech gear. The incident reportedly took place Cuatro Casas, 200 miles south of the US border.

The web site says many Americans say they have experienced similar situations but are afraid to report them to Mexican authorities, choosing to speak out once they get back to the states.

The owner of a tourism club in California says their organization has been calling on Baja tourism authorities to investigate and handle the situation, lest the Mexican state sees a decline in US visitors fearing they'll become crime victims. For the whole story, visit the news site.

RVer Knocks Out New Mexico Bridge

Seems like US bridges can't stay out of the news--this time it involves an RVer.

Bill Lange, a fifth-wheel owner from Wisconsin was motoring along with his fifth wheel in tow, minding his own business, when WHAM! his rig happened upon a bridge expansion joint sticking up at least 8" above the pavement. Lange recalls, "I had no time to react. The truck was slightly hit, but my trailer took the brunt of the blow. I’m just grateful nobody else was on the bridge when it happened.”

Lange was a bit away from home: The bridge crosses New Mexico's Canadian River, and is the main route to a popular camping at Ute Lake. The impact of Lange's rig with the joint caused a six foot section of the bridge to open up, forcing the closure of the bridge to traffic for several hours. The bridge on US Highway 54 had recently be inspected and graded as "fair," indicating that it was structurally sound. The accident took place last week. For the complete story, click here.

Photo: cnjonline.com