Ferry explosion in Playa del Carmen

[mstevens]

Kind of an over reaction by the US goverment prohibiting travel by goverment employees on all ferries to Cozumel.

I disagree.

The Department of State is charged with all sorts of things, including the safety of US government personnel abroad, even if they're on vacation. Government employees are more likely to be targeted for attacks or kidnapping, for example. if you read the website, STEP warnings, or other warnings, many of them include prohibitions for government employees that are merely advice for the rest of us. This one is very limited. There are no warnings about flying into Cozumel (or kayaking, swimming, or taking some sort of currently-nonexistent private charter), just about using any of the ferries until this is sorted out. If they don't do this with the currently-available information and a vacationing marine gets killed in a ferry explosion, nobody would ever forgive that.

This'll make it potentially more complicated for my brother to get to the island if he wants to go right now, but it wouldn't keep him from going.

 

[mstevens]

Who can guarantee there won't be retaliation back at the two running?

Who can guarantee you won't be struck by falling space debris?

Borge has tons of enemies apart from the other ferry companies. I think this will be nothing but a headache for Mexico Waterjets and Ultramar for ages and I don't think anybody in either of those companies would really imagine that bombs on someone else's ferries would help the ferry business for anyone over the long term.

 

[ReefHound]

I thought the same thing. My street was pretty busy today what with a couple of cruise lines telling their customers not to take the ferry. Jeeps, jeeps, jeeps and more jeeps. And more taxis after those.

Well those people were already on the ship and here so they are makign the best of it. Next week's guests have a choice to come or not. We'll see then.

 

[Jayfarmlaw]

And Princess follows suit....
Jhon Chébaux

 

[MMM]

Bingo.

Who can guarantee you won't be struck by falling space debris?

Borge has tons of enemies apart from the other ferry companies. I think this will be nothing but a headache for Mexico Waterjets and Ultramar for ages and I don't think anybody in either of those companies would really imagine that bombs on someone else's ferries would help the ferry business for anyone over the long term.

 

[JamesBon92007]

Statistically, it appears safer to take the ferries than the tour buses.

At least 12 killed, including 5 Americans, in Mexico tour bus crash

 

[JamesBon92007]

Might be good for the island if the cruisers can't leave!

With up to seven cruise ships there at once, and nobody able to leave the island (well, a few maybe) that could mean 20,000 or more extra people on the island at the same time. Sounds kinda crowded to me. And just a few months ago someone was complaining to me that most of the cruise ship passengers go on a tour and don't buy anything in the shops or take taxis.

 

[T.C.]

That doesn't look like much of a bomb. I'm no expert, but I don't see wires, and the twist tie top looks not too water proof. It looks more like a ruse.

Packed with plastic explosives, and a time fuse that can still burn underwater, it would have more than enough power to rip a hole in that ship.

Kind of an over reaction by the US goverment prohibiting travel by goverment employees on all ferries to Cozumel.

Because that is their job, to protect the safety of US government employees. As there is no evidence that shows this was a result of the ferry companies and not a terrorist act, and with other devices found on other ferries, they would be wise to ban travel on assets that are threatened.

 

[Mark IV]

Yup ^. When i lived down, there (and I'm sure 's exactly the same way now) their international news was highly anti-American in it's reporting, (back during Gulf War 1, all the Mexicans ever heard was about how the Americans just bombed another hospital or orphanage), and the local news would typically under-report, if not outright ignore, anything that might have a negative impact on tourism. We'd have sporodic deaths of a tourist on Cozumel, and sometimes if you didn't hear about it through the local grapevine you'd have never heard anything about it.
yet they'd use zoom lenses on the cameras on the beach in Playa during spring break, to get shot of girls sheltering among freinds while doing a quick clothing change, and post them in the paper,LOL!

 

[ReefHound]

But he makes a valid point, IMO. I remember the olden days when there were only 3 TV networks and very few other conduits from which to get information. You could never be sure if what you were getting was accurate or true. Nowadays there are a bazillion TV channels and the internet, where anyone who wants to say anything at all can get it out there, and once again for the totally opposite reason you can never be sure if what you are getting is accurate or true.

I disagree. The bazillion sources may mean you initially get lots of false and unreliable info but it also means such info will not stand. These days you cannot accept at face value any one source but have to collaborate it. My FB feed is covered every day with memes from one side or the other making outrageous claims. A quick search usually shows it is false or distorted.

I also think his point is wrong. There is no comparison between Mexican news and American news. It's not political, maybe cultural or societal. If this happened in New York, you know the major news media would be all over it, holding fire to the feet of officials demanding constant updates and visible action, actively seeking answers to detailed questions. Sure there would be speculation and misreporting but the best defense against speculation and rumor is fact. It seems the big difference to me is, in America if officials are not open and forthcoming with facts then the media will speculate and search on their own for facts, in Mexico the media will just accept it and move on. Another difference is American journalists are not afraid for their lives to report news on certain issues or persons.