Even if you don't need this much protection, there are plenty of safeguards you can take. And ask your company's security officer if there are any bulletins on Mexico. One way to reduce the odds of becoming a victim is to take only hotel taxis or cabs from stands, called sitios, that can be contacted by phone. The drivers know each other, and their cabs aren't usually targeted by kidnappers. Never use a green or yellow Volkswagen Beetle street taxi.
Major hotels have taxi services, usually manned by English-speaking drivers.
And when you make your hotel reservation, ask for a hotel taxi to meet you at the airport. There are places you should avoid. One is the Zona Rosa, or Pink Zone, a seedy neighborhood of restaurants, clubs, and shops just off Paseo de la Reforma, the city's main drag. American visitors have been known to wander into bars there, have their drinks drugged, and end up ''shoeless, hugging a tree in the park 24 hours later,'' says Soliz. Also steer clear of Plaza Garibaldi, the home of the mariachis.