Surveying In Mexico

> For you guys in those states that border Mexico. Do you know the licensing laws for Mexico and if topographic surveying is considered as licensed practice? Someone asked me if they could go over the boundary to perform topographic surveying for pro bono charity work.
>
> Thanks

To be honest I never thought of it. I seriously doubt it, but it would be good to know.

I do have friends and family that are architects and engineers, and I occasionally hire surveyors. I will ask.

my Daughter in law, an Engineer said:
"Hi Peter, for a topographic survey is not required a license because it is a work of staff. but if they are going to do some construction there if require a building permit and the plans must be signed by an expert"

I hope this helps!

Thanks Peter, I was hoping you would have an idea. I'll pass it along.

In addition to the survey practice requirements I would assume that a work permit or something similar is required. Even if the company is doing charity work the employees may need it.

Ric, I have no clue and am not so sure I would want to venture there. A fellow beelegger named Bruce Small is in Tucson and may chime in. I also know a few others down there who may have some ideas.

I can also send an email to APLS to see if anybody knows anything, but I wouldn't keep the hopes too high.

Where in Mexico?
I think it is state/province specific.

I think anyone thinking of traveling in Mexico is crazy.
And bringing any expensive equipment with you, lunacy.

It's a corrupt, lawless, third world kleptocracy.

Everyone I have met who states how incredibly dangerous Mexico is, tend to not actually do much traveling.

International travel sites actually rate Mexico safer than the United States. This could vary somewhat in regards to working down there, as surveyors tend to end up in areas tourists certainly wouldn't.

I debated some volunteer work in China, and another PLS sat me down and explained that so much of surveying is based upon local knowledge, that he would be hesitant to do work in foreign countries without specific knowledge of the region.

Volunteer or not, stamped or not, your name in your product. If you take a job in Mexico, make sure you plan on doing a LOT of learning, as to what is expected and what standard requirements are.

I don't know what goofy web site you got your information from or just made it up but here are some actual numbers.
(United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)

Travel Site?
They're talking about safety in a foreign run hotel (probably US) in someplace like a resort town of Cancun.
And probably have them faked so as to not scare off tourists from civilized countries.

You are being very irresponsible by encouraging someone to embark on a risky life threatening undertaking.

Shame on you.

Murder Rate per 100,000

US----------------4.7
Mexico---------21.5

or recommend that he go to

El Salvador------41.2
Guatemala------39.9

or that tropical paradise

Honduras-------90.4

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_intentional_homicide_rate#By_country

Licensing? Regulations? Are you kidding?
Everything is determined by the amount of the bribe demanded by the local officials.
(called the "mordita" or bite for you Gringos out there)
My Dad's cousin was an American businessman.
Lived and worked there for years back in the 1960-70 period.
Lost his house. Went down and poof! No record of his ownership existed anymore.
If anything it's worse now.

> In addition to the survey practice requirements I would assume that a work permit or something similar is required. Even if the company is doing charity work the employees may need it.

yes absolutely, please do check first!

speak directly (face to face) to an agent in your local embassy. clerks that answer phones and emails make errors. Make an appointment and go talk. The reps in the embassy will speak English.

this is a link to the website of the San Diego embassy:
http://consulmex.sre.gob.mx/sandiego/
address, hours, and contact info here:
http://consulmex.sre.gob.mx/sandiego/index.php/direccion-y-horarios

be kind and courteous, it will serve you well.

I asked my daughter in law because she is first an Engineer and secondly a contract administrator and travels the country.
If local info for Ensenada, Baja is desired I can ask my other family members here (1 engineer, 1 architect)... In Yucatan I can ask the other architect.

Of course it would be wise to check and ask at the local municipal offices to verify that there are no more restrictive local regulations... But you would do that even in an unfamiliar County or State I would assume.

Surveying In Mexico- the FUD

If you are fearful, please stay home.
You would be uncomfortable and would regret your trip.

If you are curious, ask me.
I have been doing business here since the early 70's, a land and corporate business owner since 1996, and full time permanent resident since 2008. My wife is native Mexicana.

I am biased, but we are all the products of our heritage and the constant information input... I do try to be objective.

It is Not the same as the US. It is different, both in the law and the culture.

No need to have an unpleasant debate here in Wendel's living room.

My contact info is in my profile and I do manually check my spam box.

namaste, Peter

Surveying In Mexico- the FUD

No need for an unpleasant debate.
No need for any debate.
As they say "the debate is over".
The previous stats don't lie.
10-20 million illegal aliens HERE (often risking their lives) prove that nobody wants to be THERE.

Surveying In Mexico- the FUD

Our company has a survey and mapping division that specializes in international projects. They've worked in Peru, Panama, Guatemala, Turkmenistan, Vietnam, Cambodia and all sorts of other places that I haven't heard about. They've run into problems with getting permits to fly mapping missions or to do other types of work but I've never heard of any incidents where our employees felt personally threatened.

For those who are scared of Central America, based on what they've seen on the news, perhaps this blog from someone who spent two years living and volunteering in Honduras will provide a different perspective.

http://closer-look.blogspot.ca/2012/01/let-honduran-blogging-begin.html

> We arrived a mere four hours ago, but already I feel huge relief just to see the place. Few things are worse than reading all the crazy news stories from afar about events in Honduras - it started to feel like we were on a suicide mission. Instead, we arrived at a perfectly nice airport in what appears to be a perfectly nice city, albeit one that even the locals warn us not to go wandering around at night.
> But we did brave a short walk to the Mas Por Menos supermercado near our little Hotel Alsacia, a charming blink-and-you-miss-it guest house that Cuso International has put us up at while we take the "in-country" training to get ready for the work I'll be doing with the Comision de Social Accion de Menonita in Copan Ruinas.
> We even went to a bank machine and nothing happened. People smiled, we all said friendly holas to each other, and I survived several tentative communications in Spanish, including asking the clerk at the Mas Por Menos whether we could buy a smaller piece of cheese.

Surveying In Mexico- the FUD

Again...
Homicide Rate

US----------------4.7
Honduras-------90.4

That's 19 times greater.
Saying nothing about other forms of crime.

People do foolish things all the time.
They feel no sense of danger.

drive without seat belts.
sky dive.
use illegal drugs.
work in the street without a safety vest or cones.
being an ex-Ranger performing humanitarian work in Iraq.
etc. etc.

Many survive incident free.

Doesn't make those things OK, smart, chic, macho or cool.
Or make people who are intelligent enough to avoid such behaviors classed as paranoids.

I think the book "The Darwin Awards" covers it nicely.

Maybe it lessens your chances of problems if you are "connected", have paid the necessary bribes, are in a protected sub-environment or you wife is the local mayor's daughter.

Don't be the guy that people will say "what the heck was he thinking?"

Bob,
I'm curious as to how many days per year you spend in Mexico? Personally, we spend approx. 12 nights per year in Mexico - vacation purposes in both Rocky Point (Puerto Penasco) where we drive our Rv to from Phoenix area, and a week in the Los Cabos area where we have a timeshare.
From the Arizona border, we have driven about 4 hours south of the border on the mainland side of the Sea of Cortez to Puerto Lobos to visit friends there - not dangerous at all compared to some areas of south Phoenix. We have friends who have a home in San Carlos, about an 8 hour drive from Phoenix, and they go there a few times per year at least - no problems.
We also like to travel away from the resorts in southern BCS, and have experienced nothing like the horrible dangers so often publicized in the "news". We look forward to travelling the entire Baja in our retirement, and look forward to visiting with the wonderful people we meet.
to the OP - I think doing a topo survey would be ok.

Your joking of course?
Maybe trying to say in an indirect way "well, you aren't there so don't know what you are talking about"

Why would I go there?
Plenty of great Mexican food right here in SoCal.
All the cheap junk you buy, available at local Swap Meet.

I also don't:
smoke
get drunk and drive
use illegal drugs
have sex without a condom
work in the street without vest and cones
do other self destructive and stupid things

Maybe I'm just not Macho enough.

What do I know?
Oh wait, these people know.......Aug 14 2014
US State Dept warning on travel in Mexico

Even the US Consulate in TJ
US Consulate IN MEXICO

These people know too........Oct 01 2014
Canadian State Dept

May have missed it but did not see a US State Dept Warning on travel in Canada.
I'll keep looking.

Oh and I also would not take a vacation to Detroit or Chicago either.
Safe in the hotel? Probably. Museum? probably.
Wander around local neighborhood with thousands of dollars of equipment? Ugh.

What's so hard to understand?

ConfuseUs Say:

Man who not learn from his mistakes is fool.
Man who does is wise.
Man who learn from other's mistakes and not make them in first place...freaking genius.

No joke Bob, Mexico is a wonderful place.

Surveying In Mexico- the FUD

I've been to Mexico and some other countries, and never had a problem. But that's my personal experience, as with some of the other posters here.

Anecdotal experiences are fine, but statistics tell the real story.

Surveying In Mexico- the FUD

"Anecdotal experiences are fine, but statistics tell the real story"

Exactly.

George Burns smoked his whole life and lived to be almost 100.
So it's OK to smoke?

(rhetorical question for those that need the heads up)

Also, those that had a BAD experience in Mexico are.... DEAD.
They aren't saying much about their trip.