I can't disagree. My point is that people are needlessly "uneasy" based on SGOTI's anecdotes and ghost stories when the statistical reality is the they are very safe traveling almost anywhere in the world, including Mexico.
AI resorts are just a kind of protective bubble, like cruise ships. Why not save the airfare and just check into a nice hotel for a few days, maybe watch some travel videos? It seems like the same thing to me.
I totally agree, people overreact way too much when it comes to traveling safety (in my opinion).
We were on a cruise in Indonesia, and there was one port (Semarang) where the local town was pretty slummy. We walked from the ship into town, along this street where I don't think tourists ever walked. I guess the majority of people take a tour to Borobdur (sp?) at this port, and if they do go to town, they take the shuttle rather than walking. The street had all these tin buildings, and there was a drainage ditch running alongside. At one person's house, we saw them pull a fish out of the drainage ditch and take it inside to eat. Anyway, everyone we met was SO happy and friendly and excited to see us. Several people asked for selfies with us (and especially my husband, since he's way bigger than your average Indonesian). These people were dirt poor but we never felt in any way threatened. Another fun anecdote, there was a highway overpass we walked under, and people on the highway above were honking their horns and waving at us. LOL.
I tend to feel more threatened in highly touristy areas, where there are a lot of highly aggressive vendors. Although they're not threatening to rob you, it is a very uncomfortable situation being chased around by them.
For your final point, personally, I go to AI resorts for the weather. We live in Canada so in winter time it can be amazing to go somewhere warm for a week. And it's very relaxing/convenient to have everything included right in the resort. I agree it is no way to experience the local culture, but it still has its place.