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[tagastelum]

I'm sick.

How else can I explain the perverse pride that I take in knowing that I live in the city with the worst drivers in all of Mexico?

Monterrey.

Always careful to avoid bruising the sensitive ego of the regiomontano, I try never to make blanket pronouncements without proof. Therefore, here are the facts to back up my assertion. The following are translated excerpts from the article "Choques coronan a regios" which appeared in the December 4, 2005 edition of El Norte. (I saved the article because I was so aghast.)

"The frequency of accidents in Nuevo Le�n is the highest in the nation, surpassing even the Federal District, which has 2.7 times as many cars."

"In 2003, at second place is Jalisco, while Chihuahua was in third, Tamaulipas in fourth and Coahuila in fifth."

"Regiomontanos also hold the national crown [for accidents], according to INEGI, with 159,068 collisions in the Monterrey metropolitan area in 2003, surpassing the 96,351 in all of the state of Jalisco, the jurisdiction with the next highest figure."

"Daniel Pe�a Garc�a, president of the Mexican Association of Insurance and Guarantees stated that one of the factors contributing to Nuevo Le�n's leading position in road mishaps is because it has experienced excessive growth in its vehicular load.

'It's also owed to terrible pavement,' he added.

The poorly developed driving culture and lack of courtesy are also factors, according to Pe�a."

As you can see, other northern states also fare poorly, along with Jalisco. (What's up with those tapat�os?) So not only does central and southern Mexico have far better food than the north, they also have better drivers!

Notice how the insurance guy mentioned terrible pavement? It's absolutely true. Due to corruption, roads in Monterrey are paved with the poorest quality asphalt imaginable. A simple turn at 10 kph results in squeaking tires, like Starsky & Hutch in hot pursuit. And when it rains, the roads are as slippery as if an ice storm had hit. Crazy scary, yet the drivers tend not to slow down.

The best diagnosis I've heard came from a native regio: "Nuevo Le�n is a mostly rural state. We're country people at heart. And we drive cars like we ride horses."

[sarliz]

I think I might walk like a gringa. I've had the pedestrian right-of-way ingrained into my subconciousness for so long that I think I might be constantly putting myself in peril here. If I'm walking along a street that has a green light, I get to cross the side street before the cars can turn, right? At least strictly in theory? The cars here (especially the taxis) barely tap the break before hurtling around the corner, and tend to get really pissy-looking if I'm in front of them. Should I be waging this one-woman war? And how do you yell "I have the right-of-way! Please don't hit me!" in spanish?

[cangringo]

I second tag on the road conditions here, we had a pothole outside our front door for months when we first got here (I'm sure this contributed to the mosquito population because of course all the neighborhood women wash their front ...uh ...driveway thingys and the water all pooled in it. They fixed it...and about two weeks later we had a brand new one. Yippeee

As for the driving, I let hubby drive - I just couldn't take it and he's gotten very good at quitate...pendejo...etc. So I guess he drives like a Mexican now. Or maybe he always has and that's why there are finger marks in the holy s-h-i-t handles.

[corporatehuman]

Goddamn I love driving here. Anyone else feel like they finally fit in, with the driving, in Mexico? Back in the states I was characterized as aggressive and dangerous, and yet here, I find myself considered a bit more on the cautious side.

I was talking to one friend about the traffic triangle, and he was talking to me about how to judge how close the car is coming at you by its lights, or something, this was as he pulled into the oncoming lane to pass someone. The triangle I am referring to is when a car is in front of you, and of course you switch in to the oncoming lane to pass it, while another car comes straight towards you. Its the most common, beautiful, geometric shape Ive seen in Mexico.

Of course yesterday I just read LA ROJA, which is the local show pictures of dead people with intestines coming out special section of the magazine, and I know that the triangle, here in Chiapas, is OFTEn broken. I still can't imagine, anyone have the statistics of fatal car crashes in Mexico? Seems like four people die here everyday from being in crashes or hit while walking in the highway.

I now actually like speed bumps too, I feel like they're part of the challenge, the adventure, and the people on the sides of the road, everywhere, the bustle, the speed, the triangle!

C

[danielita]

I love the speed bumps here! It's the only way I get to pass slow moving trucks! When I first drove down here, I HATED the topes. They drove me crazy! Now, I see them as an opportunity, rather than a hindrance.

[Phil_K]

BTW, I got my first parking ticket today (I don't think it was an illegal space actually!). 5 days minimum salary (DF) less 50% for paying in 30 days: about $125. As the registry of vehicles is useless in Mexico, is it worth paying? I was told that the fine gets attached to your reg. number, so that when you go next time to get the tenencia, you will have to pay, and it will be $250 by then.

[cangringo]

I forgot to say that I have never seen so many neck braces...people all over the place in neck braces...

[Samantha]

Phil K. wrote:

[sickbag]

[cangringo]

I haven't seen the blue facemasks...

but ya if we go anywhere, we see at least one neckbrace a day too

we also try to spot kids seats in cars, that's a tough one - I think I've seen two since we got here and they were not put in correctly

does driving like a mexican also imply that you like to get a small car and fill it with 10 or more people...??

[El Gallo]

Mexicans and Asians have a one up on civility with the rest of the world when they wear the facemasks. When they have a cold, this alleviates the spread of the virus though coughing and sneezing.

[Gary Denness]

[cangringo]

[MELEE]