New lights. Any topes

I see they put in about 3 new lights on the carretera. Any new "unmarked" topes I should be aware of? I hate hitting those things at 80K.

Just west of Ajijic there are two new strings of very large metal topes - brand new - just went in this week - marked in bright yellow but you won't see them in time to stop. They are before the Pemex station just west of Ajijic. People don't know they are there yet and there are likely to be accidents since people chipped out all the others right in front of Penex and could go throught at full speed (until this week).

Oh, and the light in front of Superlake and Pannina's Deli in San Antonio are operational except the lights are often burned out in one direction or the other. Also 2 new lights in La Floresta - but you probably saw those coming from the airport.

simpsca wrote:Just west of Ajijic there are two new strings of very large metal topes - brand new - just went in this week - marked in bright yellow but you won't see them in time to stop. They are before the Pemex station just west of Ajijic. People don't know they are there yet and there are likely to be accidents since people chipped out all the others right in front of Penex and could go throught at full speed (until this week).

They are not just before the Pemex. They are located just after Aurora's Ristorante going toward Joco from Ajijic and there is NO warning sign posted. I understand that the nails are pulling out already. They are at the end of my street near the bus stop. They won't last long, especially with trucks speeding over them.

CanuckBob wrote:I see they put in about 3 new lights on the carretera. Any new "unmarked" topes I should be aware of? I hate hitting those things at 80K.

Well, CB, your comment about traffic lights and topes started a bit of a discussion among those posters complaining about traffic lights and topes in the Chapala Municipality in various places and I am of the belief that denizens of that municipality of which Dawg is one much of the year, are among the luckiest people in Mexico when it comes to topes which are not only far and few between but normally constructed in a civilized manner, marked and easily negotiated and even then often slated to soon disappear as if by magic to the point that I am convinced there is an unofficial party of citizens secretly charged with the responsibility of deconstructing topes by the light of the moon.

To make those of you aggravated by topes in the Chapala area feel better, I relate the fact that I have just returned from my most recent of many trips from San Cristóbal de Las Casas to Toniná and onward to Palenque and back, a round trip of 442 kilometers or 274 miles and upon that whole stretch of road until one reaches one´s final destination at Palenque village, there is not a single traffic light. However, there are approximately 300 topes or, on the round trip, about 600 topes to negotiate and this stretch of highway which traverses high alpine forests and tropical jungles is a pretty good road except for an inordinate number of curves at times and those damn topes most of which are unmarked and many of which are extremely dangerous and purposely constructed to scare the hell out of you and slow you to a crawl. These roadway impediments turn this stunningly beautiful drive into one of the most arduous journeys over good paved roads in all of Mexico. As a result of those topes, a round trip journey that should take no more than six hours takes over ten hours and, more than the time, the mental wear-and-tear beats one to hell. I figured my progress on this most recent trip at about 28 MPH.

Now, this is a federal highway running through the heart of Zapatista country and the territories of other often militant indigenous Maya groups some of whom are perhaps not always so friendly and whose municipal elders decree these dangerous and damaging topes whether the federal highway authorities like it or not. Those authorities tolerate these excesses because they have no choice but you, the tourist needn´t worry about being molested beyond the occasional municipal roadblock to collect baksheesh to make community infrastructural improvements and such. I guess it´s important to remember that were it not for those ubiquitous and dangerous unmarked topes, Chiapas drivers, noted for their recklessness, would drive through town at breakneck speed oblivious to the safety of village dwellers. I suppose these topes are like traffic cop drones just waiting to break the axle of some city dweller with local mechanics on standby to offer repairs at a certain cost.

Consider yourselves lucky when it comes to topes Lakesiders.

What a night mare Dawg! Did you have to pay baksheesh?

Yes, we are a little lucky here in that there are many tope fairies that come out at night and slowly a path through the topes appears.

I forgot to warn Bob about the new topes on the way in to Chapala near the Farmacia Guadalajara - they seem to put in two sets close to each other here, just in case you were thinking of getting up to normal speed.

In a recent "town meeting" with the President of Jocotopec he said we foreigners are always asking him to remove the topes and the Mexicans asking to have them installed (to protect their children from speeding cars. He said Mexicans want them because if there is even a small stretch of straight road the Mexican men will speed as fast as they can.

They do serve a purpose in small communities. Here is San Juan Cosala the Carr. goes right throught the middle of town and families live in houses right on the highway. A few years ago I was driving the Carr. and not going very fast when a tiny girl ran right in front of my car. Even at a slow speed it was a wonder I got stopped in time while Mom screamed and ran after her - no I've never hit anyone, but I realized then why to topes are here.

simpsca quote - "Yes, we are a little lucky here in that there are many tope fairies that come out at night and slowly a path through the topes appears."

My Mexican Physical Therapist tells me that it's the heavy trucks that rip out the topes.

I can't understand the new topes in West Ajijic near Aurora's Ristorante. Makes no sense. They're 10 feet beyond the end of our street so you can imagine that all it does is make it difficult for us to get out of our street onto the Carretera. And of course no one will let you go. There's a me first driving attitude here whether it's Mexicans or Foreigners.

[quote="simpsca"]What a night mare Dawg! Did you have to pay baksheesh?
[/quote]

Yes, indeed, simpsca. Dawg has cointributed to Emiliano Zapata´s birthday bash when stopped by a brigade of E.Z.L.N. soldiers at an intersection between the Yaxchilán and Bonampak ruins that was set up within sight of an army checkpost with the two checkpoints studiously ignoring each other. We have also been stopped more than once by indigenous villagers in various parts of Chiapas demanding contributions for various municipal projects or for road maintenance being carried out by the villagers because state or federal road crews failed to maintain highway rights of way as they should have. There are other times when one does not pay because, over time, you learn there are times when demands for a "contribution" are serious and times when they are not and road blockages for various reasons are not that unusual in Chiapas even on main highways and that includes ropes raised by kids trying to sell local products which can be ignored as long as one slows down but keeps on moving.

Usually "contributions" are minimal - say, $20 Pesos or so but these blockages are normally managed by indigenous groups who are quite serious abour demanding the driver´s participation and refusing to contribute at least a small amount is unproductive and could end badly for the obstinate driver. These methods of raising funds are a time-worn tradition among the indigenous in Chiapas when one is transiting their municipalities. Last year we were stopped by a large group of villagers forming a part of the Zapatista controlled Ocosingo Municipality who informed us that they had voted for a municipal president who had promised that, in return for their bloc village votes, he would build a new recreation center and a basketball court for the village school but had reneged on that promise even after that bloc vote was delivered. Therefore, they had set up a blockage of the main highway between Oxchuc and Palenque until such time as they had collected adequate funds to construct the improvements or the Ocosingo municipal president had relented and lived up to his promise. All of the village men, numbering several hundred, had turned out to festively watch this roadside drama and ostensibly provide backup in case someone refused to pay. In front of us was a female driver with Veracruz tags who refused to pay at first so they simply held up traffic until she paid them their demanded $20 Pesos and they also placed a board full of nails in front of her tires until she forked over the money which she then promptly did. This tactic must have worked because when we returned from Palenque to San Cristóbal a couple of days later the blockage was gone and on a later trip we noticed a fine new basketball court adjacent to the school which was on the highway.

Democracy in action.

Holding politicians to their word..........interesting concept.

I like it.

CanuckBob wrote:Holding politicians to their word..........interesting concept.

I like it.

Did you find the 11 topes and new lights opposite Soriana?

DaveP

I agree John - why there, and since there is never any sign or announcement about new topes, you can see finely broken glass on the road where people stopping were rear-ended. I'm speculating since it did happen to a friend of mine who slowed down for one as was rear ended by someone - when they were new.

Now I put on my blinkers when I come up to any large topes where I have to slow down so I don't get rear ended.