Obey the laws and carry a cell phone

An aquaintance of mine was in a car accident on Weds.. He made an illegal left turn into Walmart. His first mistake: you are NOT allowed to cross the solid yellow line in the road. Someone exiting Walmart didn't see him because he didn't expect anyone to be turning from that direction. He had no cell phone with him. So he couldn't call his insurance company or anyone who could help him. He didn't have his INM card with him. He didn't have the TIP document for his car. You can imagine the cluster that ensued. Remember:

Always have all necessary documents with you, either in your car or on your person.
Don't cross the yellow line. Period. It doesn't matter how many other people do.
Always carry a cell phone so you can call people to help you when you need it.

Fortunately for this guy a friend came along who called his insurance and then went to his house and recovered the necessary documents. Don't count on that happening to you!

Yes I have been using my left arm more after learning this.

If you're turning left over a solid yellow line you're breaking the law. My friend got two tickets; one for an illegal left turn and one for causing an accident. Luckily, no one was injured or he'd be in jail.

Law---needs review!!! Or the lanes repainted in question!!

Try explaining that to the Transito.

Right, David!

I try to determine and time my left turns from the highway to when no cars are coming and nobody is riding my tail and I can clearly make the turn. If it's heavy traffic, someone tight on my tail, or lots of cars coming I put on my right blinker and pull to the right in the safest place I can find - even if I have to go a bit farther than I wanted - and wait it out.

I always choose the safest traffic move, esp here in Mexico because it can be so unpredictable. Remember, ambulances and hospital emergency rooms are full of people who were 'right'.

Good advice David. It is also good to have the number of your lawyer with you too in case you do find yourself in the crowbar hotel.......

When any of our guests rent a car we always give them Spencer's number just in case.

Me too!

turning left coming OUT of walmart is also illegal as you cross the same yellow line. its stupid but its the law. dont forget to give way to the right when there are unmarked cross roads in ajijic and chapala centres.

Crossing the solid yellow line is illegal, period. You'll notice at some intersections the line is broken where turns are allowed.

I have carried a cell phone for years for all sorts of problems. Can't tell you how may times I've had to use it for flat tires, dead battery, broken steering cable and once when a guy backed into me in a parking lot. I try to convince my girlfriends to carry one but they don't. Probably will after they need help.

The main entrance/exit for Walmart is a clusterf**k at the best of times. I've seen drivers create 5 turning lanes coming up out of the driveway....3 trying to turn left, and 2 turning right, all at the same time! This along with the cars trying to enter Walmart from both directions as well. And let's not forget the pedestrians crossing the street anywhere from the light to that driveway. I'm totally astounded that there isn't more accidents, or even serious injury or death.

Me too!

suegarn wrote:The main entrance/exit for Walmart is a clusterf**k at the best of times.

Try driving in Guadalajara every day,then you'll know what a "clusterf**k" is.

not kidding especially around 2pm... The Walmart entrance need to be rethought and redone . How to you enter Walmart legally if you are coming from the East? Somewhee you have to make an illegal U-turn No?

I have turned left into and out of Walmart on many occasions with the transitos sitting right there near the coffee shop. Of course there are many cars doing the exact same thing non-stop every minute. I think it is one of those deals where they don't care as long as there isn't an accident. They sit near the coffee shop looking for people turning left at the light without the flashing green.

I turn on to the Libramiento then into the parking lot at Centro Laguna, then exit to the Libramiento and turn left at the light and turn right into Wallyworld.

I do what David does, or I go through SAT and barely into La Floresta and up onto the carretera by Mikey's and make a right into WM.

Insanity, isn't it? It's the safest way. Just saw a 3 or 4 car crash there a couple of days ago. The scariest are the people for whom stopping at a red light is too loathsome so they fly through the WM bus area to avoid the stoplight.

I can't tell you the number of cars that cut in front of on coming traffic coming out of Walmart to go west. Barely missing on coming cars and pulled right in front of me while I was moving. It's insanity. I now plan my shopping so that I only go to Walmart if I am coming from the west. If I want to go west coming out I go east, make a left and turn around. Almost impossible to do now with all the traffic.

Obviously there was no plannng and no design for that entrance coming from the east, nice to know...

Or you can do what I do and shop anywhere but WalMart. Problem solved.

I shop at Walmart without any problem since I come from the West..I was jsut curious about cars coming from the Easy. I lived here before Walmart and I am happy we have a big store in town.

brigitte wrote:I shop at Walmart without any problem since I come from the West..I was jsut curious about cars coming from the Easy. I lived here before Walmart and I am happy we have a big store in town.

The easy part is getting into Walmart, especially coming from the west. But how do you leave, Brigitte? Do you turn east out of the parking lot and take the next left turn light, or do you cut across traffic to go directly west? That's the ones that cause the most potential accidents, especially when they all try to turn west at the same time!

Usually I go by Sl to get something and then leave via the village or via the light at SL.

David wrote:Crossing the solid yellow line is illegal, period.  You'll notice at some intersections the line is broken where turns are allowed.

Are you saying that all traffic leaving Centro Laguna and Interlago malls on the Libramiento exits have to head towards Chapala in the right hand lane rather returning to Ajijic in the left hand lane?  I think crossing the solid line only applies to traffic on the road where the lane is, not traffic entering from other directions.  Thousands of vehicles cross the center line everyday turning left, in places like Riberas when leaving business parking locations and entering the Carretera.  Of course the traffic on the main road has the right of way going in either direction over traffic entering where there isn't any traffic control.