This . . .

. . . happened to me yesterday around 3 pm.

While waiting at the light at WM intersection, southbound direction of Libramiento, second in line waiting to turn left. All of a sudden a big old brownish GMC van appeared full speed coming up on my right in the southbound right hand lane of the Libramiento. Hit the car in front of me, deflected off, didn't hit me, barreled up wrong way, pedal to the metal, zig-zagging in and out of lanes hitting cars like bowling pins, all the way up the hill and out of sight. Driven by a Mexican man in his 50s looking very very angry.

No cops following him, he didn't start his rampage at the intersection, he was going too fast by the time he reached us. Not a Transito in sight. We all just shrugged at each other and drove on.

Why do we have zero visible patrolling traffic or law enforcement?

I’ve wondered the same thing. I don’t even know what the purpose of having a police force is since they don’t seem to do anything other than extort money in various situations. You would think the least they could do is be visible.

Do we even have a police force??

Only in theory!

SunshineyDay wrote:Only in theory!

.  

Like the theory that Aliens and UFOs exist?

It seems the only time we see police is AFTER an accident.

gringal wrote:It seems the only time we see police is AFTER an accident.

Yes, and wonder why...

Maybe it´s because somebody calls them
They do have telephone numbers and they´re on my Iphone

It would be so much better if they were into preventing accidents rather than sorting out the detritus after the fact.
I see enough daily abuses of driving to fill the coffers to overflowing if only the police were paying attention. Their loss.

Mexico has always been the land of reaction, not proaction, and will probably continue on that way. Not a trendsetter.
It´s part of the culture, from big issues down to little ones, like traffic problems.
When you´re born here, or come here, you have to ride that horse, as it´s the only one.

Yes it is part of the culture, people do not plan ahead and only react, it is really fascinating..I have been telling a couple of friends to register with Seguro Popular in case they get sick,, they are telling me mañana, mañana because they are fine --two weeks ago one of their kids fell from a moto taxi and had to go to the hospital with a skull fracture. They had to pay and wait a whole day for an ambulance.. they are indigenous so they were entered in the system but they could have gotten in the hospital way faster if they had been registered.. Two weeks later they are still in the hospital and I am getting an education on the system in Chiapas,, really dismal and not for the faint of heart..
Many people do not do anything unless they have to..

When I am stuck at that light coming down from the Libriamento I always keep an eye in my rear view mirror because of the number of accidents that happened mainly caused by failed brakes. You may recall that water truck that plowed thru several cars before ending up in the WM parking lot. Also about a year ago I was waiting at that traffic light but coming from Ajijic and wanting to turn on to the libriamento. I suddenly saw a straight truck coming down the hill loaded with cement bags and my reaction was "he is coming to fast to make the turn" well sure he made the turn and wiped out at least 2 cars in front of me. I made a quick escape toward auto zone. When the dust settled, I noticed the driver getting out of the cab and walking away. From memory their was several people injured. Another dangerous traffic light is the one at the bottom of the hill in Chapala pretty much across from Sorianos. On many occasions I watch these 18 wheelers loaded with sand or gravel coming down that hill, its not going to be a pretty site the day one of those well maintained trucks lose their brakes....

I do the same thing at that light. I leave enough space in front of me in case one of those trucks looks like they can’t stop. Dra. Berenice was one of those pushed into the Walmart lot. She’s lucky she’s alive.

That is one of the very dangerous spot and if you are a line of traffic you have nowhere to go IYes Dra Berenice was really lucky.
Same deal at some of the casetas.. We got rear ended in one caseta and we were pucky the truck was going slowly but still a truck full of bricks is heavy.

Oh Yes, no police presence for anything that matters! Got shaken down two days ago by a traffic cop. Threatened to impound my van - demanded 5,000 pesos!!

Does your van have foreign plates?

did you commit an infraction or was it one of the made up charges? If you committed an infraction have him write the ticket , if not call the Municipal police and report the guy was trying to extort money,

And we're all your papers in order?

ferret wrote:It would be so much better if they were into preventing accidents rather than sorting out the detritus after the fact.
I see enough daily abuses of driving to fill the coffers to overflowing if only the police were paying attention. Their loss.

Actually everyone's loss...safety and revenue.

I encountered el Gordo a couple of times and I have to say that both times I had done something wrong.. The first time, he said I had turn left at Walmart when the light was orange.. well it turned orange as I was turning so that was pushing it but then I had color copies of my papers and he accused me of having fraudulent papers and so on.. The second time he said that I had turned left in La FLoresta at the Camino real and revolution when I was not supposed to , told him off and told and asked him to see the arrow showing I was wrong and he let me go.. He kept hinting that it could be a very expensive ticket and I kept telling him to write th ticket and he gave up. The problem with the guy is that if you show any fear he will walk all over you.. He is a eal bully who loved being a bully..The best thing is to have all the papers in order and not back down..