Abandoned Cars On The Streets Of Chapala

So who would you talk to about getting some of these abandoned cars hauled off in Chapala? Obviously it´s not the transito office ....I have submitted a request in writing 3 times and nuthin. They say they will get them moved but they don´t and the situation is getting riiculous. There is nowhere to park and the junkers are really obvious now that it is raining and each one has it´s own little garden growing around it.

Try thinking the Mexican way.  Break into the cars and move them into the middle of the street.  Then they will have no choice but to come and tow them away.

Don't forget to take pictures and share them with us.

Hector cleaned up the junkers in Ajijic.

Hector is very practical and pays attention to what people really need. Then he gets it done. I admire him. Wish Chapala had him.

There are 5 abandoned, no current registration, flat tired ' havent been moved in months or years cars in the two blocks between my house and the main street. I have two parking tickets for parking on the right side of the street, which was allowed for years ...now not....but those cars still sit there no problemo. pisses me off.

Maybe they could be struck by lightning... nudge nudge, wink wink.

Set them on fire, that will get someone's attention.

plant flowers around them.. lots of vining blooming plants. They grow over and no more car..

Vining, blooming plants with big, sharp thorns.  

tell hector he won't get any votes from his main source in the next election if he doesn't do something about it.
i wonder who's gonna run fer PAN?

zenwoodle wrote:Hector cleaned up the junkers in Ajijic.

Not absolutely true..there is a junker at the top of my privada..8 years now...reported twice to the delegation...belongs to the brother of an " important" well known Ajijic businessman.

I second pushing them into the street. As long as they are easily visible to drivers to avoid a wreck. Maybe push them into the street and THEN set them on fire?

You really think that is a good idea? Seriously?  What ever happened to this is Mexico, take it for what it is? Or leave? Setting a car on fire.. You are an idiot to suggest that .

Ah, well...thanks to all for the um...creative suggestions ...some of you seem to have read my mind haha. But I dont think I want to be known as the crazy car burning lady in my barrio just yet. At least you guys gave me a chuckle and I dont feel so crabby about it now.
I do think it would be a hoot to plant a pretty flower or two in that hollow space where the windsheild wipers go on that turquoise chevy parked near my door...

I have decided that i am going to ask to speak to the comandante of the transitos about it on Monday because I have to go there anyway. It might not do any good but it cant hurt either.

And ya know, I dont know what happened to ¨¨ this is Mexico blah blah blah...or leave.¨¨ because I never bought into that crap. If I dont like something I am free to say or do something about it. Why would I leave my home and my family because I am less than thrilled with someone elses pendejada? Shameful lack of reverence for Mexico on my part I suppose.

You could move to Texas, like the suggestor.    

I know, I know, wait until the next time one of the idiots who drive like bats out of hell kills a cow. Collect the cow, push the car into the street, set up a large spit over it, put the cow on the spit....THEN set the car on fire. You can call it a block party and no one will be the wiser, SSHHHH. Voila, no more crazy car burning lady, neighborhood hero.

I went to the transito office about this again today. It was not as much fun as a neighborhood BBQ but this is what I found out.

You have to talk to the lady in the glassed in office on the right side at the end of the room.Submit a letter with a copy of the front and back your drivers licence at the top of the page . Under your drivers licence Print your name, adress and telephone number. Then write a brief letter in Spanish describing the car make, model, color, licence plate number and location and that you would like for it to be removed. Sign the letter .

They say that they will ask the neighbors if it is their car, if the car is claimed they will be given a citation and order it´s removal.. if it isnt removed in 3 days the transito office will tow it away. We shall see what actually happens.

This imay or may not be a good time to do your drivers licence , the office is not busy at all but they still make you wait forever. I got an earful from the 3 people who took the driving test while I was there. The ransom to get your licence is a flat out demand for $500.00 no matter if you squash the cones or do everything perfectly....One person offered $200 but was told ¨not interested¨. He only had $400 so the guy took that. The Canadian couple got a 2 for one deal...

I retook the driving test last Friday after my epic fail and refusal to pay mordida last month ...he was curt, said I passed with an 8 out of 10...I didn´t ask what the two points off were for.

sounds like ya might get something done. i'm keeping a little record on the driver tests. who was it jp or soto?

If nothing else, I am determined...

I dont remember his name but he is young, nice build, no facial hair, sort of good looking but I can see his soul and he is ugly.

Interesting about the abandoned car removal thing. I'm assuming you're going to submit a letter? Let us know if something actually happens.

And about the driver's license....

I need to renew mine next month. Did you hear anybody grumbling about being extorted for a renewal....or was it only for new licenses? Thanks.

Ms.Thang wrote:

You have to talk to the lady in the glassed in office on the right side at the end of the room.Submit a letter with a copy of the .  The ransom to get your licence is a flat out demand for $500.00 no matter if you squash the cones or do everything perfectly....One person offered $200 but was told ¨not interested¨.  He only had $400 so the guy took that. The Canadian couple got a 2 for one deal..

I wonder if the Mexicans in Chapala pay that mordida,nobody in Guadalajara does that I know of....

viajero wrote:
I wonder if the Mexicans in Chapala pay that mordida,nobody in Guadalajara does that I know of....

The only reason I realized my license expires next month is a Mexican friend asked if I knew where the office was. (He thought it was still in Riberas.) He needs to get his first-ever license, so we'll probably go together. I'll be curious to see how it goes for him.

I paid no mordida 4 years ago in Riberas, and was in and out in under an hour with my first Jalisco
Drivers License. Either I got lucky and happened to go in there during a time when they were running a clean office, or they just decided they didn't want to dick with me. Who knows.

viajero wrote:

Ms.Thang wrote:

You have to talk to the lady in the glassed in office on the right side at the end of the room.Submit a letter with a copy of the .  The ransom to get your licence is a flat out demand for $500.00 no matter if you squash the cones or do everything perfectly....One person offered $200 but was told ¨not interested¨.  He only had $400 so the guy took that. The Canadian couple got a 2 for one deal..

I wonder if the Mexicans in Chapala pay that mordida,nobody in Guadalajara does that I know of....

I asked yesterday at a family/friends gathering of about 20 people, all Mexican, all Guadalajara, all with DL, if anyone had ever paid mordida for the licencia, new or renewal?......NADIE

I wrote the letter and submitted it right then and there because I had brought the licence plate numbers and all that with me.

Renewals dont get stuck for mordida, that only happens to those who have to take the test.

Mexicans pay mordida in the Chapala office,but going by the little information I have to compare, not as much as gringos.
Last time I was there a Mexican girl¨failed¨and then got ¨passed¨with only $100. That same day there were two young brothers there, one of them had failled and seemed surprised when I told him that he would be passed with the right offer. I left before finding out how things turned out for him and his brother. One thing is for sure, if you ¨fail¨the ridiculous driving test, some cash will fix that no matter who you are.

I have heard of a gringo passing occasionally on the first try with no mordida but not nearly as many as those who failed and had to pay.

Who knows what the ¨system is? A daily quota? Baby needs new shoes? I can tell you with absolute certainty that currently, the spoils are divided up with the comandante .

Ms.Thang wrote:I can tell you with absolute certainty that currently, the spoils are divided up with the comandante .

No surprise there. What kind of supervisor lets his employees run amok?

Thanks for the other info re licensing. Now I really want to go with my friend - he for his first-ever license, and me for a renewal. I want to see what kind of experience he has.

Back to the original abandoned car topic. If Transito doesn't do anything about it, I think it would be fun to hire a graffiti artist to cover the relic and make it something cool. Then stick a flowering plant on it. Call it an installation. Start an urban art movement.

P.S. To someone upthread: My only dealing with Officer S was completely honest. He actually wrote me a traffic ticket once.

Well, today the owners of the car pumped up the tires and pushed it 10 meters backwards...should I consider this a victory?