Is Mexico Safe?

[WeazyBuddha]

On a related subject, thoughts in regard to the bizarre way that Mexicans handle left turns? Lightcycle mentioned the subject in his (excellent) RR. Those of us who live on the U.S. side of the border are at risk with this practice too. I came literally within inches of having a bad accident due to this practice a few years back.

To recap the practice, Mexicans turn on their left turn signal to indicate to a following vehicle that it is clear to pass. When making an actual left turn they pull off to the right, wait for traffic to clear and then turn. A complication is that the practice is not followed uniformly so one never knows what the car in front of you is going to do. It's a bit unnerving.

I do have to say that other than things like this weird left turn practice I 'kinda like the organic way that traffic flows in Mexico. It has a rhythm that works fairly well e.g. passing with oncoming traffic, cars just make room. Something like that would be freaking people out in the U.S., calls to 911 would ensue.

[MikeMike]

The left turn signal, like riding in a staggered formation (on anything other than a perfectly smooth cuota road) is a myth in Mexico. Not all Mexican drivers pull over for the left turn.

What I have found to be true throughout Mexico, is that drivers hug the centreline and will often cross it in corners. I try, believe it or not, to leave a distance from the centreline whenever possible when I cant see oncoming traffic like on mountain corners. It might be cosidered counter-intuitive to not try to "see" around a corner, but having seen enough bus and taxi grills, I like my method.

Cross the line, run the risk. I have seen video footage of habitual line crossers on Suzukis and Harleys.

Organic traffic flow in Mexico is an optical illusion. Spend a day watching the third lane idea being
abused and ignored by drivers with plates from all over Mexico.

What is true is that drivers here expect you to ride a motorcycle like Mexican riders do and they will get confused when you dont. I know that Schizz will back me on that.

[Craneguy]

Top tip # 234

Never bring weapons over the border...and if you do, keep them out of sight.

[MikeMike]

Craneguy has tapped into Eric Holder's personal porn stash.

[Craneguy]

Originally Posted by MikeMike

Craneguy has tapped into Eric Holder's personal porn stash.

Actually, they do look like porn stars don't they?

Boom chick a wow-wow!

[Craneguy]

Originally Posted by MikeMike

...Cross the line, run the risk. I have seen video footage of habitual line crossers on Suzukis and Harleys.....

I'm reliably informed that you can expect a cease-and-desist letter from the Suzuki rider's lawyer. You can't expect to post libelous comments and get away with it. Baldy has been informed!

[MikeMike]

Yes, my bad, 50 lashes etc...It was the Harley rider who was crossing the line.
Well, most of the time LOL!
Things are getting a little too "Tail of the Dragon"ish!

I seriously avoid crossing the centreline here and I seriously avoid Mexican lawyers.

[Craneguy]

Originally Posted by MikeMike

Yes, my bad, 50 lashes etc...It was the Harley rider who was crossing the line.
Well, most of the time LOL!
Things are getting a little too "Tail of the Dragon"ish!

I seriously avoid crossing the centreline here and I seriously avoid Mexican lawyers.

Mr Suzuki has recalled the hounds, but he requires you to ride 500km in the rain on Highway 180 as a penance. You also have to shout compliments to the Belize truck drivers as they pass you. (yes, you're not allowed to overtake them)

[rockymountainoyster]

When I took the motorcycle safety course that is required for a Colorado motorcycle license we read from a book on motorcycle safety. I don't recall the title but it had a chapter called Canyon Kisses that related tales of Colorado riders wailing through various canyon landscapes and hugging the center line with deadly result. There are also photos of a lovely young girl who went out with her boyfriend on his crotch rocket wearing shorts and maybe a tank top... fortunately a helmet... many skin grafts later the parts of her that went through the pavement meat grinder had begun to look somewhat normal... yes, what we do can be dangerous. I guess I am in trouble because I don't know if I will ever learn to ride like a Mexican rider... just an old gringo.

[SR]

I hope the girl riding the sport bike is okay. Doing stupid stuff on a motorcycle should result in a painful lesson to be learned from, not a death sentence. Otherwise we'd probably all be toast.

This sport bike rider on the Espinazo was in the wrong lane and almost crashed head on at high speed into me on the KLR. Luckily for me he locked up his breaks and cartwheeled to a stop in front of my eyes. The weird thing is that he had ample room to slow down. He wasn't expecting to see me in his (my) lane, and when he did, he panicked and slammed on the breaks. He was definitely hurt but not gravely. His friends were there with a chase vehicle and scraped him up and took him to the hospital.

[MikeMike]

Originally Posted by Craneguy

Mr Suzuki has recalled the hounds, but he requires you to ride 500km in the rain on Highway 180 as a penance. You also have to shout compliments to the Belize truck drivers as they pass you. (yes, you're not allowed to overtake them)

I'll take the lashing, thanks.

Kiki or compliment an "in tow" driver on the Mex #180!?!? Tough choice if you know the Kiki joke.

[jimmex]

Its hard to fathom being that stupid .

[miguelito]

I did not mean to divert the thread into riding safety givens, but I think we covered enough aspects of riding in Mexico in with the advice to make the discussion worth having. On a more positive note, I arrived in SMA after 3 days of traveling solo thru extremely rural areas of Nuevo Leon, Tamaulipas, SLP, three relatively "hot" states for narco-violence. I was not kidnapped, or injured in anyway, and I made at least one new friend. Once again, Mexico has proven herself to be safe for me. ;)

[SchizzMan]

Originally Posted by MikeMike

What is true is that drivers here expect you to ride a motorcycle like Mexican riders do and they will get confused when you dont. I know that Schizz will back me on that.

Yes, it's best, IMO, to ride like a Mexican. Or at least sufficiently so as to be understood by the locals. Gotta let your inner Hooligan out. And have a lawyer to handle the tickets you acquire upon your return to Gringolandia. Don't ask.

I ride Mexican two-lanes on the far right side of my lane and very much prefer the riders ahead of me do the same. If you're riding behind me I'm less insistent about it.

SOG and party caught this wave very quickly after leaving Reynosa. There was heavy fog early on so I pressed the point pretty hard. Had images of Cuetzalan busses in my head.

Once the Mexican system is learned fully it works better than our own ways here for passing. But Mike is right about Mexicans turning left. Not consistent.

[SchizzMan]

Originally Posted by jimmex

Its hard to fathom being that stupid .

The motorcycle community is being continually pumped through a Darwinian filter. Some of us feel fortunate to have slipped through.