Driving in Mexico – Part One

David has consulted some of the websites I mentioned in the last article, and he's enjoying reading The People's Guide to Mexico every evening, so most of his concerns about our month's vacation in Ajijic have been put to rest. But one aspect of living in Mexico still has him worried. Driving. Despite my reassurances, he is still a bit nervous about getting behind the wheel.

And, of course, his apprehension is understandable. Driving in Mexico is not for the faint of heart. Because most Mexicans are fatalists and believe that what will be will be, they drive with gusto and little thought for the future. Most drivers see stop signs as mere suggestions and passing on blind curves as an opportunity to prove their machismo. But, as long as we don’t adopt these attitudes and we try to drive defensively, any trip we take should be a pleasant one. There are just a few points we'll need to bear in mind.

As much as possible, we will want to take the cuotas (sometimes misspelled as quota or something else approximating cuota) or autopistas (a synonym for cuotas) if we decide to drive to San Miguel de Allende. These controlled access, four-lane roads save endless time and aggravation. This is one area where we will not try to economize by taking the two-lane “free” (marked libre) roads. Since most Mexicans cannot afford the cuota tolls, we'll only see another car every couple miles or so. There are usually refreshment stands, or restaurants, and bathrooms at the toll stations which make the driving even more pleasant. And, if we have any sort of car trouble, the government maintained “Green Angel” truck will come to help us. These Florence Nightingales of the roads will dispense gas and water, change tires, make minor engine repairs, and just generally do whatever is needed to get us back on the road again. And the best part of this service is that it’s free!

We won't rely too much on road signage. The Mexican government seems to think road signs are a waste of money, so they are few and far between. The ones we will see can be a bit disconcerting because the town we're looking for will most likely not be listed as one of the destinations. Instead, a city a thousand miles away may be printed on the sign. For example, when I lived in Ajijic six years ago and wanted to access the Guadalajara bypass in a westerly direction, I followed the road signs for Nogales (some three days’ drive away). A good analogy in the United States would be driving from New York to Philadelphia by following the signs for Miami. So, we'll try to be aware of the major city nearest our destination, even if it’s hundreds of miles away.