wrote in message
news:1141271045.992915.240570@i39g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> Going from the border in Texas, to Tlaxcala, which is about 100 miles
> south of DF. I know... I am going to be in over my head here..
I don't know what makes you think you're going in over your head. I've
driven much further south without any significant problems. If your planning
on driving through Mexico City, while I wouldn't necessarily regard it as
over anyone's head--after all thousands of people drive there every day--it
is something of a special case. I personally don't drive there because of
the area's reputation. Pretty much every American who drives there seems to
swear never again, until the memory fades and some have been known to do it
multiple times.
A certain noticeable segment of the Mexican drivers operate their
vehicles very aggressively--not everyone--and not the majority, but there is
this facet of driving in Mexico. My understanding is that this becomes more
prevalent in that area. In addition the police in that area are reputed to
be very corrupt. While this is not something that the average tourist will
encounter in the rest of Mexico it is reported to be common in that area.
There are various strategdies for dealing with nuisance traffic stops in
Mexico. It's important to know that traffic fines are much smaller south of
the border than what most Americans are used to. While the asking price
might start out quite high the average tourist shouldn't expect to pay more
than $5 or $10 tops--$20 if you bargaining skills are particularly weak. The
reports are that when a Mexican pays a bribe to a traffic cop in Mexico City
they are given a receipt that's generally honored for the rest of the day by
the other cops. I have met people who reported making it through the area
without paying a bribe, but I would be prepared for that eventuality. Mexico
City has a system to cut down on the traffic by regulating who can drive on
alternating days based on whether the last digit of their license plate is
odd or even. Attempting to drive through that area on the wrong day for your
license plate is pretty much a guarantee of paying one or more bribes to
make it through the area.
In the rest of Mexico I think you will be surprised how pleasantly
civilized the highways are. If you stay on the toll roads as much as
possible the drivers who are prone to aggressive driving will just whizz
right on past you. You need to be alert at all times and defensive driving
is a must. Staying off the highways at night is a common bit of advice that
you will hear over and over--most of us follow it most of the time. In most
areas it will only take a short time on the highway after dark to convince
you that this is a good idea. There are exceptions and the toll roads are
generally better at night than the rest of the highways, but it's generally
a good idea.
TB
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