1. How to cross a busy street
like a local, and never quicken your steps: This takes a lot of practice and a lot of guts.
Do this at your own risk!
- First of all, many Mexicans cross
in the middle of the block, not at the corner. Sounds crazy, but think about
how much more traffic is coming at you from every direction when you cross at the
corner, especially on Hwy 200 in Bucerías or Puerto Vallarta where the far
right-hand lane makes a long left-hand turn, or U-turn, across up to seven
lanes of traffic! So, crossing eight lanes of Hwy 200 in the middle of the
block where you can find safety on an island every two lanes is the preferred
method.
- Secondly, to cross like a
Mexican, as you step into the
street, keep your head faced
forward, using your peripheral vision to note any vehicles barreling down on
you and use your brain to calculate whether they will miss you if you continue
walking at the same steady pace. Mexicans do not normally quicken their steps,
even if a vehicle gets very close. Timing is everything; and always remain calm! A well-practiced
crossing will have the pedestrian lifting his second foot onto the curb just as
the car or truck rushes past behind him.
- Mexicans never show
worry or fear that the car, bus, or truck may hit them. If a Mexican must increase the rate of crossing, they
subtly quicken their steps so that it does not appear they are rushing, and
they never run. This is a skill to be
learned by first trying it on a two lane road in a quiet village. But even
there, beware of bicyclists and motorcyclists darting out of nowhere! Listening
to the sounds approaching must be as important as watching for movement.
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| Behind a Slow Sugar Cane Truck in the RV--Someone will Pass Us NOW! |
2. How to drive on a two
lane highway like a local, where the road may be marked as having two lanes but
the drivers use it as three lanes, with or without oncoming traffic: As mellow as the
Mexican people are, their personalities often become aggressive when they get
behind the wheel of a vehicle. Be prepared to understand and blend with the
proper ebb and flow of fast-moving traffic on a two-lane road.
- When driving on a busy two-lane road, you may suddenly see a vehicle
coming fast and straight toward you, in your lane. Remain calm! It’s most likely a Mexican driver, and he’s determined
to pass a vehicle in his lane. Don’t make the mistake of thinking he will hit
his brakes and return to his spot behind the vehicle he is passing—he most
likely will not.
- Don’t make the other mistake of assuming the driver being passed will
slow down to give the passing vehicle extra room and time to slip in ahead.
This may or may not happen, but probably won’t if the driver being passed is
also Mexican.
- The proper ebb and flow in this alarming
situation is to firmly grasp your steering wheel and calmly and steadily move
your car to the right (hopefully there is a small strip of road shoulder), leaving
one-half of a car-width plus a few inches to your left, in the center of the
road. The driver being passed will do the same. The car that is passing will whiz by, straight down the center of the two-lane highway, with an inch or two
to spare on each side of his car and calmly slide in front of the car he
passed, never changing his speed. No problema! The two other cars calmly move back into their lanes as though
nothing unusual has happened. And no one honks. The road may be marked as
having two lanes, but always be prepared to use it as three. It is especially
important to practice this maneuver ahead of time if driving a motorhome. Also,
be prepared to replace your side view mirror in case of a miscalculation when a
truck is passing.
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| Relaxing at Dinner--2 to 3 Hours Before We Ask for the Check |
3. How
to ask for the check, or the bill, after a meal in a restaurant like a local,
and then wait patiently until it is brought by the waiter: Waiters in Mexico
will never bring your bill (la cuenta)
until you ask for it. It would be considered rude for the waiter to lay the
bill on the table, as they do in the U.S., while you are still finishing your
meal or sipping the last of your drink. The waiter in a Mexican restaurant will
return to your table repeatedly to ask if you want to order anything else, but
he will not offer to bring the bill, as this would be considered rushing the
customer. You may be simply sitting for a bit while you chat with your dinner
guest—you can sit for hours after finishing your meal and the bill will still
not arrive. The proper time to ask for the bill in México is only when you have
finished eating and drinking everything and are ready to leave. Then it may
take a few minutes for the bill to be delivered to the table, but do not become
impatient and go looking for your waiter, thinking he has forgotten about you.
This will earn you the label of “a typical gringo”, always in a hurry. Wait
calmly, knowing that the Mexican way of thinking is that you may sit and relax
at your table as long as you like after your meal. Or, who knows, you may
decide to order dessert and another drink by the time the waiter returns. There
is no rushing in México; learn the enjoyment of sitting and doing nothing but
relaxing.
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| Waiting in Line at WaKiKa Ice Cream Stand Takes Patience! |
4. How
to wait in line at the grocery store or WaKiKa ice cream stand in Sayulita like a local, patiently, without showing
any annoyance about the long wait. Even better, wait calmly without feeling
annoyance. The line may not even resemble a line, but rather a gathering of
people around the cashier’s counter, but your turn will come eventually, when
someone motions you forward. Delays may include a story that the cashier is
telling a customer, a customer who leaves the line to go pick up another item
or two in the store while the cashier is halfway finished ringing his order, a
vendor who is delivering a tote of tortillas to the store and gives it to the busy
cashier, or a bunch of kids who just popped in to buy their bags of chips and
drinks after school and pushed to the front of the “line” to pay. No one says a
word, sighs in exasperation, grumbles under their breath, or shows a sign of
irritation on their face. Everyone is calm and patient, silently waiting their
turn to pay for their groceries or ice cream order. What a peaceful way to go through the day.
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| How They Sit on the Truck in the Parade is Their Business! |
5. How
to mind your own business like a local, even while watching a gringo make a
scene: This was a challenge for Jon and me to learn. We are often embarrassed
by the rude and demanding way we sometimes see Americans, Canadians, or other
foreigners treat Mexican people, especially waiters and other service people.
During one of our early visits to México, we saw an American return his
margarita to the bartender and demand a new drink, free of charge, because a
fly had flown into it when he was half-way finished drinking it. Of course, in
America, the customer is always right and he would expect to get a new, fresh drink, compliments of the bar. So he
expected the same thing here in México and he was politely given one. But, the
Mexican people make so little money to begin with, how can they afford to give
anything away for free? And it isn’t the bar’s responsibility to keep flies out
of the customers’ drinks. We were so outraged that this arrogant American would
expect that he was due a free drink in this outdoor
restaurant/bar where flies are part of the scene—this is one of the attitudes
we detest in the United States. In México, you are responsible for yourself,
which includes placing a napkin over your glass or bottle if you don’t want
flies in your drink. I reacted to my anger, marched up to that American and
told him he should be ashamed of himself, that he was the kind of person who
made me embarrassed to be from the United States! I have since realized that I
made more of a scene than he did. The proper Mexican way to react to another
person making a scene is to look away or walk away, stay calm, and avoid
conflict. When everyone minds their own business, as Mexicans tend to do, the
result is a peaceful society.
I hope you have enjoyed this excerpt from my eBook "Retirement Before the Age of 59: Healthy Living in Mexico #2". To continue reading the "12 Lessons We are Learning from the Locals While Living in Mexico", please purchase or borrow my book, available from Amazon worldwide. Here is the link on Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/Retirement-Before-Age-59-Healthy-ebook/dp/B01NCMWMJL.
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| My Newest eBook Now Available from Amazon Worldwide! |
