Saturday, May 15

Road Hazards

Driving in Mexico is seldom boring. Over the past 4 years, the main interstate, Mexico 15, has been completely resurfaced from Nogales to Mazatlan. This makes the trip a little smoother and a little safer, too.

One still has to stay alert, though, since things aren’t quite as predictable here as they are in the US. Cars, trucks and buses share the road with tractors, bikes, pedestrians and from time to time with donkeys, goats and cows.

At times, and with little or no warning, the direction of traffic will change and the two-lane divided highway you’re on will become a two-way, single lane road. This can be a bit startling if you’re not paying attention!

Traffic can stop unexpectedly, too. Occasionally traffic stops are caused by accidents, but more often the road becomes blocked by…different things. Here’s an interesting shot I took a few weeks ago as we traveled Mexico Interstate 15.

This unfortunate (and apparently inexperienced) truck driver was trying to make a left turn across the oncoming two lanes of traffic onto a ranch road. I suppose he didn’t realize how heavy he was, nor how low that low-boy was riding. He was very stuck, very high-centered and was going nowhere. When we passed, the second semi had hooked up with a chain and was trying to pull him up and over the hump. I somehow don’t think that effort was successful.

Strangely enough, traffic barely slowed down. Cars, trucks and buses alike nonchalantly drove down into the median, around the stuck truck and back up onto the pavement.

I would imagine that most of the passing motorists’ sentiments were similar to ours as we passed: “Bummer.”

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