Mexico: Traffic

My first two weeks are over and  I have gotten used to some of the small things that are different than at home. Traffic for example.

In Germany, which is a country of rules and law and order, there are strict rules for the traffic and although German drivers feel like racing drivers on the Autobahn , as a pedestrian in a town you can pretty much rely on the rights you have. You have the right of way at a zebra crossing and when a car goes around a corner,it must let pedestrians pass. And you wait at red traffic lights. Even in the middle of the night. Even when there is no car to be seen within a radius of 50 km. You wait until the lights are green.

Don't get me wrong, I am not saying that Mexico is a country of no rules. There are rules, but they are different. Rule one: as a pedestrian you have no rights whatsoever. Don't expect a car to stop just because you are crossing the street. The car is stronger and therefore always right. Look where you are going and improve your running skills so that you can escape should you have misjudged a car's speed.

Rule number two: Cross the street when it is possible, ignore the lights, trust your own judgment. Actually, this is an unwritten rule that you find in a lot of countries also in Europe. You can always spot the Germans in England or Italy, for example: they are the ones standing at the red traffic lights with the locals rushing across the street because there is no car around.

So when I am awake and alert, I make my way like a Mexican. But when I am tired, I can be found standing dreamily in front of a red traffic light, eyed suspiciously by the locals who look at me as if I was an imbecile.Or a tourist.....