Getting From One Place to the Next

When I came to Mexico and previous years when I traveled throughout the country, I found it so interesting how people got to where they needed to go. In the U.S. the automobile rules. But it is so expensive to own and operate one! Many people in Mexico can not afford a car, so they walk, bus, bike, or pedal a large tricycle which carries there products they sell on the street or beach, or they are transporting people as a form of a taxi. This is something you would never see in the U.S., unless it was maybe some kind of tourist ride maybe, possibly. One little town in the Yucatan had barely any automobiles. Yet the tricicleta was the popular mode of transporting people around, especially older people who maybe couldn't walk too far. This is similar to pedaled taxis in Asia. And it doesn't pollute or consume gasoline plus the driver of the tricicleta should be in great physical condition doing all that pedaling.

Since many people can not afford to own a car here, they get transported around town or to other towns in the back of a friend or relatives pickup truck. Forget about that seatbelt law! In the States it is a really big deal, and should be, for it saves lives. But here in Mexico, I don't see most of the drivers of cars or trucks using seat belts. Little children and babies are loose in the car, standing up, or in the parents laps. But those people sitting and standing in the back of pickup trucks are definitely taking a chance, especially when you note how some of them sit perched on the truck. Can you imagine what would happen to the girl in the yellow top if the truck had to suddenly brake or if it had to swerve quickly? But such is life here, and perhaps I would do the same if I really needed or wanted to get somewhere and there was no other option. (But I am pretty sure I would sit down on the bottom of the truck bed.)

In the more rural areas, in towns and small cities you see men or boys riding a horse to get somewhere.

Often I see big truckloads full of men and boys, standing in the back of large trucks as a method of transportation, hanging on to the bars. It could be the way they get to and from work every day.

We see people on bicycles on the side of the highway going here and there, and on the two lane highway here, there is no shoulder! In other words, when a big truck or bus comes along, or when there is a long line of traffic. the bicyclist must pull over into the weeds and wait.

Fortunately the bus system in Mexico is excellent and buses run frequently. There are several classes of buses ranging from luxury executive going nonstop between destinations, to the slower 2nd class buses that stop in every town and village. These have no bathroom or air conditioning, and at some stops local people get on and have homemade food and snacks to sell to the passengers. But there are some people who can't afford a bus ticket, and have to walk or bike to their destinations.

The local transportation where I live is excellent. On Tiangues day, every Thursday, I usually get to or from my town to the next via the Collectivo (a van or a small bus) for 5 pesos (less than 50cents). These are very handy to get around from one town to the next, or from one neighborhood to another, and they run frequently. Of course, there are plenty of taxis to get you around, for about 20 to 25 pesos ($2).

An interesting vehicle called the Motocarro was seen by my daughter in the state of Oaxaca in the town of Tehuantepec. On this website of the town you can see more photos of people riding in the motocarro.

A good article on how some Mexicans earn a living can be read by clicking and seeing photos of the modes of transportation and you can learn about the "informal" economy in Mexico.

So when I reflect on the way of life in the U.S. in regard to how people get around, it seems that trains are less available (except in the East coast), many people wouldn't ride a Greyhound to go somewhere, and the car and airplane continues to dominate. When was the last time you rode a bus or train to go somewhere? More people may be biking to transport themselves, but usually it is purely for recreation. Granted, you wouldn't catch me biking on the 2 lane highway to get to the next town here in Mexico. But we do try to ride our bike or walk to get around to run our errands in town and to the adjoining town, rather than jump in our car. Of course, the weather here allows for it year round which is why we are here!