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Topes on highway infront or Terranova school


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New topes were placed infront of the two primary schools leaving Ajijic  beore you get to Villa Nova, they lasted two days before some fool with a screw driver pulled a few up! This is a very dangerous corner,  Loyola school has a traffic  light, imagine,  this is two schools! If someone sees anyone doing this please take a picture of his plates and of him and lets get him arrested! Little kids are going to die here sooner or later! We are not a quite little village anymore! Thank you

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I'm all for saving the kiddies but they are the wrong kind.  They should have put in the rattler topes.

If a motorcyclist hits one wrong, you have a spill and someone hurt, so the motorcycle guys whip out into the other lane.  I almost hit one head on in my lane the other morning with the full sun in my eyes.  I saw him at the last moment.

 

 

 

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We had school "patrols" and "crossing guards" when I was young, and still do up north. There is absolutely no need to put in topes anywhere that has only a two-times-per-day requirement, especially when accidents do not happen there. These have only caused an aggravated traffic situation, one that was already sorely impedimental. At the school on the parroquia in Ajijic, they tried blocking the street for a while a few years back... caused massive chaos.

Worse, the really smart guys who figured out where to put the spheres also placed them against incoming and outgoing traffic, not just highway traffic. Which means everyone has to slow down in every direction, making the whole thing pointless.

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Topes are out of control in this country.  Those particular topes are damaging to cars and tires at any speed and very dangerous for anyone on two wheels.

Try crossing guards.  This is a prosperous private school, they can afford to put someone out there for a few hours per day.

No more damn topes!

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You know, of course, that these speed bumps were installed without permission or instructions from the state of Jalisco.  The local Chapala govt. has no control over the carretera since it is a state highway.  That is why there are always disputes about replacing traffic lights along there.  I saw the guys installing these bumps and it was just two guys in a private vehicle using simple tools and a rag to wave cars around while they worked.  It had the appearance of a private work crew which I'm sure was at the request of the school.  They sometimes had a traffic cop out there in the morning to allow cars to turn in and out but I've never seen a crossing guard. I've never see a kid crossing there on foot. It always mostly new, big cars driving the kids the one block up to the school and then having to male u-turns and try to turn back out across traffic.  The local cops can't be counted on to always provide direction so the obligation should fall to the school to provide a private officer to help when needed and the illegal topes should be removed there and anywhere else they have been installed by private individuals to suit their own interests.  Alan

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http://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/topes-or-speed-bumps-out-of-favor-in-cdmx/

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/16/world/what-in-the-world/the-deeper-meaning-of-mexicos-giant-speed-bumps.html

Both interesting reads and both identify a core issue that there are no standards as to where and what with these polluting, vehicle damaging speed bumps.

 

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50 minutes ago, barrbower said:

 to provide a private officer to help when needed and the illegal topes should be removed there and anywhere else they have been installed by private individuals to suit their own interests.  Alan

Well said.

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One of the most fustrating case of bad topes is highway 200 south from Tecoman to Lazro Cardenas. Every rancho or house on the huge coco plantations has put a pair topes on the highway. I mean the kind that require a complete stop. I beleive the real cure would be to send crew's out to raise the topes to 18 to 24 inches. That done there are NO more deliveries of gas, gasoline, water or botonas or cervaza. Bet the topes wouldn't last long. I was told in Chapala by administration years ago that they couldn't do anything about private topes. They said they could send out a crew to remove them but the neighbors would just give the a $100 pesos to the crew to leave.

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So basicaly what has been said here is that, cars and time are more important than saving one kid or family? I spoke with the Comandante and they will be replaced. They had permission and I believe the city installed them. Rattler speed bumps have been in place for years but no one cares. Yes I hate speed bumps, but no one respects traffic laws here including the gringos and Canadians! Speed bumps get put up by popular demand because of the disrespect for human life. I thought most North Americans that lived here, were liberal and people friendly? I guess not! If we all went the speed limit topes wouldn't damage our cars. The cobble stones hurt our cars ten times worse than the speed bumps!!! The man that removed the speed bullets should be held acountable if anyone is injured or killed! What kind of people are we, when you care more about your cars than a human life? Sad world we live in!

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No what we are saying is that topes aren't the solution to all ills and this school could and should be using a crossing guard instead of adding still more tope misery around here.  The comment about cobblestones is irrelevant, people don't use those streets for more than short distances.

Has anyone been injured or killed there?  If not, why have your pain in advance and why subject everyone to these car damaging and motorcycle dangerous hazards to deal with a few speeders?

Post it as a school zone, put in some more rumble strips and put the local transitos out there during morning and afternoon school hours.  They'll love the revenue opportunity.

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I hate topes  but unfortuntely in a country where people do not slow down for school children and pedestrian in general or red lights I am afraid they are the only way to force people to slow down. It is a real shame but I say higher and nastier topes are necessary..

Yesterday I saw a lady get run over by a car that did not even bother stopping after the lady was hit.. I a tope had been there the lady would be alive.

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In response to, "I've never see a kid crossing there on foot.": I used to walk up to the school to walk my grandchildren home. We were extremely careful and waited until traffic cleared, but I finally gave up and started picking them up by car. Between speeding cars, trucks, and motorcycles, it was entirely too risky. Not every family with children in the two schools on that road owns big, new cars. There are more than a few children who are picked up by their parents who walk them across the highway to catch the bus.

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9 hours ago, Chamanelo said:

So basicaly what has been said here is that, cars and time are more important than saving one kid or family? I spoke with the Comandante and they will be replaced. They had permission and I believe the city installed them. Rattler speed bumps have been in place for years but no one cares. Yes I hate speed bumps, but no one respects traffic laws here including the gringos and Canadians! Speed bumps get put up by popular demand because of the disrespect for human life. I thought most North Americans that lived here, were liberal and people friendly? I guess not! If we all went the speed limit topes wouldn't damage our cars. The cobble stones hurt our cars ten times worse than the speed bumps!!! The man that removed the speed bullets should be held acountable if anyone is injured or killed! What kind of people are we, when you care more about your cars than a human life? Sad world we live in!

Youe statement that speed bumps get put up by popular demand is just not true. If you don't believe me count the pro and con comments here on theistopic. It will be duplicated in a local poll. There is a street in West Ajijic where a child playing in the road was hit and killed. Sad but true story. The parents and neighbors put up really big topes. They should instead have taught the children to be careful, watchful and stay out of the road and cross at intersections. What are the chances that another kid here in the area will dart into traffic on a different road? Certainly very high.

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My feeling is that if the comandante gave permission, it was not his to give.  This is a state highway. Also I think these topes are in place 24 hours a day and are in place seven days a week. During that time they can cause motorcycle wrecks and head-on accidents as vehicles swerve to avoid them, as well as causing yet more delays, more pollution, more wear and tear on vehicles (brakes, tires, and shocks) and as I've already seen, the danger of rear-end accidents.  All this because the school has a problem for 45 minutes once in the morning and once in the afternoon and only on school days.  The traffic still doesn't slow enough to let cars turn out across traffic. You only can do that when a nice driver blinks his lights and lets them turn in front IF the traffic coming the other way stops too!  A far safer and more cost effective way to deal with the actual problem is to station an officer there during the times it is needed and if an officer is not provided the school certainly has the resources to hire somebody for the days and times needed. A lot of folks pay a lot of money to send their kids there...take up a collection if the parents feel it isn't safe.  Do what is right not just what is easiest.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I saw yesterday Sunday that some good sole has removed a couple of bullets from the East Bound lane.  The idea of inconviencing thousands to help a private school get the parents cars in and out easily is just wrong. The traffic in and out of the school is only about 3 hours a day and you are holding people up 24 hours 7 days a week. A traffic signal facing 2 directions with a controller and  timer and a sensor loop, solar operated would cost less than $2500   To put a set of bullets or topes that will casue death or injury to a driver driving the legal speed limit is criminal. If they had stronger liability laws the cost of a proper signal would be cheaper than the damage they are causing. This would save hundreds of times that cost in suspension repairs alone. Of course you would have to get the state to approve any traffic control device like signals but that is true of topes as well. You would have top be sure to turn it off when school is not in session and set the timer just for school traffic hours or people will learn to ignore it as they should. 

https://www.trafficlights.com/

https://www.aliexpress.com/price/traffic-light-signals_price.html

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The speed "bumps" go in by day, they are taken out by night, they are put in again, they are taken out again. I apologize for my black sense of humor, but I find this amusing. Does the person who takes out the speed bumps at night wear a mask? Does he/she go out after midnight? There seems to be a quiet war between the people who put in the speed bumps and those who take them out. I am very curious.

And yes, I am in favor of crossing guards with safety vests and flags, but admittedly, that will be a dangerous job, the way people drive around here.

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I got a good laugh out of the posts!  Next step will be asphalt or concrete topes, Just like in San Juan! I hope they put the ones like those that were in front of the  old Army check point! A traffic light would be great , but that is just wishful thinking!

Who other than some crazy Kervorkian Candidate would ever stand in the middle of that street and be a Cross guard? You guys are really funny!

Suspension repairs? LOL  Wow, who cares about repairs! Great, We need to do our part to support the local economy, Right? You guys are such hypocrites. Remember what your home taxes pay for in the states? Yes, Schools! How much do you pay in property taxes here ? I'll bet that you could repair the suspension in your car every year and still not get even close, to what you spent on your property taxes up North! 

My wife made me laugh after she read some of these comments. She said that "Most of you old gringos wouldn't even be allowed to drive back in Canada or the States. You want to live North American rules? Give up your driving rights!!!!" LOL

By the way, The traffic Police here, are State Officials and not local employees!

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36 minutes ago, Chamanelo said:

I got a good laugh out of the posts!  Next step will be asphalt or concrete topes, Just like in San Juan! I hope they put the ones like those that were in front of the  old Army check point! A traffic light would be great , but that is just wishful thinking!

Who other than some crazy Kervorkian Candidate would ever stand in the middle of that street and be a Cross guard? You guys are really funny!

Suspension repairs? LOL  Wow, who cares about repairs! Great, We need to do our part to support the local economy, Right? You guys are such hypocrites. Remember what your home taxes pay for in the states? Yes, Schools! How much do you pay in property taxes here ? I'll bet that you could repair the suspension in your car every year and still not get even close, to what you spent on your property taxes up North! 

My wife made me laugh after she read some of these comments. She said that "Most of you old gringos wouldn't even be allowed to drive back in Canada or the States. You want to live North American rules? Give up your driving rights!!!!" LOL

By the way, The traffic Police here, are State Officials and not local employees!

You called it beautifully!

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On 4/17/2017 at 4:56 PM, JayBearII said:

The speed "bumps" go in by day, they are taken out by night, they are put in again, they are taken out again. I apologize for my black sense of humor, but I find this amusing. Does the person who takes out the speed bumps at night wear a mask? Does he/she go out after midnight? There seems to be a quiet war between the people who put in the speed bumps and those who take them out. I am very curious.

And yes, I am in favor of crossing guards with safety vests and flags, but admittedly, that will be a dangerous job, the way people drive around here.

In Mexico this is considered creating jobs.

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