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Passing on highways with paved shoulders


ComputerGuy

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Just got back from Barra and Melaque, and as usual was pleased to see the "rules of politeness" still in effect on the roads along the coast. There is a particularly long stretch of good highway going north from Manzanillo through the "Mexican Riviera". Mostly one lane each direction, but very-well paved with wide shoulders. Slower vehicles almost without fail will pull over and continue driving partly on the shoulder, so you can pass. Cars coming at you will also pull over to their shoulder, to give you more space.

Lakeside we have two such stretches: San Juan Cosala to Jocotepec, and from the Las Redes area at the boulevard end of Chapala out to Vista del Lago and beyond. The difference is most drivers here don't honour the  habit: in particular, expats and tourists. This could simply be a case of now knowing. But it would be nice if they did. Generally speaking, flashing your headlights and honking only makes most of them keep a dead grip on the center of the lane.

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This time, Kilt, you have no clue. Since you are making your knee-jerk response in anger, let me explain: one doesn't pass in the face of oncoming traffic, fer crissakes. One passes normally, but gets extra allowance that doesn't require stupid bull-headed charging that causes potential danger for everyone.

Of all the people on this board, I wasn't expecting you to be the one to react this way to a worthy option.

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If oncoming traffic is impeding your passing, don't pass. I am probably going way over the speed limit and again, I do not wish to dodge the holes, litter, and rocks on the berm, so patience dear sir, pass when it is clear to do so safely.

 

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CG has portrayed one version of using the wide shoulders. MacT is talking about the other version..... where oncoming traffic DOES get into one’s lane expecting 1) the vehicle they are passing to move over onto their shoulder but as important 2) ONCOMING traffic to pull into their shoulder lane to allow the ‘passer’ clear passage. This is usually done while the passer has his/her (NO, this Mexico... I’ll just say HIS!) left turn blinker on. This appears to give carte blanc approval for the procedure. 

This ‘culture’ is somewhat maddening for foreigners and non-believers to come to grips with. Not to speak of the potential danger of such maneuvers. MacT would appear to be one of them. But it is done throughout Mexico and quite effective as long as everyone knows ‘the game’. I do it, except when my wife is in the car. Then I usually don’t do it because I cannot stand to hear/see grown people on the floorboard crying out ‘you are going to get us both killed!!!’.

 

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It is only done on very long stretches of open highway with the extra wide shoulders. Don't do it where you suggest it could  be done where there are: gas stations, busses, motos, bicycles, pedestrians, roads entering the highway, businesses, houses,  driveways, curves, hills, debris on the shoulder, livestock nearby and no one else is doing it. IMO

 

 

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The case RickS is talking about where people pass when there is oncoming traffic and so you wind up with 3 cars abreast is exactly what we encountered on the toll roads between here and Mazatlan last week.  It was rather hair raising at times but I got used to it as there was no other choice.  The problem we encountered were people passing with on coming traffic and wanting more room than you had to give.  We wound up inches away from some of these vehicles especially if they were passing an 18 wheeler.  I was very glad we had been warned about this practice so that when I saw for the first time another vehicle coming head on I knew what was happening and didn't panic.

I will also note that on the quota road we did not find trash on the shoulders because this is common practice and they are kept up the same as the highway.  Nor did we encounter pot holes.  This was an extra blessing for sure.

 

 

 

 

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True that some Mexican drivers have no idea what the parameters are of the vehicle they are driving. This is why they come very close to you on your side with 2 meters of clearance on the otherside when passing. They have to  be thinking their clearance is a couple of feet only not a couple of meters or why would they do it? I see this phenomenon often in Mexico. Cities and highways.

Ever watch some drivers leave or enter a parallel parking spot? Back up one meter from the car behind, stop, go forward  turning the wheel to one meter to the car in front, stop, go back again turning the wheel to one meter from the car behind, stop, go forward turning the wheel to one meter to the car in front, stop, go back turning the wheel to one meter to the car behind, stop, then pull forward slowly to about 1/2 a meter to the car in front and park. There is about 2 1/2 to 3 meters behind their car and the one behind. 

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It never ceases to amaze me when otherwise-intelligent people try to give out lessons on life and driving to fully-aware posters, who make a comment but don't feel the necessity to spew reams of otherwise-obvious disclaimers every time they make a comment.  We are not all morons, so please stop suggesting we are. Say you like it or you don't like it; don't presume for a second that we haven't already gone over the options.

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1 hour ago, ComputerGuy said:

It never ceases to amaze me when otherwise-intelligent people try to give out lessons on life and driving to fully-aware posters, who don't feel the necessity to spew reams of otherwise-obvious disclaimers every time they make a statement.  We are not all morons, so please stop suggesting we are. Say you like it or you don't like it; don't presume for a second that we haven't already gone over the options.

What?  Are you talking about me?  I posted an experience, not...well, never mind.  

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That's actually nice to hear, Computer Guy. In Puerto Vallarta, those shoulder lanes are often used in the exact opposite, and extremely rude way. Many drivers use that shoulder lane to whiz past the traffic in the regular lanes, then deek in ahead of everyone else, forcing everyone to slow down and let them in if they don't want to get creamed. Once when there was major construction on the bridge over the Rio Ameca, which resulted in everyone having to drive at a crawl, as the 2 lanes were being funneled into one, there were transitos who were busting drivers for doing this, but most of the time they seem to ignore it. 

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35 minutes ago, More Liana said:

What?  Are you talking about me?  I posted an experience, not...well, never mind.  

No, certainly not about you. They know who they are. In fact, one or two here with whom I am often at odds are with me on this.

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On 2/18/2019 at 8:53 AM, ComputerGuy said:

Just got back from Barra and Melaque, and as usual was pleased to see the "rules of politeness" still in effect on the roads along the coast. There is a particularly long stretch of good highway going north from Manzanillo through the "Mexican Riviera". Mostly one lane each direction, but very-well paved with wide shoulders. Slower vehicles almost without fail will pull over and continue driving partly on the shoulder, so you can pass. Cars coming at you will also pull over to their shoulder, to give you more space.

We drove back from Barra yesterday and noticed the same. It was pleasant.

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It may be polite to drive on the shoulder to let people pass but it is not so polite to other drivers and it is illegal to drive on the shoulder (acotamiento). You could get a ticket for doing that and it can be dangerous. I have seen 4 cars going abreast in the same direction between San Juan Cosala and Jocotepec. Scary especially when cars come onto the highway from side roads.

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Seems to me one needs to find out how driving in done in a new country and join in, or you risk more accidents and possibly death. NOB, my cousin was ticketed because he moved over to let a hwy patrol pass and the hwy patrol gave him a ticket for driving on the shoulder. That is how it is done NOB, but not here.

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10 hours ago, Hud said:

Seems to me one needs to find out how driving in done in a new country and join in, or you risk more accidents and possibly death. NOB, my cousin was ticketed because he moved over to let a hwy patrol pass and the hwy patrol gave him a ticket for driving on the shoulder. That is how it is done NOB, but not here.

It will be done here eventually as it is dangerous and illogical. It maybe was safer here when traffic moved much slower.

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14 hours ago, El Cartero said:

In many areas and many countries this driving style is the norm.   Think about on coming traffic using this manuver.   He is in your lane, you are legally in your lane and going to stay there and be dead right!

In that case, I reserve the right to make the lane thief's butt pucker.

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That's right, typical expats trying to force their ways on another country's standards. How about trying this: go to a glorieta in Guad, say La Minerva, and try to stay in the outer ring all the way around, because that makes sense, right? Then enjoy the panic as a bus or two from the inner circle crosses three lanes right in front of you. I tried to force them to do it my way when I first got here, because it was so illogical to me. I learned right some quick.

Or how about this: drive through the main drag of Chapala in the "slow lane" on the right. Go ahead, and then wonder why everyone is blocking your way because they are double-parked or looking for parking and stopping. Even better: make a turn at any retorno on the same street, and stay in your lane, which back home is the rightmost lane. See how many people praise you for "fixing it".

I have a better idea: take a trip to Iran or Iraq and if you are a woman, put on a skirt, or go bare-sleeved. Next, head over to a mosque and demand to be heard in English. Or open a Christian church. On a lighter note, then head over to Paris and demand fast service at a restaurant...

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