Biking in Mexico City
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Biking in Mexico City
New York Times May 15, 2005
https://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/15/tr.../15T-BIKE.html
Mexico City has 3.5 million cars. Behind many a wheel is a maniac who believes that red lights are optional and that the right of way is a God-given entitlement. For the true urban biker, navigating this megalopolis offers an asphalt-enhanced adrenaline rush unmatched in the States. Last year, Mexico City unveiled a new 56-mile bike path, but the real action is still on the chaotic avenues. For a street survival course, join Bicitekas, a radical urban bike group, on a weekly ride; it's free, and there's safety in numbers. Go to www.bicitekas.org.
https://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/15/tr.../15T-BIKE.html
Mexico City has 3.5 million cars. Behind many a wheel is a maniac who believes that red lights are optional and that the right of way is a God-given entitlement. For the true urban biker, navigating this megalopolis offers an asphalt-enhanced adrenaline rush unmatched in the States. Last year, Mexico City unveiled a new 56-mile bike path, but the real action is still on the chaotic avenues. For a street survival course, join Bicitekas, a radical urban bike group, on a weekly ride; it's free, and there's safety in numbers. Go to www.bicitekas.org.
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I've heard various places, Mexico City included, have a sort of "aggro" or "macho" ethic, in other words, you're expected to "stand up for yourself" rather aggressively, which can result in problems when drivers from there come here to the US and drive in our reletively more passive driving culture. I've run into the "aggro" thing in small-town Arizona, so it exists in the US too. It sucks.
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[QUOTE=lilHinault]I've heard various places, Mexico City included, have a sort of "aggro" or "macho" ethic, in other words, you're expected to "stand up for yourself" rather aggressively, which can result in problems when drivers from there come here to the US and drive in our reletively more passive driving culture. I've run into the "aggro" thing in small-town Arizona, so it exists in the US too. It sucks.[/QUOTE Driving in Mexico City is a very different attitude than here.It is amazing that the city of Distrito Federal works as well as it does.Completly chaotic. New York is a sleepy little town in comparison. D.F. is like no other place on earth. It is a crisis waiting to happen. Because of the economic crisis, population, envioromental contamination, social problems, is why so many educated "chilangos" ( habitantes of Mexico City) are immigrating here, legally and otherwise. I have a good friend, who was a veternarian, and an engineer of quality control for Volkswagen S.A. de Puebla, who immigrated here. Why? Because he is over 40 yrs. old. (45) and it is legal to discriminate against workers , age discrimination in Mexico. He cant find work to support his family. Be this as it may, I love Mexico City. It is facinating, beutiful, crazy.
Last edited by chicharron; 05-17-05 at 03:17 PM.
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Necesita huevos grandes para montar en bicicleta en Mexico, DF.
Anyway, great link. My helmet is off to these two-wheeled Aztek warriors.
Anyway, great link. My helmet is off to these two-wheeled Aztek warriors.
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Indeed big eggs yup.
Mexico is the most insane place to be in the world. I would not want to ride a bike nor a car their ever again. Pretty cool city to though
Mexico is the most insane place to be in the world. I would not want to ride a bike nor a car their ever again. Pretty cool city to though
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Way cool that they are developing more for bicyclists but, yes, Mexico City is a mad house (traffic wise) and I would never consider driving a car there because driving a car would seem too dangerous, to me, the typical US driver. There is definitely a different attitude with drivers in el D.F. and it seems to work for them, but I would need to re-learn my driving skills. I have wondered how they would co-operate with cyclists doing VC...
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chicharron: Do you know what the Segundo Piso they're talking about is? Is it an upper-deck freeway or something?
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Originally Posted by caloso
chicharron: Do you know what the Segundo Piso they're talking about is? Is it an upper-deck freeway or something?
I know one thing, they dont need anymore freeways in DF.
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Usually just Sabado Gigante and the occasional futbol game, but maybe I'll look at Primer Impacto.
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My God man, where did you dig this thread up? Aggressive as far as I can tell and it's not en español.
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A girlfriend of mine was living in Mexico City while she was pregnant. About a week before her due date, she was hit by a motorist there who decided to run a red. He didn't even stop for her. She and her daughter were very lucky, but she got a poor surgeon who damaged her bladder.
Anything anyone can do to slow down those homicidal maniacs would be an improvement.
Anything anyone can do to slow down those homicidal maniacs would be an improvement.
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Yes. She was halfway across the street. He turned a corner into the street she was crossing and just barreled through the red and she went flying over his windshield. He never even slowed down.
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"Real wars of words are harder to win. They require thought, insight, precision, articulation, knowledge, and experience. They require the humility to admit when you are wrong. They recognize that the dialectic is not about making us look at you, but about us all looking together for the truth."
"Real wars of words are harder to win. They require thought, insight, precision, articulation, knowledge, and experience. They require the humility to admit when you are wrong. They recognize that the dialectic is not about making us look at you, but about us all looking together for the truth."