Originally Posted by Santaria

Where I live, work and go to school there are some odd 'differences.'

1. Headlights. There are parts of downtown where a headlight signals the trannys, prostitutes and drug dealers that someone is coming. They're prone to grab at you, throw **** at you or swing at you. No, cops don't care. So calling them is a giant waste of time. This isn't your neighborhood. I promise the "I'm right, and the law says so!" mentality will get you in a world of hurt fast here.

2. Taillights are god. I agree with this.

3. If you think green means go, please get more insurance. Mexican nationals are well-known to cross against the green (pedestrians) and will stare at you even if you're flying 30 MPH at them screaming. They don't care. Hit them. You just made their family rich in their eyes.

4. Drivers see you as an inconvenience. If you squeeze up to the curb, they're going to push you up onto/into it. Period. You don't argue with them. They don't care.

So some rules I've learned riding in downtown traffic/anywhere in Brownsville

If there isn't a bike lane, you're a car. Period. Take the lane. They can see you, make them adjust. When I come to a red light, especially at 10 p.m. I check for cross traffic and go. I don't care who is behind me. It is very common to see a group of people (who I don't think are going to be nice) on corners near my work. There are 'alternate' routes but they are worse.

Example:

I was on a 2 mile run at 5:30 a.m. on a Tuesday running down one of the 'alternative' roads when I had two cars stop me. The first asked if I just crossed over, and was running from ICE. When I replied with "dude, I'm American." He replied "**** you gringo." Within a mile of that, I got stopped by a second car offering me crack "just up the street."

Brownsville/Matamoros downtown isn't the time to be 'right.'

I pass on the left, just like a car in cross traffic because I'm not going to get mugged/shoot or hit.
I don't dick around with yelling at people because it is VERY likely you're going to piss off someone in the cartel/zetas/godknows. People don't take kindly to flashing lights, yelling or horns.