AKgringo
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5818
Registered: 9-20-2014
Location: Anchorage, AK (no mas!)
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Mood: Retireded
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A new scam in La Paz!
Well it was new for me anyway. I came out of the Walmart in La Paz, and a very helpful young man pointed out that one of my wiper blades was damaged.
He just happened to have a handful of used blades though, and could put one on for only two hundred pesos! I told him in very broken Spanish to leave
my car alone.
About that time, a Walmart employee showed up, (I think to run this guy off) and I told him there was nothing wrong with my wiper until this kid found
my car (remember, my Spanish is terrible).
There was nothing the employee could, or would do for me, but he ran the guy and his associate at the other end of the parking lot off! I am sure
that they probably were getting their inventory from the same parking lot.
I told the owner of the camp I am staying at about this, and she said she had heard of the same thing happening at the Home Depot across the street.
It rained hard here a week ago, and the wiper was fine. I know that the kid cut it!
If you are not living on the edge, you are taking up too much space!
"Could do better if he tried!" Report card comments from most of my grade school teachers. Sadly, still true!
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mtgoat666
Select Nomad
Posts: 17336
Registered: 9-16-2006
Location: San Diego
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Mood: Hot n spicy
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High poverty rates, little opportunity for the poor, and failings of human nature, in an urban environment -- they all combine to make con men and
petty criminals
Been like that since dawn of time.
Will be like that forever.
Woke!
“...ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” “My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America
will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”
Prefered gender pronoun: the royal we
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bajabuddha
Banned
Posts: 4024
Registered: 4-12-2013
Location: Baja New Mexico
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Mood: Always cranky unless medicated
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Bein venidos a Mexico.
I don't have a BUCKET LIST, but I do have a F***- IT LIST a mile long!
86 - 45*
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BajaBlanca
Select Nomad
Posts: 13165
Registered: 10-28-2008
Location: La Bocana, BCS
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how about this one: there is a rash of Christmas tree decorations being stolen in San Diego! Can you believe it? Honestly....
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Lee
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3455
Registered: 10-2-2006
Location: High in the Colorado Rockies
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Quote: Originally posted by AKgringo  | Well it was new for me anyway. I came out of the Walmart in La Paz, and a very helpful young man pointed out that one of my wiper blades was damaged.
He just happened to have a handful of used blades though, and could put one on for only two hundred pesos! I told him in very broken Spanish to leave
my car alone.
About that time, a Walmart employee showed up, (I think to run this guy off) and I told him there was nothing wrong with my wiper until this kid found
my car (remember, my Spanish is terrible).
There was nothing the employee could, or would do for me, but he ran the guy and his associate at the other end of the parking lot off! I am sure
that they probably were getting their inventory from the same parking lot.
I told the owner of the camp I am staying at about this, and she said she had heard of the same thing happening at the Home Depot across the street.
It rained hard here a week ago, and the wiper was fine. I know that the kid cut it! |
I understand the dude was selling blades. Was he standing at your car? Was he claiming he could see your blade was damaged? Strange.
If so, sure would think it's a scam.
US Marines: providing enemies of America an opportunity to die for their country since 1775.
What I say before any important decision.
F*ck it.
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willardguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6451
Registered: 9-19-2009
Member Is Offline
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 ...enterprising young men, gotta love em! my favorite is the car washers,
they've figured out if they smear some dirt around while you're in the OXXO you'll pay em not to touch your car! brilliant!
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weebray
Super Nomad
Posts: 1094
Registered: 7-19-2010
Location: La Paz
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Mood: lleno
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Same as it ever was. Wiper blade salesmen have been around for decades. BTW your blades probably were trash anyway. These guys don't go around
damaging them no matter what you think. The only way to get your blades to last for a year or more is to take them off and put them in the trunk. El
Sol in Baja wins every time. As an aside your plastic headlight covers will be smoked in a couple of years without protection.
Every beautiful beach in the world needs a few condo towers - NOT.
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bajaguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9247
Registered: 9-16-2003
Location: Carson City, NV/Ensenada - Baja Country Club
Member Is Offline
Mood: must be 5 O'clock somewhere in Baja
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Wiper blades
Change 'em every year, and use Rain-X twice a year
https://www.rainx.com/product/glass-water-repellents-cleaner...
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bkbend
Senior Nomad
Posts: 693
Registered: 11-27-2003
Location: central OR or central baja
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Weebray -- any hot tips on protecting the headlight covers?
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motoged
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6481
Registered: 7-31-2006
Location: Kamloops, BC
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Mood: Gettin' Better
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Plastic headlight covers can be cleaned/renewed with toothpaste ... or Coca Cola....youtube it ! 
Don't believe everything you think....
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kiterkip
Nomad
Posts: 139
Registered: 10-17-2010
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Some of these "scams" might be just the right thing at times. Right? On the mainland I've seen and heard of guys that will polish the plastic
headlight lens covers. It's a task I've tried at home and lost patience, too tedious & time consuming. Talked to a gringo once who was very happy
with the plastic treatment. And in some mainland towns (Guadalajara) I really really liked my local car wash guy as he always saved my parking space,
watched my car, washed my car (with 5 gallons of water) all for around $3 USD.
And, if your like me regarding wiper blades where I know the age of the blade and replace every 12 months.... then a wiper guy would be appreciated.
Just as long I could inspect the packaging first.
[Edited on 12-19-2016 by kiterkip]
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AKgringo
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5818
Registered: 9-20-2014
Location: Anchorage, AK (no mas!)
Member Is Online
Mood: Retireded
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About the headlights....I have polished the yellow haze off with commercial products, but had better luck using Deep Woods Off, insect repellant.
After seeing what it can do to the plastic lens, I will only use it on myself out of desperation!
Weebray, I am picky about my wiper blades, especially since the Kia spends more time in rain and snow that it does in the hot sun. It is my winter
ride in northern CA, and is covered in the summer when I am up north.
I let the Pemex guys clean my windshield, but I clean my wiper blades myself to get rid of road film and bug guts. There was nothing wrong with that
wiper blade a few days before the parking lot bandito tried to sell me a used one!
If you are not living on the edge, you are taking up too much space!
"Could do better if he tried!" Report card comments from most of my grade school teachers. Sadly, still true!
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bajaguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9247
Registered: 9-16-2003
Location: Carson City, NV/Ensenada - Baja Country Club
Member Is Offline
Mood: must be 5 O'clock somewhere in Baja
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Headlights
These work great. Have them on my Ram 2500 headlights and "fog' lights for 6 years now, no problems.
http://www.weathertech.com/lampgard/
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weebray
Super Nomad
Posts: 1094
Registered: 7-19-2010
Location: La Paz
Member Is Offline
Mood: lleno
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| Quote: Originally posted by kiterkip | Some of these "scams" might be just the right thing at times. Right? On the mainland I've seen and heard of guys that will polish the plastic
headlight lens covers. It's a task I've tried at home and lost patience, too tedious & time consuming. Talked to a gringo once who was very happy
with the plastic treatment. And in some mainland towns (Guadalajara) I really really liked my local car wash guy as he always saved my parking space,
watched my car, washed my car (with 5 gallons of water) all for around $3 USD.
[Edited on 12-19-2016 by kiterkip] |
With all due respect 5 gal. of water to wash a car in the desert, or anywhere in fact, seems rather wasteful to me.
Every beautiful beach in the world needs a few condo towers - NOT.
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philodog
Nomad
Posts: 163
Registered: 10-9-2010
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I just had a guy in the La Paz Walmart lot offer to polish my headlights for 100 pesos. They were in bad shape so I let him have a go at it while I
shopped. They looked awesome when I came out! Much better than buying the polish and doing it myself.
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