BajaNomad - Constitucion's traffic lights

Constitucion's traffic lights

vandenberg - 11-18-2009 at 04:06 PM

Drove through Constitucion today on my way to La Paz.
The city fathers either had a new brainstorm or decided they couldn't afford the electric bill for their series of traffic lights and let them all go dark. Not a one working. Put up a few stop signs at some of the intersections and now the traffic runs through town at a healthy clip with no backed up cars anywhere.
Maybe Washington should recruit these people. :biggrin:

comitan - 11-18-2009 at 04:13 PM

Great news going north through CD tomorrow.

dtbushpilot - 11-18-2009 at 05:35 PM

Don't forget about the speed limit on the main drag. I think its 25 kph or something slow. We were fortunate to have meet one of Constitucions finest just past the last light a couple of trips ago. Unfortunately I was speeding....fortunately I was a good negotiator....200pesos.......dt

JESSE - 11-18-2009 at 05:51 PM

They where down because of the storm, and the city can't afford to pay for repairs.

Didn't you know Baja sur is on the verge of bankrupcy?

Bajahowodd - 11-18-2009 at 05:59 PM

Figured as much. They cannot afford to repair. Still wonder if those silly looking light standards are the result of some hijinks in DF. After all, you can see the same light standards in the mini malecon in Punta Abreojos.

JESSE - 11-18-2009 at 06:11 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bajahowodd
Figured as much. They cannot afford to repair. Still wonder if those silly looking light standards are the result of some hijinks in DF. After all, you can see the same light standards in the mini malecon in Punta Abreojos.

Nope, its all southern baja brain powered politician. :lol:

mulegemichael - 11-18-2009 at 09:29 PM

dt...was pulled over by one of constitucions finest also a few years ago...i made the horrible mistake of stopping on top of, but not before, one of their stop bars at an intersection...he made me follow him to a remote part of town and then the negotiation began...ended up with $20 too...damn!...i said, "take me to the police dept."...and he replied, "sorry, it's sunday..closed!"...don't drive through this town on the sabbath

arrowhead - 11-18-2009 at 09:50 PM

I guess Mexico making number 89 on the corruption index is well justified.

vandenberg - 11-18-2009 at 09:58 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by arrowhead
I guess Mexico making number 89 on the corruption index is well justified.

69 would have been more appropriate, "they screw you every which way"

monoloco - 11-19-2009 at 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by mulegemichael
dt...was pulled over by one of constitucions finest also a few years ago...i made the horrible mistake of stopping on top of, but not before, one of their stop bars at an intersection...he made me follow him to a remote part of town and then the negotiation began...ended up with $20 too...damn!...i said, "take me to the police dept."...and he replied, "sorry, it's sunday..closed!"...don't drive through this town on the sabbath

They always use the police station is closed routine there. I made the mistake of going the wrong way down a one way street last year and one of their finest was on me immediately. He started out by trying to extract 1000 pesos from me, and I said let's go see the juez, then he got on his cell phone and said the office was closed until 4:00, this was about 2:00 and offered to settle up for 400 pesos, I said that I had nothing to do and would wait, then he came down to 200 pesos, so I offered to give him a 100 pesos and when he excepted I started to go through my ashtray for ferriacita taking my time and finally he said to just forget it. I have found that they usually start to get nervous if you stall them long enough and the price comes down.

JESSE - 11-19-2009 at 06:10 PM

The police station is NEVER closed. Simply tell the cop to take you to the closed Police station.

Dave - 11-19-2009 at 06:16 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by JESSE
The police station is NEVER closed. Simply tell the cop to take you to the closed Police station.

I'm dying. :lol:

That's the funniest thing I've ever read.

monoloco - 11-19-2009 at 06:30 PM

That is good I'll use that next time.

Phil S - 11-19-2009 at 07:04 PM

We came through Monday morning. Most of "those" traffic lights 'pointed down' to the pavement. And no electricity attached to them. So we breezed right through them.

osoflojo - 11-20-2009 at 12:20 AM

I have not seen a working traffic light there in years, except maybe the one by the San Carlod turnoff.

BooJumMan - 11-22-2009 at 09:35 AM

I think you guys are lucky.

During my last trip in August of this year, I think it took us a good 30 minutes to get through Constitucion.

Every traffic light worked, and everyone turned red for us. We'd wait about 5 minutes at each one...

On the way back, I just took the side streets, as did the rest of the locals.

CaboRon - 11-23-2009 at 07:35 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by JESSE
They where down because of the storm, and the city can't afford to pay for repairs.

Didn't you know Baja sur is on the verge of bankrupcy?

That is because the money that should be going to the city coffers to fix the streets and other infrastructure never makes it past the pockets of the mordida gatherers.

rhintransit - 11-23-2009 at 07:41 AM

I've got to go to Constitucion tomorrow so I'll check out the latest and greatest. but I'll definitely try to avoid checking out the cops and the open and/or closed police station...
by the way, anyone know directions to Calle Miguel Hidalgo? dental place...