BajaNomad

Saved on the Cabo Pulmo Road

Paulclark - 2-11-2013 at 04:59 PM

On Saturday my wife broke down on the East Cape Road, alone, and experienced the Mexico we know. The first group along, young men in a pickup, stopped to see what the problem was and helped her fix a disconnected gas line, and promised to phone me as soon as they were in an area with cell phone reception. A short distance down the road she broke down again and a second car stopped to help, and then carried on and tried to phone me and left messages with people I knew. The next car stopped and went to work finding the cause of the problem -- and found it to be a broken shock which allowed the car to bounce enough in the rear to cause the gas line to disconnect. Problem solved and by that time i arrived and all was well. I continued to town and she went home -- on my way to town there were people coming out to help her who had heard she had problems and couldn't contact me.............Baja Telegraph system at work. Great safe place to live, with people always willing to help each other.

David K - 2-11-2013 at 05:15 PM

Good news... :biggrin:
Isn't that same road that 'volcano' thought she was being the victim of a future crime? :?:

DENNIS - 2-11-2013 at 05:46 PM

Great story, Paul. Thanks.

DavidE - 2-11-2013 at 06:16 PM

Yep, now that's Mexico. A couple of years ago I had to practically rewire a headlight harness that fell onto an exhaust manifold. The old man and his wife apologized for not having any money. I told him with a smile "No es la costumbre" and they beamed at me. Friends are made with the heart not the wallet.

DianaT - 2-11-2013 at 06:23 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by David K
Good news... :biggrin:
Isn't that same road that 'volcano' thought she was being the victim of a future crime? :?:


Your point?

DENNIS - 2-11-2013 at 07:08 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by DianaT
Your point?




Jeeeezo......don't ask.

DianaT - 2-11-2013 at 07:12 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by DENNIS
Quote:
Originally posted by DianaT
Your point?




Jeeeezo......don't ask.


OK, I won't. :biggrin:

Udo - 2-11-2013 at 07:16 PM

That really was a welcomed story especially with the crime-related one in the same area.

THANKS!

Hook - 2-11-2013 at 08:47 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Udo
That really was a welcomed story especially with the crime-related one in the same area.

THANKS!


:lol:

What crime was that?

wilderone - 2-12-2013 at 09:44 AM

I concur - when I experienced my sudden tire blow-out, the first truck that came along was a Mexican who passed me slowly, turned around 100 yds. past me and offered to change my tire. Good thing - cuz my jack was not in my car (where I had seen it 2 years ago). In contrast, the next car that passed me was a gringo in a big white truck going way too fast passing by as I was limping along 5 mph until I could get to a place to get off Mex. 1. The gringo never looked my way. My, how times have changed.

absinvestor - 2-12-2013 at 10:16 AM

Wilderone- I can relate to the no jack problem. I had a flat in Mulege. I had been shopping in town and when I noticed the tire it was flat to the rim. I had a jack but the car was so low I was having a problem getting the jack far enough under the car to actually use it and since the frame was so low the jack wouldn't raise far enough to get the tire off the ground!! And, the stock handle that comes with the jack was so short I couldn't get enough leverage to untighten the lug bolts!! Within minutes I had three Mexican kids helping. One ran to a neighboring house to get a "real jack" with a real handle while a second kid went looking for a block of wood to get under the jack so the car could be raised. Within about 10 minutes they had the tire changed, the flat tire in the car and a big smile on their faces. I offered them money but they just smiled and said no charge. (Luckily I had some cokes and a package of cookies that that they accepted.) There may be a Mexican not willing to help a traveler in distress but I haven't yet found him/her.

durrelllrobert - 2-12-2013 at 10:46 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by absinvestor
Wilderone- I can relate to the no jack problem. I had a flat in Mulege. I had been shopping in town and when I noticed the tire it was flat to the rim. I had a jack but the car was so low I was having a problem getting the jack far enough under the car to actually use it and since the frame was so low the jack wouldn't raise far enough to get the tire off the ground!! And, the stock handle that comes with the jack was so short I couldn't get enough leverage to untighten the lug bolts!! Within minutes I had three Mexican kids helping. One ran to a neighboring house to get a "real jack" with a real handle while a second kid went looking for a block of wood to get under the jack so the car could be raised. Within about 10 minutes they had the tire changed, the flat tire in the car and a big smile on their faces. I offered them money but they just smiled and said no charge. (Luckily I had some cokes and a package of cookies that that they accepted.) There may be a Mexican not willing to help a traveler in distress but I haven't yet found him/her.

I had a dead battery and no jumper cables but a Mexican, who also had no cables stopped, removed the battery from his car and placed it upside down, terminal to terminal, on mine and it worked. Damn clever.

David K - 2-12-2013 at 10:49 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Udo
That really was a welcomed story especially with the crime-related one in the same area.

THANKS!


Thanks Udo... you made my point!:lol:

luv2fish - 2-12-2013 at 11:16 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by David K
Quote:
Originally posted by Udo
That really was a welcomed story especially with the crime-related one in the same area.

THANKS!


Thanks Udo... you made my point!:lol:


Or future point.:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

David K - 2-12-2013 at 11:18 AM

Right!! :light:

BajaBlanca - 2-12-2013 at 09:12 PM

what a great story !!

Welcome to baja !

captkw - 2-12-2013 at 09:20 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by absinvestor
Wilderone- I can relate to the no jack problem. I had a flat in Mulege. I had been shopping in town and when I noticed the tire it was flat to the rim. I had a jack but the car was so low I was having a problem getting the jack far enough under the car to actually use it and since the frame was so low the jack wouldn't raise far enough to get the tire off the ground!! And, the stock handle that comes with the jack was so short I couldn't get enough leverage to untighten the lug bolts!! Within minutes I had three Mexican kids helping. One ran to a neighboring house to get a "real jack" with a real handle while a second kid went looking for a block of wood to get under the jack so the car could be raised. Within about 10 minutes they had the tire changed, the flat tire in the car and a big smile on their faces. I offered them money but they just smiled and said no charge. (Luckily I had some cokes and a package of cookies that that they accepted.) There may be a Mexican not willing to help a traveler in distress but I haven't yet found him/her.

wilderone - 2-13-2013 at 11:30 AM

"... the car was so low I was having a problem getting the jack far enough under the car to actually use it and since the frame was so low the jack wouldn't raise far enough to get the tire off the ground!!"

Same problem for me. What he did was find a large rock that kinda angled on one side. He told me to drive ONTO it with that wheel! I didn't understand the problem until I did so - raising that end about 6 inches, enabeling him to put his bottle jack where it should go. Lesson(s) learned (see my shiny new jack from Harbor Freight)!

volcano - 2-14-2013 at 11:04 AM

yes, I have many good stories as well out there to match my one bad story