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Bajahowodd
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9274
Registered: 12-15-2008
Location: Disneyland Adjacent and anywhere in Baja
Member Is Offline
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A Baja Cactus Experience
I'm gassing up at the Pemex across the street from Caracoles in Guerrero Negro in advance of our trip up to Ensenada. A nice young woman pumping the
gas asked me if I wanted the windshield cleaned. Of course.
When the hose clicked-off, the pump read exactly 290 pesos. The woman removed the nozzle without attempting to top it off. I suspect that she felt
that any possible tip might be jeopardized if she ran the meter up.
No biggie to me, as I had plenty of gas to make it to El Rosario. I gave her an additional 10 pesos over and above the ten she would keep from the 300
I paid on the 290 charge.
Off we go.
Arrival at the Baja Cactus Pemex was at 2PM. As I pulled in, I noted the pump jockeys were taking readings from the pumps. Apparently a shift change.
The station continued to fill with customers who could not buy gas, as the attendants were all just standing around the office.
Figuring I could make good use of the down time, I headed for the Men's room. As I approached, one of the uniformed attendants grabbed a mop and gave
the floor a quick swipe just ahead of my arrival to this mostly al fresco bano.
I stood at the urinal and all of a sudden heard someone say, "Mira!". Looking to my right, there stood the guy with the mop holding up a styrofoam cup
with the word "Propinas" emblazoned on it.
Looking around, I noticed the restroom was devoid of both toilet paper and paper towels.
Thus, I responded to him, "No papel; no propina".
Back out by my car, still no one pumping gas. As the wait approached 15 minutes, I regretted not asking the girl in Guerrero Negro to top off my tank,
as if I'd had just a tad more showing on the gauge, I would have kept traveling on the the Los Pinos Pemex.
Finally, after about 15 minutes the signal was "go". An attendant approached me. I requested a fill-up with Magna, whereupon, instead of grabbing the
hose, he spun around and went back to the cashier, reached in and grabbed a container of gasoline additive, came back and offered to sell it to me.
All this before the nozzle was inserted.
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Pompano
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8194
Registered: 11-14-2004
Location: Bay of Conception and Up North
Member Is Offline
Mood: Optimistic
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Sounds like a typical nice day's drive on the Baja road. Congrats..it's always a great adventure, isn't it?
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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Skipjack Joe
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8084
Registered: 7-12-2004
Location: Bahia Asuncion
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Bajahowodd
A nice young woman pumping the gas asked me if I wanted the windshield cleaned. Of course.
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I once had a car wash I won't soon forget.
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mtgoat666
Select Nomad
Posts: 18388
Registered: 9-16-2006
Location: San Diego
Member Is Offline
Mood: Hot n spicy
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Bajahowodd
Looking around, I noticed the restroom was devoid of both toilet paper and paper towels.
Thus, I responded to him, "No papel; no propina".
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someone said that if you show your baja nomad membership card they give you a key to the executive washroom at the motel. next time, just flash your
gold card!
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Bajahowodd
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9274
Registered: 12-15-2008
Location: Disneyland Adjacent and anywhere in Baja
Member Is Offline
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Something like that! But why should one need to walk down to the hotel lobby just so they can wash their hands after a wiz? And don't you think it
just a tad cheeky to pick up the tip cup and shove it in my face?
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BajaBlanca
Select Nomad
Posts: 13197
Registered: 10-28-2008
Location: La Bocana, BCS
Member Is Offline
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rts551
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6699
Registered: 9-5-2003
Member Is Offline
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Had similar experiences here. Gas attendants at the diesel pump asking for their propina. One uttered Pin... Gringo under his breath when he didn't
think it was enough. I get the impression it is expected now by these attendants.
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tripledigitken
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4848
Registered: 9-27-2006
Member Is Offline
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It seems that the owner needs to tune-up the employees. With the new Los Pinos station south of San Quintin, the necessity for many to make that fill
up in El Rosario doesn't exist anymore.
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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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A Potty Kit
Ah, ain't it fun.......we always travel in the the US and Baja with a self designed "potty kit" that contains toilet paper, seat covers, spray
disinfectant, hand wipes, waterless hand cleaner and hand sanitizer........luck favors the prepared!!!!
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bajabass
Super Nomad
Posts: 2016
Registered: 10-4-2006
Location: La Paz,BCS
Member Is Offline
Mood: Want to fish!!!
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Hey, at least the pumps are honest, right??? I felt like I was being ignored there once, again, a shift change was going on. I've dealt with worse at
other Pemexs. Oh well, stretch the legs, long drive till I stop again usually. No hijack, but poor service, sin propina!
Keep your eyes on the road, and your hands upon the wheel!
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Bajahowodd
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9274
Registered: 12-15-2008
Location: Disneyland Adjacent and anywhere in Baja
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | Originally posted by tripledigitken
It seems that the owner needs to tune-up the employees. With the new Los Pinos station south of San Quintin, the necessity for many to make that fill
up in El Rosario doesn't exist anymore. |
Exactly! I've been using the Los Pinos station since it opened. Just wasn't sure I had enough to go the additional 40 or so miles.
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rts551
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6699
Registered: 9-5-2003
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | Originally posted by tripledigitken
It seems that the owner needs to tune-up the employees. With the new Los Pinos station south of San Quintin, the necessity for many to make that fill
up in El Rosario doesn't exist anymore. |
And the Marketing Manager for Los Pinos is a NOMAD!
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Pompano
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8194
Registered: 11-14-2004
Location: Bay of Conception and Up North
Member Is Offline
Mood: Optimistic
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I never use ANY Pemex bathrooms anywhere. I don't even open those doors....period.
Here's is a slightly different experience I had at Baja Cactus Pemex.
Plus....This is one of the reasons I always stop to fill or top-off whatever I'm driving at this Pemex in El Rosario.
This happened in 2009 on my way south in 'Road Warrior', my thirsty motorhome. I climbed down out of the coach and reached in my pocket for my
reading glasses...and then asked for a 'Yay-No', por favor.
The shortest of these two attendants stepped behind me and picked up something I had dropped when pulling out my glasses...and showed it to me...Wow!
A $100 bill. Careless of me, tsk tsk.
That C-note return buys a lot of good will from me..and a nice reward of 500 pesos to the attendant for being so honest. Bravo!
I came back north a couple months later in my diesel Dodge..and met the same nice-mannered attendant again. He remembered me and we had some
photo-fun with a different 100-dollar bill. Fun times!
But not another 500 peso reward..not this time, anyway. 
Guess how many Pemex stations that would happen at?
Guess how many more times I will be topping off at Baja Cactus Pemex?
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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tiotomasbcs
Super Nomad
Posts: 1837
Registered: 7-30-2007
Location: El Pescadero
Member Is Offline
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No service, no propina! By the way, any reports on service and litros "completos" at Los Pinos. Their business history is not too shiny. Tio
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mtgoat666
Select Nomad
Posts: 18388
Registered: 9-16-2006
Location: San Diego
Member Is Offline
Mood: Hot n spicy
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Bajahowodd
Thus, I responded to him, "No papel; no propina". |
| Quote: | Originally posted by Bajahowodd
And don't you think it just a tad cheeky to pick up the tip cup and shove it in my face? |
i find it a bit disconcerting that wealthy, successful people (relative to el rosario standards) are commenting on the behavior of the very lowest
servant, the bathroom attendant. this is normally a job given to the disadvantaged, and your snippy comments about bathroom attendant asking you for
a couple pesos is displaying a shocking lack of empathy. the guy is probably dirt poor, living in poverty,... can't you find find someone else to
complain about? crikey! get some humanity, dude
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rts551
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6699
Registered: 9-5-2003
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | Originally posted by tiotomasbcs
No service, no propina! By the way, any reports on service and litros "completos" at Los Pinos. Their business history is not too shiny. Tio
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When I fill our fuel jugs with premium they are right on the mark.
Unlike the Vizcaino station where somehow they can squeeze 23 litres into my 5 gallon (19 ltr) jugs.
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MMc
Super Nomad
Posts: 1679
Registered: 6-29-2011
Member Is Offline
Mood: Current
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Hah, Got to love the friend of the working man.
Why are we so quick to jump to ideas based on our own predigest, using unverified facts.
Someone post their experiences as they lived it and we all know more about it then they do?
What is in the hart of the protagonist? No problem, I can answer.
[Edited on 10-27-2011 by MMc]
"Never teach a pig to sing it frustrates you and annoys the pig" - W.C.Fields
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64855
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Bajahowodd
...
Arrival at the Baja Cactus Pemex was at 2PM. As I pulled in, I noted the pump jockeys were taking readings from the pumps. Apparently a shift change.
The station continued to fill with customers who could not buy gas, as the attendants were all just standing around the office.
Figuring I could make good use of the down time, I headed for the Men's room. As I approached, one of the uniformed attendants grabbed a mop and gave
the floor a quick swipe just ahead of my arrival to this mostly al fresco bano.
I stood at the urinal and all of a sudden heard someone say, "Mira!". Looking to my right, there stood the guy with the mop holding up a styrofoam cup
with the word "Propinas" emblazoned on it.
Looking around, I noticed the restroom was devoid of both toilet paper and paper towels.
Thus, I responded to him, "No papel; no propina".
Back out by my car, still no one pumping gas. As the wait approached 15 minutes, I regretted not asking the girl in Guerrero Negro to top off my tank,
as if I'd had just a tad more showing on the gauge, I would have kept traveling on the the Los Pinos Pemex.
Finally, after about 15 minutes the signal was "go". An attendant approached me. I requested a fill-up with Magna, whereupon, instead of grabbing the
hose, he spun around and went back to the cashier, reached in and grabbed a container of gasoline additive, came back and offered to sell it to me.
All this before the nozzle was inserted. |
What day was this Howodd? I will talk to Antonio and see what is going on, or hopefully get him to respond directly.
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sanquintinsince73
Super Nomad
Posts: 1494
Registered: 6-8-2010
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | Originally posted by mtgoat666
| Quote: | Originally posted by Bajahowodd
Thus, I responded to him, "No papel; no propina". |
| Quote: | Originally posted by Bajahowodd
And don't you think it just a tad cheeky to pick up the tip cup and shove it in my face? |
i find it a bit disconcerting that wealthy, successful people (relative to el rosario standards) are commenting on the behavior of the very lowest
servant, the bathroom attendant. this is normally a job given to the disadvantaged, and your snippy comments about bathroom attendant asking you for
a couple pesos is displaying a shocking lack of empathy. the guy is probably dirt poor, living in poverty,... can't you find find someone else to
complain about? crikey! get some humanity, dude |
From what I've been told, these people live off of the "propina" that is given to them. They have no salary.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64855
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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If the attendees have Pemex uniforms and Baja Cactus patches on their hats, they are paid... and Antonio pays a higher wage than the law dictates or
typical in El Rosario.
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