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jrbaja
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4863
Registered: 2-2-2003
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Which incident
was the one that "snuck up" on you? Honesty is a pretty common thing amongst the Mexicans with just a few exceptions. Honest !
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Mike Humfreville
Super Nomad
Posts: 1148
Registered: 8-26-2003
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In my experience I've been helped far more than I've been taken advantage of.
Here's a story I've repeated many times but still true.
We were living in a hut, south end of Bahia de Los Angeles in 1974. My wife and I had come into the village for a fiesta. Late at night the wind
came up, by the time we left it was very dark and blowing hard. My wife dropped her purse and the funds for our entipe year-long trip blew away in
the west wind. We were 100 feet from the water.
Folks saw our situation and scrambled, grabbing for the almost invisible $100 bills. Within 2 minutes they had collected all they could find and
given them back to us. Out of $1900 we got back $1600. Against all odds, the villagers has spotted and retrieved almost all of our money. I'd bet
some lucky fisherfolk were considering themselves blessed the next day when they motored up to a $100 bill floating atop the Sea of Cortez.
Like I said, it's my old story but ever so true.
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Keri
Super Nomad
Posts: 1393
Registered: 10-31-2002
Location: La Mision, Baja Norte
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Mood: muy contento
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my vacation would have been gone
. I left my wallet in the KFC in Ensenada at the counter. My daughter and I had gone down the night before we were to leave on vacation . We wanted
cold fried chicken for our trip so Kfc sounded good. We got back home and there was a call from KFC mamagement that I had left my wallet there. I had
all our vacation money in it $1000 . We went back to pick it up expecting all the money to be gone. It was all there and they would not take any
reward money. so my daughter and I went to the DAX store and the bakery and filled 2 giant shopping bags full of goodies and took it back to the KFC.
We put it on the counter and told the manager it was for all the workers and Thanked them very much again for saving our vacation. This is the norm
not the exception. k  
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A-OK
Nomad
Posts: 162
Registered: 9-11-2004
Location: San Diego
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Mood: faded
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My friend and I buzzed up the beach from Percebu to San Felipe and stopped in for some fish tacos and a cold one at the malecon. While puting back on
my riding gear I left my wallet on the table. We were all the way back to the house when I found it missing. I raced back and prepared for the worst
scenario since that was the first day of our vacation and pulled up to the taco shop. The waiter came over and handed me my wallet before I could
remove my helmet. It had everything in it. I tryed to offer him $60 but he refused any reward.
I have also been bit a few times in Baja as well, but that usually had to do with Federalies and crooked wanna be cops.
I am more comfortable down south than I am in general up here.
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Dave
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6005
Registered: 11-5-2002
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Hose A
I lost gas every Thursday for weeks |
Ever heard of locking gas caps?
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jrbaja
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4863
Registered: 2-2-2003
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Hose A
I am extremely envious of your catching them.
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jrbaja
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4863
Registered: 2-2-2003
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That's beautiful !
Too bad you weren't using a 30-06 to hobble around with.
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Me No
Banned
Posts: 444
Registered: 11-24-2003
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The only times I have been ripped off in the last four months that I have rented a house in Baja is by the gringos.
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synch
Nomad
Posts: 316
Registered: 9-14-2004
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Mood: wandering...
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Is the "mistaken change counting" a typical gas station rip-off?
In order to prevent it would you prefer not filling up but just purchasing by price, say 200 pesos worth?
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jrbaja
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4863
Registered: 2-2-2003
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Only by the dishonest ones.
Which is one of the reasons I always suggest using pesos rather than dollars.
Here's the deal. They will have some of your change in one hand and the rest in the other. If you are not aware of the exchange rate, you are doomed
anyway. And if you are unfamiliar with pesos and mathematically challenged, they will hand you the first handful as if it's a done deal. They will
then watch your face.
Now, it's up to you to read the pump, see how much you originally gave him, and what the change is.
Generally, just the look of "where's the rest" will recover all of it.
I think these guys are counting on the education we gringos received in public education in the states!
And who are the dummies ?
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elgatoloco
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4342
Registered: 11-19-2002
Location: Yes
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I always just pull up and tell them 400 pesos worth, please. 
MAGA
Making Attorneys Get Attorneys
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synch
Nomad
Posts: 316
Registered: 9-14-2004
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Mood: wandering...
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Just what I thought!
Seems like the smart way to prevent getting change.
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Hook
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9011
Registered: 3-13-2004
Location: Sonora
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Mood: Inquisitive
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Exact peso order.....
...is fine IF you are only driving short distances. But if you are intent on squeezing every possible drop in your tank as you depart from El Rosario
to, say, Gonzaga or G.N. and you're towing something, it isnt practical.
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mcgyver
Nomad
Posts: 444
Registered: 8-22-2003
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To avoid all the trouble you must do as jr baja has said: learn pesos, know the exchange rate, watch the pump. learn to count in Spanish, at least up
to twenty, preferabably 100.
Hook I have the careless habit of shoving bills and credit cards into a shirt pocket, three times I have been stopped by a Mexican in Baja and the
bills I dropped returned. Don't know how many were not but when I dropped a ten in Walmart a guy grabbed it and ran!
BTW did anyone see the report that a store clerk took a 200 dollar bill with Kerrys picture on it and gave them 100 in change??
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Dave
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6005
Registered: 11-5-2002
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| Quote: | Originally posted by jrbaja
Which is one of the reasons I always suggest using pesos rather than dollars.
Here's the deal. They will have some of your change in one hand and the rest in the other. If you are not aware of the exchange rate, you are doomed
anyway. And if you are unfamiliar with pesos and mathematically challenged, they will hand you the first handful as if it's a done deal. They will
then watch your face.
Now, it's up to you to read the pump, see how much you originally gave him, and what the change is.
Generally, just the look of "where's the rest" will recover all of it.
I think these guys are counting on the education we gringos received in public education in the states!
And who are the dummies ? |
Oh, I get it. Blame the victim if he is dumb and/or mathematically challenged.
Intent to defraud is a criminal act, not a cute parlor trick.
Fleecing dumb gringos is not the kind of publicity Mexico needs. Station operators who are aware of this scam should fire employees who use it.
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JESSE
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3370
Registered: 11-5-2002
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Unless your in a pueblo somewhere in Baja, you need to be careful with your things and the way you do business here, theres plenty of Mexican thieves
around to take advantage of those that arent to careful.
Baja is no longer full of Baja Californians, every year theres more and more people from the mainland, and many of those people arent here to make an
honest living, watch your back.
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jrbaja
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4863
Registered: 2-2-2003
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Or perhaps
learn yer Gazintas!
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marla
Nomad
Posts: 287
Registered: 10-29-2003
Location: Long Beach
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Personally I have found scrupulously honest Americans and scrupulously honest Mexicans, dishonest Americans and dishonest Mexicans. The only
differnece to me is when the Mexicans have been honest or dishonest it usually involved a sum of money that was nothing to me and vast to them.
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MrBillM
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 21656
Registered: 8-20-2003
Location: Out and About
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Mood: It's a Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah Day
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Caveat Emptor
I learned my lessons at a tender age when I would go to Caliente Race Track in Tijuana
with my Dad. I was about 10-12 and he would give me his winning tickets to cash at the
window. I think it gave him a kick that they would cash tickets for an obviously underage
kid. It also allowed him to sit on his ass and drink. Anyway, I was warned from the first
time that the cashier would try to short me. Sure enough, the common trick was to count
out MOST of the winning quickly and then stop. If you looked at him waiting for the rest,
he would continue.
It is a lesson that has served me well for 45+ years. During that time, aside from a few
incidents in Mexican Bordellos in my youth, 99 percent of the questionable transactions
have been at Gas Stations, especially at unmetered locations or when paying in dollars.
I haven't paid for gas in other than pesos for the last 10 or more years, the only except-
ion has been at the self-serve pumps in San Felipe with a posted exchange rate. Even
then, I always pay for an amount that I am sure won't require change.
On the other hand, I have had many pleasant experiences with local shopkeepers who
could have kept some of my change without my knowing it.
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synch
Nomad
Posts: 316
Registered: 9-14-2004
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Mood: wandering...
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mcgyver wrote:
"Hook I have the careless habit of shoving bills and credit cards into a shirt pocket, three times I have been stopped by a Mexican in Baja and the
bills I dropped returned. Don't know how many were not but when I dropped a ten in Walmart a guy grabbed it and ran!
Note to self:
Follow mcgyver around Wal-Mart and watch the floor behind him
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