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apple
Nomad
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Registered: 11-4-2013
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Letter to the Editor says 'ex-pats' should set an example by stopping at stop signs
Page 16 of last week's Baja Citizen
http://www.bajacitizen.com/Editions/November202013115.pdf
"Could you please let your readers know that a stop sign is a stop sign and it means STOP? It doesn’t matter what others do. Where I come from, we
stop and most ex-pats know better. I have seen way to many car accidents because drivers don’t stop. We need to be the
example and stop.
Thank-you for your time.
Susan H."
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pauldavidmena
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Apart from being "the right thing to do", it just might save a life.
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David K
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Have you been to La Paz? I stopped at each stop sign, and locals cruise right by and seem to think I just arrived from another planet! LOL 
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El Jefe
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Make a complete stop at a stop sign to set an example and get rear ended by the guy behind you. Sure thing.
No b-tchin\' in the Baja.
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DENNIS
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| Quote: | Originally posted by apple
We need to be the example and stop.
Thank-you for your time.
Susan H." |
Susan H. is a totally offensive idiot.
What Mexicans repel from most, is the great, self-righteous, northern neighbor telling them how to act.
Read some history books, Susan.....you total mo-ron.
"YOU CAN'T LITTER ALUMINUM"
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MrBillM
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Setting an Example
For the LOCALS ?
Yeah, Right.
I've lost count of the number of times I've come close to being rear-ended by a local when I've stopped at a stop sign with no cross-traffic.
The ultimate, of course, being when they roar past making gestures and mouthing BAD words.
They "apparently" missed the lesson.
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monoloco
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| Quote: | Originally posted by pauldavidmena
Apart from being "the right thing to do", it just might save a life. |
It might also get you rear-ended.
"The future ain't what it used to be"
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monoloco
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In Mexico, a stop sign is just a suggestion. I've actually had people blaring their horns because I didn't proceed through a red light when there was
no opposing traffic.
"The future ain't what it used to be"
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vgabndo
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So, what do you guys in Bahia Asuncion do at the stop sign in front of the Police Department, and what do the locals most often do?
Just curious.
Undoubtedly, there are people who cannot afford to give the anchor of sanity even the slightest tug. Sam Harris
"The situation is far too dire for pessimism."
Bill Kauth
Carl Sagan said, "We are a way for the cosmos to know itself."
PEACE, LOVE AND FISH TACOS
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MrBillM
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Don't THEY say ?
"When in Rome, do as the Dagos do ?"
AND in Baja ?
I'm always reading and hearing that, as foreigners, we should respect and follow local custom to avoid insult and embarrassment.
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aguachico
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Mood: logic cannot get thru to the illogical
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Stop signs? Red lights are suspect to interpretation.
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shari
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well, the stop sign in front of the police department...I pretty much almost stop at that one...my tires may stop rolling for a second sometimes but
mainly I come to a near stop, look both ways and continue on through...learning from the locals who set the example for me.
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rts551
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| Quote: | Originally posted by shari
well, the stop sign in front of the police department...I pretty much almost stop at that one...my tires may stop rolling for a second sometimes but
mainly I come to a near stop, look both ways and continue on through...learning from the locals who set the example for me. |
my son got a ticket (request for mordida) for rolling through that sign on his quad.
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bacquito
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| Quote: | Originally posted by apple
Page 16 of last week's Baja Citizen
http://www.bajacitizen.com/Editions/November202013115.pdf
"Could you please let your readers know that a stop sign is a stop sign and it means STOP? It doesn’t matter what others do. Where I come from, we
stop and most ex-pats know better. I have seen way to many car accidents because drivers don’t stop. We need to be the
example and stop.
Thank-you for your time.
Susan H." |
Welcome to the group apple. As you can see we are an expressive group!!
[Edited on 12-15-2013 by bacquito]
bacquito
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weebray
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Here is my rejoinder to Susan H. as printed in the Dec. 9th edition of the Baja Citizen. Note that I had to bite my tongue and temper my usual
sarcastic demeanor to get this printed.
Susan H.
I am afraid you have failed to consider the traffic patterns in La Paz through the eyes of the people that live here. We have been driving in La Paz
since the early 90's and have observed the "system" of treating a stop sign more like a yield sign actually works quite well. It does take a bit of
rethinking but once you get the hang of it you will be amazed at how well it works. It's a no brainer to slow down and look to see if anyone is going
to arrive at the crosswalk before you. If not, just proceed without stopping. I know it's not the way we do it up north but look around, we're not
"up north". Increased accidents??? The statistics say no, for the most part people respect the "system". You will encounter the aggressive driver
that pushes on though he may not really have arrived first, no problem, just defer and smile. There is a side benefit here too. Many thousands of
gallons of gasoline are saved and large amounts of pollution are avoided by this system. This is not a joke and a relaxation of the strict "full stop
behind the sign" rule could and should be adopted up north saving millions of gallons of fuel and pollution. But at $300 per infraction in LA (I
looked it up) it ain't gonna happen. Some other things you should know about La Paz: 1) Always come to a full stop on Revolucion at the corner of
Degollado. This particular corner is a known $$$$ trap for unsuspecting miscreants. (look for the cop hiding behind the Telcel trailer) 2) Be on
high alert at night and on Sundays when the drunks are out. They can be very aggressive and/or distracted. Read dangerous. 3) Be very careful that
the cross traffic has a stop sign. This is one place I have seen a number of accidents. (some study required) I recommend you integrate with
caution but adapt rather than criticize. You really are mucking up the system as well as aggravating people when you come to a full stop. The
Mexican people are very practical. Their lives are based on something we could use a whole bunch more of in the US and Canada - common sense!
Saludos, Bobby Ray
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Bajaboy
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| Quote: | Originally posted by rts551
| Quote: | Originally posted by shari
well, the stop sign in front of the police department...I pretty much almost stop at that one...my tires may stop rolling for a second sometimes but
mainly I come to a near stop, look both ways and continue on through...learning from the locals who set the example for me. |
my son got a ticket (request for mordida) for rolling through that sign on his quad. |
I'll bet he stops next time. Every so often, they will check for seat belts, too.
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805gregg
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Location: Ojai, Ca
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In La Paz I stopped for all the stop signs and also for pedestrians, I figure you have to show how a civilized citizen acts, they will learn, remember
when there was all the trash along the highways?
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larryC
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Bola has hit the big time, our main road through town is now complete and there is a new wall to represent a malecon. Along with all that we now have
7 stop signs going north and 7 going south. There is even a stop sign for a driveway. The locals here many times don't even slow down. I usually stop
unless there is a local behind me then I only slow a little cause I know he will rear end me if I stop. There is so little traffic in this town that I
don' blame the locals for running the stop signs. They are a lot of overkill.
Larry
Off grid, 12-190 watt evergreen solar panels on solar trackers, 2-3648 stacked Outback inverters, 610ah LiFePo4 48v battery bank, FM 60 and MX60
Outback charge controllers, X-240 Outback transformer for 240v from inverters, 6500 watt Kubota diesel generator.
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Pacifico
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| Quote: | Originally posted by larryC
Bola has hit the big time, our main road through town is now complete and there is a new wall to represent a malecon. Along with all that we now have
7 stop signs going north and 7 going south. There is even a stop sign for a driveway. The locals here many times don't even slow down. I usually stop
unless there is a local behind me then I only slow a little cause I know he will rear end me if I stop. There is so little traffic in this town that I
don' blame the locals for running the stop signs. They are a lot of overkill.
Larry |
7 stop signs each way in BOLA? That's ridiculous!
"Plan your life as if you are going to live forever. Live your life as if you are going to die tomorrow." - Carlos Fiesta
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laventana
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Registered: 8-24-2006
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As an engineer I look at it from the standpoint of numbers, cost benifit... would love to see numbers on accident and deaths per mile driven with
this system vs others..
From my observations this method does not appear to be any more dangerous. I just have never seen an accident at a 4 way stop sign intersection
in LaPaz or in the USA. But that is anecdotal, so we need the numbers from a real study. then we can calculate the net benifit is reduced wear
and tear on brakes and human efficiency in point a to point b and gas savings less pollution.
I saw a presentation on the web by ted forum on this subject.
found it
http://www.ted.com/talks/gary_lauder_s_new_traffic_sign_take...
his calculation is a stop sign each direction costs a society 2 million a year in the usa.
He did not take into account the wear and tear on the car.
[Edited on 12-15-2013 by laventana]
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