Monday, September 20, 2010

Karl Won't Leave Us Alone

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

After all we went through with the last hurricane now we are facing similar if not worse conditions with Karl. The rain hasn't stopped for four days now and today was a real humdinger.

I went into town around 4 p.m. to drop off my reports for Mazatlan at the FedX office. Just leaving the house I got caught in a downpour. The highwas was stopped, traffic pulled over on the shoulder waiting for it to let up. It never did so I kept moving. As I got into town, I always listen to talk radio in Spanish, the news came on and said we were being hit by the worst of the hurricane.

As of yesterday some of the areas that were affected in the last hurricane got dumped on again and all the reconstruction that has taken place in those areas is being undone. Of course, these are all homes in the 200K to 300K (u.s.) range and they all want to live on the hillsides so they can have a great view. I guess we'll never learn.

The good news is that our new sidewalk and entrance ramp is doing a wonderful job of holding back the water as our road is currently a small river. Some of you know that the road I live on has a dry riverbed in the middle and when it rains it can get as high as two meters. So here I come down the road and the stretch of water from one side to the other is at least 25 meters. I sat there until one of our neighbors came through with a pickup truck. I decided it was now or never. I made it without a hitch.

On A More Frustrating Note

I read the Rv.Net forum daily and my favorite forums are the Snowbirding, Folding Trailers and Mexico South America. I came across some talk about rv insurance for Canadian rvers spending time in the U.S. and Mexico. I find in very interesting that the hassles are the same to visit the U.S. no matter where you are from. Getting in and out of the country, or staying there, can be a real pain in the ass.

One insurance company was mentioned and the poster included a link for the FAQ section. I went over to read it and this is what I found. Talk about scare tactics:

Get out of jail "Free" card: On top of this, most gringos don't know that should you have an accident in Mexico , the usual method of settling the matter is for the Federalies to lock you in the clink for a few nights, until things are sorted out. Our package includes a bond to make sure that this will not happen to you.

I decided to send the following mail showing my concern for such information and you will see the reply I got. Amazing.

I have been reading a thread on the rv.net forum regarding insurance for Canadians who travel in and out of the U.S. Rv.Net Canadian Vehicle Insurance in USA .

As an rver and Mexican resident who deals with Canadian and American rvers during winter months via the forums; places to stay, roads and routes, guest stays at my house with rv connections, I find the topic interesting. I decided to check out your webpage and read the FAQ section and the Mexican insurance section.

I have known many Mexicans, Americans as well as Canadians who rv in Mexico and some who have had accidents. You state the following:

Get out of jail "Free" card: On top of this, most gringos don't know that should you have an accident in Mexico , the usual method of settling the matter is for the Federalies to lock you in the clink for a few nights, until things are sorted out. Our package includes a bond to make sure that this will not happen to you.

This information is false, gives Mexico and it's highway patrol and police deparrtments a bad name in addition to their already tarnished reputation thanks to the current situation in Mexico . As in the U.S. and Canada , if you kill someone in an accident, you will be detained no doubt. In Mexico , you may be detained until the situation is resolved when the accident is your fault, you are under the influence of alcohol, drugs or using a cellphone, and the other party in the accident does not have insurance, or you run over someone.

In accidents where there are no major injuries, or you or not at fault, a police report is taken and adjusters appear on the scene to resolve the issue, authorize repairs, and tow the vehicles if necessary. I have been able to obtain a check in two instances for Canadian rvers who had one of their vehicles stolen in less than two weeks versus the standard 30 days.

I take issue with your statement as it paints a picture of insecurity and lawlessness with a very wide brush, or better said, a scare tactic. You should be putting rvers in a foreign country and foreign language at ease not scaring them.

Thank you in advance for your time.

Reply from the insurance company:

Thank you for the info. Unfortunately, your information is very different from what we have seen happen and what our insurers have advised on. That is why U.S. insurers to post a bond so that the foreign driver can be released from jail within 24 hours. We are not trying to scare clients, we are trying to make sure that they are informed so that when they buy a policy, they can make sure that they have a policy that will post a bond, so that they are not unreasonably detained.
Having said that, I travel to Mexico annually and the last time I was there, had to pay a bribe the police to not detain me and give me a ticket for something that I had not actually done. So it goes with the territory...
I would rather have foreigners going in with their eyes open, knowing the worst, and being prepared for the worst, rather than going in with rose coloured glasses and then finding out that they are not prepared or covered for the worst.
Best regards,


I'm not saying it can`t happen but this company paints the picture as if it will happen, you will go to jail and you will pay through the nose. I think it's a bit exagerated. JMHO

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