Safety and Sense in Mexico
One of the first things for a tourist to notice in Mexico is what appears to be laxer safety standards. Although many safety exhortations are posted by the highway, most drivers take them as “serving suggestions” rather than laws of the land. Similarly, I was shocked to see kids playing in piles of dirt beside the contruction work going on in El Jardin. Walking in San Miguel, for that matter, is very much an at-your-own-risk project. Steep sidewalks, cobblestone streets, and bright sun at altitude can add up to a much higher possibility of falling over than the average American pedestrian may be used to.
Part of the reason for this is the lack of stupidity lawsuits as we have had in the States. Here in Mexico, you own your own mistakes–if you insist on walking on the sunny side of the street at midday, what you get is sunstroke, not any legal settlement for the lack of signs on the streets. Should your car crash because hot coffee spilled in your lap, yep, it’s
Same thing applies to shopping. Most groceries come from separate vendors in the mercado, not one huge supermarket. For instance, tortillas are something that one rarely buys in the grocery store–there’s
