Russian Blogger's Mexican Road Trip: A World Away from Traffic Police

Travel blogger Alexander, documenting his journey through Mexico on his '#делайчехочешь' Zen blog, found the local road culture to be a source of constant surprise. His observations paint a picture of a place with a distinctly different approach to traffic norms.

What struck him first was the common sight of people riding in the beds of pickup trucks. 'Some sit, some stand, some hold onto the sides,' he wrote. 'And it's all happening at speed. At first, I'd get tense watching these scenes. Now I see it as part of the local reality. But a part of me still thinks: in Russia, they'd definitely pull you over for that.'

He noted a patient, unhurried attitude from drivers when animals wandered onto the road. Cars would slow and navigate around them without a honk or visible frustration.

The blogger described speed bumps, or 'topes,' as appearing 'out of nowhere,' sometimes so high they felt like climbing a small curb, often with no warning signs. He also called Mexican roads an 'exhibition of engineering fantasy,' citing overloaded pickups with cargo spilling out, old cars held together with rope, and trucks that seemed to run 'on a wing and a prayer.' He once followed a car with its hood secured by a strap, moving calmly and confidently as if it were perfectly normal.

In a previous post, Alexander highlighted the cultural exchange, noting that Mexicans found the concept of -30 degree Russian winters as alien as Russians might find life on Mars.