Driving Test

To get a Mexican driver's license, please answer the following questions correctly.

When driving in Mexico, the yellow dotted line on the road is:
A. the divider between traffic travelling in opposite directions.
B. to show you where to position your car so you can straddle it in the center for miles on end as a permanent passing lane.

The right side of the white dotted line that is only wide enough for a micro compact car is for:
A. parking emergencies only.
B. the slower traffic lane.

Use of a left turn signal by the car in front of you means:
A. impending left turn.
B. it is the driver's esteemed opinion that it is safe to pass him even though there is an impending 90 degree turn in the road and he is going 70 MPH.

If you answered B to all questions, then you are on your way to qualifying as a driver in Mexico.  Some other rules include having the ability to create your own lane within a millimeter between two cars, using stop signs as suggestions and pulling out in front of other traffic.  The most important thing I've learned about driving in Mexico is that it isn't so critical to obey traffic laws.  It's more important to watch what other drivers are doing so you can avoid them.  One last item that grates my gills about driving in Mexico is the crappy, or lack thereof, road signs.  Especially since people park in any direction on the street, I never know for sure if I am driving the wrong way down a one-way street.

I could go on and on about the potholes the size of meteor craters or the "topes" AKA speedbumps to control traffic, but that is entirely a new post in itself. In fact, these topics may require their own blog.