Scam or bureaucratic nonsense at 28th parallel

[tony_lee]

Pulled up at the agricultural inspection point at the Baja tuning fork expecting either a detailed inspection or a wavethrough, but instead the official demanded 20 pesos. For what? I asked. Disinfection, he said pointing to the narrow grill on the road from which a very fine mist was issuing and rising maybe 6" off the road surface. I also queried the motley assortment of vehicles that were bypassing me and was told they were army. 20 pesos paid and a receipt given.

Seems a bit of a joke given that the grid was so narrow that 90% of each wheel would not get sprayed and I doubt the very fine low pressure spray would have reached the underside of the MH anyway.

Be interesting to know what was in that spray.

Reminded me of a similar situation down in South America. We crossed a river and then drove into the Chile border where we completed the usual formalities and then three SAG people came out, one with a backpack spray on and two supervisors, to spray for Didymos (a snot-like algae they are trying to stop spreading). So with great care and ceremony he went around the car spraying the wheels and door sills to the point of run-off and then the boss indicated it was all complete and we could go. I got down on my knees and very pointedly looked under the car to see that the entire underside and the inside of the wheels were all completely unsprayed even though they had been fully submerged in the infected river. Doh!!!
At least that spray was free.

[moisheh]

In many of the small villages there are persons without any official documents. They may have been what we used to call illegitimate children or they never were baptized or their parents were very uneducated. If the Church never filed any papers you really do not exist. No pension, no voting rights, no dispensas and more. Very sad.

Moisheh

[navegator]

The Social Security now requires that a "retire" check in person every six months with the S-Security office, if they are not mobile an agent will go to verify that the person is still living.

The big companies pay half and the employee the other half, it is still a money maker for the "politicos" and aviadores but some do have a little benefit versus nothing, they are trying to raise the minimum wage but inflation is pretty bad everything is going up, and I know I am currently in Mexico City.

This is starting to cut down on the fraud, there is a long way to go there are persons that draw salaries and pensions from the various government entities that have never worked there, they are called "aviadores" fliers, so 20 pesos to have the underside of the RV "fumigated"is not that bad, I bet that none of you have seen a Canadian big brown bear paw flee in Baja, so the misting seems to be working.

navegator, LOL

[moisheh]

The Senior workers at the Supers are not working for fun. They either receive no pension or one that is very small. They should not be working but need that money to survive. This is another example of a government not meeting the needs of the people. Meanwhile there are thousands of retired or dead people still drawing a salary.

Moisheh

[Talleyho69]

At Ley, in particular, they use "retired" people of both sexes that have returned to the workforce for one reason or another.

[navegator]

Some of those kids that bag the groceries actually help maintain the house hold so that mom and siblings have some food and shelter, a lot of absent fathers and the government does not help at all.

navegator

[briansue]

In Mexico one distributes the wealth, 5 pesos to the parking attendant, 5 pesos to the kid that bags your groceries

There have been times when I didn't want to roam around the store while Sue did the shopping so I sat in the car and watched the parking lot guys. Here is my take.....

1 - they help you find a parking space and stop traffic to help you get in

2 - they watch the cars so nobody messes with them

3 - they pick up litter around the parking lot and try to keep it neat and clean

4 - they help you load your groceries into your car - they will wheel your cart out for you and take it back to the store for you

5 - they help you back out of your space and will stop traffic to make sure you can back safely

6 - in some cases they will wash your car - or at least your windows for a very reasonable fee

7 - sometimes they have cardboard to cover your windshield so the Sun doesn't cause your car to overheat

We see the Mexicans tip them so we tip them too - they do provided a service and they don's just stand around begging - they work for the few pesos we give them

The grocery baggers are usually kids working after school for a little spending money or to save up for future education - we always tip them too.

As far as the Ag Check spray in the Baja - it has been there forever and will probably always be there - it may not work but the effort is there to protect the Ag products we all like to eat - no bugs means good food - we like it.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

Back in the 'good ol' days' a lot of fruit and veggies in BCS tiendas looked like Swiss cheese. Vizcaino with Cd Constitución produce about fifty times the fruit and vegetables of San Quintín and Lazaro Cardenas.

Don't have any idea how well or unwell the spray works. It is supposed to be primarily aimed at citrus and strawberry produce protection. One dollar twenty two cents at today's tipo de cambio.

The military vehicles only travel as far as Bahia de Los Angeles and the entronque. From there north, the ejercito and marinas from Lazaro Cardenas have the area. So the military range is rather limited. They are required to spray vehicles before sending them from the mainland, so I'm told.

But "forget" to declare a sack of avocados headed north and US Customs will remind you about the real meaning of "Service Charge".

[navegator]

In Mexico one distributes the wealth, 5 pesos to the parking attendant, 5 pesos to the kid that bags your groceries at Walmart, its not going to bankrupt us and they are happy, so a 20 peso coin for some refresco is part of life in Mexico, when in Rome do as the Romans, when in Mexico do as the Mexicans and live la vida loca and enjoy life.

navegator

[tepetapan]

It was 20 pesos. I guess the nightly happy hour had to be cancelled due to low funds. The Mexican Army and their equipment is hardly motley in anyone's sense of the word.

[cgmartine]

As long as you at least get a receipt, I guess it is not being pocketed by the attendant. I passed by one not too long ago, and the jack ass just wanted me to
give him some money for a soda.

[John___Angela]

It was there when we crossed. Don't remember the price. Very little though. Everybody had to have it done. It was pretty quick.

[Lenny_K]

Now that's funny... lol

[navegator]

They are spraying for Canadian big brown bear paw flees, since the bears hibernate in winter the fleas go south to Baja, ergo the chassis mist.

navegator

[robatthelake]

That Spraying Staion has been in operation since long before the first trip that We made down the Baja in 1999! It was ten Pesos back then!