Taxi hostages and running the gauntlet!

[drl]

The trouble with actions of this sort is that the people who suffer for it—whether they fear for their safety, or missing their flight, or their COVID tests expiring—are not the people responsible for the problem. When tourists are harassed for a situation not of their making, it leaves a bad taste in people’s mouths. I love Coz and will continue to dive there, but if that happened to me on my first time I probably wouldn’t go back. We all joke about the taxi mafia, but when they are threatening your safety it’s not a joke any longer.

 

[ggunn]

The trouble with actions of this sort is that the people who suffer for it—whether they fear for their safety, or missing their flight, or their COVID tests expiring—are not the people responsible for the problem. When tourists are harassed for a situation not of their making, it leaves a bad taste in people’s mouths. I love Coz and will continue to dive there, but if that happened to me on my first time I probably wouldn’t go back. We all joke about the taxi mafia, but when they are threatening your safety it’s not a joke any longer.

Using "civilians" as leverage by protestors is a common tactic. A few years ago a large group of bicyclists here in Austin blocked some major streets to make some point or other. They held up traffic for a couple of hours and the folks stranded in their cars couldn't help them achieve their goals (whatever they were) at all, and they were not sympathetic to the cyclists.

 

[gopbroek]

I can't help but think that with the municipal election on Sunday that there wasn't some political muscle flexing going on here.

 

[gopbroek]

Using "civilians" as leverage by protestors is a common tactic. A few years ago a large group of bicyclists here in Austin blocked some major streets to make some point or other. They held up traffic for a couple of hours and the folks stranded in their cars couldn't help them achieve their goals (whatever they were) at all, and they were not sympathetic to the cyclists.

Some of the protesters last June in front of our local high school decided to increase their presence by blocking traffic on main street during rush hour, which they were warned not to do. A few rounds of tear gas cleared them out.

 

[ChuckP]

I can't help but think that with the municipal election on Sunday that there wasn't some political muscle flexing going on here.

That has nothing to do with it - the taxis are with Pedro - this crap happens all the time, you folks as few time a year visitors just don't hear about it

 

[cvchief]

Well, lets ask this question. Let's say you are in NYC and your hotel contracts do give you a tour of the city. They load you up on an old school bus that is not registered as a CMV, the driver does not have a CDL for driving buses and they don't the business permit from the NYC. (I am just assuming NYC need a permit, because it, well, its NYC)

And it doesn't matter if they are tourists or not. The gov has given the concession to transport people for money around the island to the Taxis. The gov granted the right to transport from the airport to the shuttle groups.

If the flight crew is getting a shuttle, that would likely be illegal too. The only other transport you see is the 'free' employee transport to and from the hotels.

For instance, those dive op that 'pick you up' on the way to the marina are breaking the law too. They are including transport as part of their paid service. The taxis will have a fit with that too.

I know there is at least one op the pays the taxi for you. That is a nice legal perk for their clients.

 

[cvchief]

I can't help but think that with the municipal election on Sunday that there wasn't some political muscle flexing going on here.

Nah, I remember the story of the tour group from Mexico City came on their tour bus on the car ferry. They got stopped. Everyone got off and got in a taxi.

It's a strong union. Like old school teamsters....

 

[ggunn]

Nah, I remember the story of the tour group from Mexico City came on their tour bus on the car ferry. They got stopped. Everyone got off and got in a taxi.

It's a strong union. Like old school teamsters....

Precisely. This is nothing unique to Cozumel or even to Mexico. Even in the US people have been killed in labor disputes. This incident is pretty small potatoes.

 

[SlugLife]

Using "civilians" as leverage by protestors is a common tactic. A few years ago a large group of bicyclists here in Austin blocked some major streets to make some point or other. They held up traffic for a couple of hours and the folks stranded in their cars couldn't help them achieve their goals (whatever they were) at all, and they were not sympathetic to the cyclists.

Maybe that's why people in Austin absolutely HATE cyclists so much. I never quite understood why or really asked.

Well, lets ask this question. Let's say you are in NYC and your hotel contracts do give you a tour of the city. They load you up on an old school bus that is not registered as a CMV, the driver does not have a CDL for driving buses and they don't the business permit from the NYC. (I am just assuming NYC need a permit, because it, well, its NYC)

And it doesn't matter if they are tourists or not. The gov has given the concession to transport people for money around the island to the Taxis. The gov granted the right to transport from the airport to the shuttle groups.

If the flight crew is getting a shuttle, that would likely be illegal too. The only other transport you see is the 'free' employee transport to and from the hotels.

For instance, those dive op that 'pick you up' on the way to the marina are breaking the law too. They are including transport as part of their paid service. The taxis will have a fit with that too.

I know there is at least one op the pays the taxi for you. That is a nice legal perk for their clients.

I don't care. It's exactly zero fks to give. I just don't care.

"But it's illegal because" Whatever their dispute, rules, local politics, etc ... I just REALLY don't care. Are the taxis right, the shuttles, the police, or the airport? Don't know, don't care. I go on vacation to get away from politics, and that kind of nonsense.

There was another thread I read here this week about someone who had an absolute disaster of a time trying to get basic medical care around a decompression incident in Cozumel. Why do they have that problem? Again, I don't care why, just that they do have that problem. As far as a vacation spot ... I mean I haven't written Cozumel off yet, but these kinds of stories at least spell out there may be some risks involved, which knocks it a little further down my places to maybe visit.

 

[ReefHound]

Has anyone figured out yet that some aspects of Mexico are not about pleasing, showing gratitude and wanting you to come back? There has to be some phrase for the concept of - "I have you standing in front of me now, I am going to squeeze every possible peso out of you - I only care about todays bread ".

There is. It's call "short-sighted".