The revolt of the tourists

(slight update: 9-Jan to correct an error in the second paragraph)

I don’t know who is right in this instance, but a small reminder that foreigners — tourists especially — should stay out of Mexican union disputes.

While the “pulmonias” (basically oversized golf carts with a VW chassis) and the ubiquitous “arregas” (chariots — pickup-trucks with benches in the bed), are highlighted in the tourist guidebooks as unique to Mazatlan, most taxi service is no different than anywhere else on the planet.  In Mazatlan, there are the “red” team and the “green” team (different owner’s groups, and different contracts with the drivers’ unions).  There are also yellow airport taxis and vans.  Taxis are not metered, but there are zone rates.  The fare to or from the airport is 250 pesos.  The rationale for the relatively high fare (besides the distance) is that city taxis cannot pick up fares AT the airport, so the trip back is reflected in the price.  Taxi transport FROM the airport is exclusively in the hands of the airport taxi group.  Tour operators can only take people TO the airport, if the passenger is part of a group that contracted for round-trip transport.  This is pretty much the same taxi regulations that exist anywhere, though it becomes a complicated issue in resort towns.

The tour-bus operator/taxi drivers’ union dispute has been going on for some time now, and is serious — but, as Manuel Guízar discoved in his excellent article in today’s Noroeste, it has comedic potential.

(my translation)

¡No más Mazatlán, no más Mazatlán!, seventy tourists chanted during a dispute that began when two tour buses from King David Tours were blocked from leaving for the airport by taxi drivers. .

At about 11 A.M, as the buses were preparing to depart for the airport from the Hotal Royal Villas on Avenida Camarón-Sábalo , cab drivers blocked the entry-way. At 11:35, an agreement was reached between the cabbies and the bus driver, allowing the buses to depart.

Within seconds, traffic was tied up when taxis double-parked in front of the Hotel El Cid. The bus passengers sat and watched the wildcat strike.

Transit and municipal police, hoping to unsnarl traffic, detoured through traffic via calle Ibis, through Fraccionamiento Gaviotas [a gated community]

David Perez, King David Tour’s owner, was called to the scene by police and traffic inspectors to present his permits to operate the buses.

“They [the taxi drivers] don’t want to work with the hotels, the tourism and streets officials. They’re saying we can only bring passengers from the airport, but that the taxi drivers are the only ones who can go to the airport,” Perez said.

David Medina, Negotiations Secretary for the red taxi union, explained that King David is operating without authorization, having sub-contracted services to a company that does not have a permit, Ole Tours.

“He [Perez] can transport passengers as long as he operates under his old contract, but he sub-let the job to an agency which does not have permission to transport passengers from the city to the airport,” Medina explained

While those involved in the dispute gave their opinions to the authorities, the passengers began to lose hope, some getting off the bus, taking out their cameras and recording the incident, and the behavior of the public servants.

“This can’t be happening. This is Mazatlán,” said one Canadian tourist, adding “I have used taxis all week, and now that I want to go back to my country, they don’t let a bus take us to their airport.”

Another anxious tourist added, “I spoke with my children in Canada, who are waiting for me. I’m worried I’ll miss my flight.”.

At 11:35, the tour bus operator agreed to transport the seventy passengers to the airport by red taxi

Within minutes, the street took on the appearance of a terminal, as the tourists luggage was removed from the buses and transferred to the taxis, within sight of other tourists arriving in the green taxis.

It needs to be added that two families continued to block the street, refusing to take red taxis, and insisting on a van, because they did not want to be separated. This caused further traffic delays which were not resolved until 11:55.