New Mexico, the Honey Badger State

“Honey badger don’t care. Honey badger don’t give a shit.”
Randall’s Animals

The road to Taos

Driving Me Crazy

New Mexico drivers really put the Mexico in New Mexico.

Those of you who have driven in Mexico know what I mean. There’s a certain shall we say loose interpretation of the driving laws and norms that govern traffic in most of the United States. I swear I have seen more right- and left-hand turns from the middle lane in the past few weeks here than I had seen in my life up to that point.

“Oh, why bother changing lanes?” they merrily think, cutting in front of someone traveling 40 miles per hour to make the turn.

People take that carefree attitude toward passing on two-lane roads as well. Why wait for a straight or non-hilly section? Just ZOOM GO GO GO!

No Pasaran

But who can blame them? Unlike other states, which considerately provide passing lanes in hilly section, in New Mexico, you can go hundreds of miles without one.

The Rio Grande

Similarly with pull-outs, which California so kindly supplies and provides signage to – a nice smooth section of the road on the right-hand side where slow vehicles can pause to let traffic go by. Instead, New Mexico has spots on the right side of the road, but they often have about a 6-inch drop-off from the roadbed to the pull-out, enough to cause an RV to crash down like a drunk elephant.

New Mexico, the Honey Badger State! They just don’t care!

Eyes on the Pennies

Well, there is someone in New Mexico who cares about the roads. Every so often there is a sign talking about highway repairs and how much they are costing taxpayers. In California, it would say something like “Highway Repairs paid for from the Gas Tax Fund. $197 million project due for completion 1/2020.”

Shortly before I headed to Taos Pueblo, where Officer Romero caught me.

Here, the sign says “Highway Repairs. Cost $10,800,556.04”

Someone at the highway department cares. They care down to the nearest penny. Bless their calculating little heads. I wonder if they get upset if the final total is $10,800,556.08?

My Friend Officer Romero

Ah, don’t mind me! I’m just bitter because I got to meet Officer Romero of the Taos Pueblo Police the other day in his speed trap. Yes, I got caught in a real actual speed trap! The road goes from 35 mph to 20 to 15 in a space of about 300 yards. I was really applying my brakes hard, but he still got me.

I told some native ladies at Taos Pueblo about my experience.

“Oh yeah, he sits there all weekend and gets so many people,” they said.

So if you come to New Mexico, bring quick reflexes and a sense of humor. Also bring $30, because that’s how much the ticket Officer Romero gives you is going to cost.

Home sweet Gladis.