It's Still Better Than Pascagoula!
Had to go into town today to meet with the local Freight Forwarding Agent and the OIC and NCOIC of one of the our aviation units. Had some issues getting some important items through customs. Overall, the system functioned as advertised in this third world hole in the wall. Frankly, with all the bureaucracy an item has to go through to get out of customs I am surprised we get anything at all. It is also in the middle of Ramadan out here and people are working reduced work schedules so the whole process is even more painful.
Now on to the subject I wanted to talk about. The town. This place is a shit-hole. Seeing places like this really makes one appreciate the good ol' US of A. We live high on the hog compared to the rest of the world. We really ought to be more appreciative. If any of y'all have been around Cuidad Juarez across the border from El Paso, it is kind of like that only ground is less fertile. The ride into town was terrifying. One of our Gunny's was driving the Toyota Land Cruiser we had checked out of the motorpool. The roads are paved but they are not marked. There are no stop signs, no traffic lights, no speed limits, no crosswalks, no traffic control what so ever. There we are zipping in and around through traffic (which varied between single donkey pulled carts to tanker trucks. Maybe General King could send the 1st Texas Teamsters down here for training. The local mule skinners do a pretty good job of weaving in and out of the more modern velocipeds) dodging pedestrians and goats, chickens and the odd camel. I was really becoming concerned that we were gonna run somebody down but the chief pointed out its not the people you need to worry about. Since there is no reliable medical care they are very good at not getting hurt, and even if we did accidentally run somebody down it is not as serious as if we had hit a goat, chicken, donkey, or Camel. Do you believe that. There is more associated value to livestock than human life. Still I have to say it is better than Pascagoula Mississippi.
TO THE TYRANT NEVER YIELD
Now on to the subject I wanted to talk about. The town. This place is a shit-hole. Seeing places like this really makes one appreciate the good ol' US of A. We live high on the hog compared to the rest of the world. We really ought to be more appreciative. If any of y'all have been around Cuidad Juarez across the border from El Paso, it is kind of like that only ground is less fertile. The ride into town was terrifying. One of our Gunny's was driving the Toyota Land Cruiser we had checked out of the motorpool. The roads are paved but they are not marked. There are no stop signs, no traffic lights, no speed limits, no crosswalks, no traffic control what so ever. There we are zipping in and around through traffic (which varied between single donkey pulled carts to tanker trucks. Maybe General King could send the 1st Texas Teamsters down here for training. The local mule skinners do a pretty good job of weaving in and out of the more modern velocipeds) dodging pedestrians and goats, chickens and the odd camel. I was really becoming concerned that we were gonna run somebody down but the chief pointed out its not the people you need to worry about. Since there is no reliable medical care they are very good at not getting hurt, and even if we did accidentally run somebody down it is not as serious as if we had hit a goat, chicken, donkey, or Camel. Do you believe that. There is more associated value to livestock than human life. Still I have to say it is better than Pascagoula Mississippi.
TO THE TYRANT NEVER YIELD
posted by Ed | 11/11/2003 05:00:00 AM
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