After 3 months in Mexico, today we were hit with our first real scam. We have been asked quite a few times at military & police check points for “dinero?”, at which point we play dumb and get waved on. Maybe, we have paid an odd “gringo” tax for food or something along the way, but today was our first real scam.
We were driving into a large town when a car came scooting up beside the Wee Rover. A woman is yelling and pointing at our wheels. We pull over and hop out. A truck driver says in broken English that she saw something wrong with the front tire.
As she drives off, a guy in mechanic coveralls just happens to show up. We figure out that he works for the garage across the street, and that he would take a look. He has us pull around the corner on a side street so we can get off of the main road. Another mechanic shows up and they check the front wheel. He pulls out an old, beat tie rod end, and says that ours are shot. He then sends the other guy off for parts.
The other guy comes back with a woman and a nice sealed box. Here are your parts! I say…you have parts for a 1962 Land Rover all set? Sí.
I then take out my jack to look at the supposedly broken part. The guy begins to look worried. While I am jacking up the rover, M tells him that I built the car….he looks more worried.
I wiggle the tire, the tie rods, etc…all good…and tell him ‘No Gracias’. He slinks away with the 2nd mechanic and the woman with the nice box of parts, who just happens to be the woman in the little car that yelled that something was wrong with the Rover.
Good try.
Good you were smart about it. Great story for every future campfire!
Hi Guys, We have been wondering what happened to the daily posts. Hoping that you guys are home at this point and everything is good…Beginning to worry!
Hi Erick!
We are presently “sheltering in place” in Texas. Going on 4 weeks while things calm down a bit and the snow stops falling in Vt. We should be heading north late next week. The states down here were requiring 2 week quarantine when crossing state lines, and all the campgrounds and hotels are non available. We plan to hit the National Forests and wild camp our way to Vemont for May 1. Funny to hear from you, as we had reservations for the auto train north from Florida, but cancelled the res when everything locked down. Hope you and your family are well. Really nice to hear from you, as you were the first person I really connected with when we started out, wow 2 years ago!
Darrin
Hi Darrin, Glad both of you are well. Honestly, we got a bit worried. Not that you couldn’t handle any situation, but the unseen is a possibility. Hunkering down is to be lifted soon. Molly and I have been living vicariously through your journey! I wish I had your guts and determination for such a trip! Good luck with the last leg of the trip!
Thank you for allowing us to live it with you!
Erick an Molly