I've seen them the last two trips to Monterrey & Saltillo, especially
that long empty section between Laredo and Monterrey. Last trip they
were seen helping someone on the way down, and waiting under a bridge
on the way back.
Don's iPhone.
On Dec 19, 2009, at 5:42 PM, Jon <[email protected]> wrote:
Woooo Preston!
I hadn't thought about the Green Angels in some 15-years or so.
Maybe beacuse I haven't actully seen them on the hwys for 20-years
or so.
--- On Sat, 12/19/09, Preston Forsythe <[email protected]> wrote:
From: Preston Forsythe <[email protected]>
Subject: [Texascavers] Mexico Green Angels
To: "TexasCavers" <[email protected]>
Date: Saturday, December 19, 2009, 5:29 PM
Here is some interesting Mexico Travel Information we have not used,
but just in case I am putting a copy in my glove box.
-------------------------------------
GREEN ANGELS (Angeles Verdes)
http://www.sectur.gob.mx/wb/sectur/sect_9453_angeles_verdes
The Green Angels
The unthinkable happens: your car is kaput. Luckily for you, there’s
a slender shoulder that you manage to pull onto before the thing co
nks out. Cars whiz by on the highway, but no one stops. Or maybe sev
eral helpful citizens stop, but can’t help, because your fuel pump i
s busted.
Being stuck on the side of the road is stressful in any situation,
but especially in a foreign country where language may be a barrier.
Since the 1970s, the federally funded Angeles Verdes, or Green
Angels, have proved a godsend to motorists in distress from Tijuana
to Ticul.
In the old days you had to wait for the blessed sight of a dark
green Angeles Verdes truck to trundle into view, but today salvation
for those who run out of gas, can’t fix a flat, or blow a water pump
is just a phone call away.
How to Get Help
Dial 078 from any cell phone or TELMEX phone booth. Your call will
be routed to the Green Angels’ Mexico City dispatch office. Agents t
here will radio the appropriate unit throughout the country. Green A
ngels don’t service every little backwater, however they do patrol a
ll federal and toll highways.
The tow trucks typically make a full-circuit trip of each highway
per day, in addition to responding to emergency calls. Agents
typically work from 8AM to 8PM. On major holidays like semana santa
(Easter week) and on puentes (long weekends) they are available 24
hours a day.
Drivers carry gasoline and motor oil as well as spare tires and
parts for minor but important repairs. Trained in CPR, they can
administer first aid in the event of an accident or medical
emergency. While their main function is to help motorists in
distress, they also carry maps and brochures of their regions. Most
drivers speak excellent to reasonably good English and are
knowledgeable about road conditions and tolls in their areas.
To Pay or Not to Pay?
There’s no charge for these services, but motorists must pay for gas
oline, oil and parts. There’s conflicting information in guide books
and on the web about whether drivers can accept tips. Mr. Gómez ass
ured me that tips are permitted, and the Green Angels are happy to a
ccept them. He reiterated, however, that the service is free, and th
at tips are entirely optional.
In 2007 the nation’s fleet of Green Angel trucks numbered 1,800; add
itional vehicles are expected in March 2008. Motorists can easily re
cognize the white with green stripes and lettering trucks with gover
nment logos painted on the side. Drivers wear a green uniform and ca
rry identification with their name and photo around the neck.
-----------------------------------
Have a safe trip,
Preston
