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Cautionary Tale re:Moped Rentals
My friend Carey posted this on her Cozumel website. I think it's good to think ahead before renting a moped in another country where traffic "laws" and customs can be so different. Parents often let their teens take off on mopeds, and that may not be the best idea either, unless those teens own them at home and are very experienced drivers. Anyway, this story is from a Cozumel newspaper and rather graphic. But it's a tale of grim reality, one tourists need to hear about, I think. Safety should never take a back seat to fun on vacation.
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This is a cautionary tale reported in yesterday's Por Esto by Rafael Acevedo Alvar. Sorry to be so grim but those of us who live here full-time see so many bad accidents with mopeds and feel it is our duty to remind some visitors that they are not on the bumper cars at the state fair when they hop on a moped here.
*****
A foreign tourist , 49, a cruise passenger from Wisconsin driving a rented moped was run over by a dump truck yesterday. She was run over by the rear left tire provoking instantaneous death.
Imprudence and lack of precaution in driving coupled with having no experience driving a moped have caused many tourists to have accidents--some like this one--with particularly lamentable consequences.
On this occasion, the accident occurred a few meters from the Reef Club where the deceased was taking part in a group moped tour to the southern end of the island. The woman was attempting to pass the dump truck when the rear left wheel hit her, passing over her abdomen.
Upon seeing this, the driver of the heavy truck advanced some meters, stopped, jumped out and took flight.
At approximately 4 PM on Tuesday, police arrived at the scene the scene, reports were filed with the criminal court and the body, which was almost completely destroyed from the waist down was removed.
*****
A car is a better choice but if you must rent a moped, remember #1. The wheelbase is a lot different than on a US motorcycle #2. Be ESPECIALLY careful! This is a great island. But it's also not Disneyland. Use common sense!
Carey on Cozumel
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is a cautionary tale reported in yesterday's Por Esto by Rafael Acevedo Alvar. Sorry to be so grim but those of us who live here full-time see so many bad accidents with mopeds and feel it is our duty to remind some visitors that they are not on the bumper cars at the state fair when they hop on a moped here.
*****
A foreign tourist , 49, a cruise passenger from Wisconsin driving a rented moped was run over by a dump truck yesterday. She was run over by the rear left tire provoking instantaneous death.
Imprudence and lack of precaution in driving coupled with having no experience driving a moped have caused many tourists to have accidents--some like this one--with particularly lamentable consequences.
On this occasion, the accident occurred a few meters from the Reef Club where the deceased was taking part in a group moped tour to the southern end of the island. The woman was attempting to pass the dump truck when the rear left wheel hit her, passing over her abdomen.
Upon seeing this, the driver of the heavy truck advanced some meters, stopped, jumped out and took flight.
At approximately 4 PM on Tuesday, police arrived at the scene the scene, reports were filed with the criminal court and the body, which was almost completely destroyed from the waist down was removed.
*****
A car is a better choice but if you must rent a moped, remember #1. The wheelbase is a lot different than on a US motorcycle #2. Be ESPECIALLY careful! This is a great island. But it's also not Disneyland. Use common sense!
Carey on Cozumel
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