Mexican Politics and Transportation Planning

I realize that I am neither a political theorist nor a Mexican, which not only exacerbates my lack of experience with the Mexican political system, but probably makes anything I say that much more controversial, as well.  Yet, at some point, given my background in transportation, I should probably say something about transportation planning in [...]

Getting a Refund on Mexico’s Tourist Tax

Although it’s often hidden down in the fine print, and almost never publicized, tickets to fly into Mexico City’s International Airport, or el Aeropuerto Internacional de la Ciudad de México (AICM, or “MEX”), include a tourist tax of around $22. The tourist tax is intended for all foreign nationals who enter Mexico on a tourist [...]

Finding Cheaper (and Safe) Airport Taxis in Mexico City

For the inexperienced, finding a taxi in Mexico City can be an unusual, if not daunting, task. Not only are there many ways to catch a taxi, from calling one, to finding a taxi stand, or sitio, to hailing a green bug, or even una pirata, on the street, or even getting a special taxi [...]

Buying Gas

In our apartment, we use natural gas for both cooking and heating water.  However, like much, if not all of Mexico, our gas is delivered in tanks, rather than by pipes under the street.  On the roof of our building, we, as well as all of our neighbors, have a tank or two that connects [...]

Buying Duty-Free

On my way up north for the holidays, I stopped by a “duty-free” store in the Guadalajara airport.  ”Duty free” is in quotes because I find that their prices, often given in dollars, are usually higher than what you can find at places in town after including taxes.  I would have preferred a non-stop flight [...]

How to get a refund on the Mexican IVA

The IVA, or impuesto al valor agregado, is Mexico’s 15% value-added tax. Several months ago, I heard that it was possible for extranjeros, like me, to get a refund of the IVA for large purchases. This holiday, on my return trip to the U.S., I decided to see whether this was actually true. So, on [...]

My (Bad) Experience with Ticketmaster

It’s always comforting, especially during the holidays, to find things here in México, D.F. that remind me of being up north in the U.S.  For example, Ticketmaster’s service in Mexico is just as dreadful and overpriced here as it is back home.  Yesterday evening, I went to see El Buen Canario at Teatro Insurgentes.  This new John [...]

The Utter Joy of Telcel

Having a cell phone in México is relatively expensive.  Perhaps this shouldn’t have surprised me when I bought mine two months ago, but it did.  So at the time, to offset the cost, I chose the cheapest package I could find, which was a pre-paid plan with a discount on the phone.  The cost is [...]