GETTING GAS IN MEXICO

Originally Published the Week of May 18, 2022 in Western Outdoor Publications

          Many of you readers know that I’m often writing about food.  After reading the title, it would seem there’s a joke just begging to be told. 

         However, “getting gas” in Mexico has nothing to do with checking out taco stands or the culinary benefits of eating refried beans and cheese down here.

         It’s a bit more “refined” than that (no pun intended).   I’m actually talking about gasoline.

         None of us are strangers to the fact that gasoline prices are soaring to incredible heights.  Jill and I just finished 3 months on the road doing our tours through 14 different states and exhibiting and all the major hunting and fishing expositions.

         This was from January to March of this year.  We drove over 10,000 miles.  That’s a lot of visits to the gas station.

         Nothing like driving a fully loaded Suburban from one state to another. Seattle, Washington to Denver, Colorado.   Or Dallas to Sacramento.  Having to fill up two or three times a day in the span of 24 hours and watching the price of gas climb a buck or more from state to state or city to city was depressing.  OUCH!

         We’re back home now here in La Paz where we have our fishing fleet and restaurant, but our fishermen coming to fish with us are confirming the horror stories at the gas pump.

         And apparently, prices haven’t hit their apex yet.

         Here in Mexico, fuel prices have risen as well.  But surprisingly, they have risen only a fraction compared to the escalation in the U.S.

         It’s been a moderate rise.

         Gas is sold by the liter down here.  But, on the average I’m seeing prices at a bit over 4 bucks a gallon or thereabouts.  That’s way cheaper than up north.

         However, relative to what folks earn here in Mexico, any little price increase is huge.

         The minimum wage here is about 7 dollars…A DAY! Not an hour.  Per DAY!

         So, imagine in your own personal situation back there in the U.S. Imagine more  than half of your daily wages is what you fork out for one gallon of gas!   A fill up could be your whole weekly paycheck.

         Mexican President Obrador promised to insulate the Mexican people from things like this.  Therefore, the Mexican government has been subsidizing the fuel prices to keep things as low as possible.

         Probably not so good for the Mexican government, but good for the local population that has to live and work at ground zero. 

Not to mention how it keeps the wheels of commercial transportation moving like trucks, buses and airlines.   Keeps prices low for everyone.

         Nevertheless, the lower gas prices in Mexico have become very attractive to Americans living near the border. Especially in California and Texas.

         Many are finding that it’s cheaper to just cross the border to full up.  In some cases they are also bringing extra fuel tanks or gasoline containers to get as much gasoline as they can.  

         In some instances, Mexican gas stations along the border are reporting that they sell more gasoline to Americans now than to locals.  And there are lines of cars waiting to fill up.

         Understandably, there have been complaints because the stations run out’ve gas.  They don’t have enough gasoline to sell to locals. 

Or say, some American drives all the way into Tijuana only to find out that gas station are already dry.  Simple supply and demand economics.

         In an attempt to curb that situation, the Mexican government recently stopped subsidizing the gasoline in some of it’s border states, including  Baja. 

         So, now gasoline prices are rising in the Mexican states along the U.S. border.

         Still, when gasoline in Mexico is 2 or 3 dollar cheaper than in the U.S. it’s just a matter of how far an American is willing to drive and the time necessary to save on filling up.

         So far, it doesn’t seem to be working. 

          Americans are still driving across the border.  Statistic show that fuel demand is not only high, it’s growing!

        Saving two or three dollars per gallon is still saving two or three dollars per gallon!

That’s my story!

Jonathan

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Jonathan Roldan has been writing the Baja Column in Western Outdoor News since 2004.  Along with his wife and fishing buddy, Jilly, they own and run the Tailhunter International Fishing Fleet in La Paz, Baja, Mexico  www.tailhunter.com.

They also run their Tailhunter Restaurant Bar on the famous La Paz malecon waterfront.  If you’d like to contact him directly, his e-mail is: jonathan@tailhunter.com

Or drop by the restaurant to say hi.  It’s right on the La Paz waterfront!

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Jonathan Roldan’s

Tailhunter International

Website: 

www.tailhunter-international.com

Mexico Office: Tailhunter International, 755 Paseo Obregon, La Paz, Baja Sur, Mexico

U.S. Mailing Address:  Tailhunter International, 8030 La Mesa Blvd. #178, La Mesa CA  91942

Phones: 

from USA : 626-638-3383

from Mexico: 044-612-14-17863

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Tailhunter Weekly Fishing Report:  http://fishreport.jonathanroldan.com/

Tailhunter YouTube Video Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBLvdHL_p4-OAu3HfiVzW0g

“When your life finally flashes before your eyes, you will have only moments to regret all the things in life you never had the courage to try.”