Some observations of cultural differences between the US & Mexico

Some of what I'm going to write about today are observations acquired over time, not just in the couple of weeks we have been here this time, and some of them probably also apply to US culture versus the culture in other areas of the world as well.  However, these are observations that have been confirmed for me during this stay.

First, there is a really different culture around dogs, and dogs seem to exhibit, on average, better behavior here.  On previous visits in villages or small towns, many dogs seemed to roam freely (or perhaps sleep in the middle of the road) and it always seemed to me that dogs weren't exactly anybody's pet, they just existed among the people.  In the neighborhood where we live here, dogs are also frequently sighted--being walked, on or off leashes, or waiting outside a closed door, or wandering into a restaurant with an open door.  (A word about restaurants, coffee shops and such--most of them are quite open to the outside, frequently with outside seating.)  Rarely are the dogs barking their heads off or trying to jump on somebody (can you tell I'm not a "dog person"?).  They are calm.  Even the two dogs who wandered into a restaurant where we were seated inside didn't really pay much attention to us.  After a while, it was evident that they belong with the restaurant, as staff interacted with them.  If one of them was reclining on the floor, inching closer in case we might drop food, the server would call quietly and the dog would go to another room.

Also, I haven't figured out where this is and is not acceptable, but people sometimes bring their dog with them into a restaurant.  The dog, then, will usually lie at the feet or under the table.  These are not service animals, but rather ordinary dogs, large and small.  So, I think the culture is less indulgent in a way (the dogs and/or the people must be trained differently) and less hyper about sanitation.  Can you imagine the reaction if a dog wandered into most restaurants in the US?  This is not to say that people here are not concerned about sanitation, because sidewalks are frequently scrubbed with soapy water and a broom, and there are signs in the park indicating to the dogs that they are not allowed to "defecar" on the sidewalks.  See--the dogs can even read here!  (Okay, just kidding on that last one--not about the signs but about the dogs being able to read.  I don't have evidence of that one way or the other.)

Another difference is that in restaurants, you have to request the bill.  It would never be brought to you otherwise.  I know this is the case in European countries as well, maybe elsewhere, too.  It takes a little bit of figuring out when to ask for it, too, because servers usually don't approach much after the food is served and they've made sure you have what you need.

A difference that people should be aware of if they plan to spend time in Mexico is that pedestrians DO NOT have the right-of-way.  A manifestation of this is that when you are trying to cross a street, when the traffic light turns green for you, you need to make sure that vehicles actually are stopping and you need to be aware of not getting in the way of turning vehicles.  So, the way to cross the street is to 1) not get too far out into the intersection until the light has turned and you see that the vehicles have stopped and then 2) walk like hell in case the light turns against you before you reach the other side and then 3) leap up onto the foot-high curb.  Okay, not all curbs are a foot high--some are actually higher, some lower. 

Some places I have been in Mexico, the traffic is somewhat chaotic (i.e., more vehicles parallel to each other than there are marked lanes).  This doesn't seem to be the case in Mexico City, although the traffic is at times very heavy.  Most of the side streets are one-way, which makes things a little easier for pedestrians, but I have more than once been in a taxi that intentionally went the wrong way on a one-way street.  This is usually at high speed, sometimes in reverse.  Keeps things interesting.