Renting Cars and Scooter in Cozumel..DONT!!

[STLCARDS82]

I've made the same post over the years!!

Don't rent cars in Cozumel or Cancun and especially don't rent scooters in Cozumel!!

[ColeThornton]

18 hours ago, STLCARDS82 said:

I've made the same post over the years!!

Don't rent cars in Cozumel or Cancun and especially don't rent scooters in Cozumel!!

 

Because????

 

Edited August 18 by ColeThornton

[c-leg5]

Whilst I agree with the concept in general not sure why we need a special announcement unless you know of some recent development, which you haven’t disclosed? 

[ggTexasGal]

@STLCARDS82  Please provide more information regarding your warning! 

What dangers, mishaps, etc...

[lifes-a-beach]

I'll chime in here.

 

Imagine coming to in a hospital in Mexico with serious, even life threatening injuries.  You've been in an accident, which unless you can prove otherwise was your fault.  You can't leave Mexico until the bill is paid for the damage you caused, both to the rental and to another party if there is one.  Then there is the bill for your medical care.  Then there is the medical evacuation to get you back to a U.S. hospital  Hopefully you got med-evac insurance as part of your travel policy.  Assuming you are traveling with someone, they will need to stay with you. 

If you injured or killed someone, get ready for an extended stay, more medical bills, and having a Mexican attorney assigned to your case.  Do you speak fluent Spanish?  If not, imagine what that's going to be like.  Did you have a couple of beers?  Or maybe more?  Now we're talking Mexican prison time.

 

As an alternate, you could hire a driver for the day and be responsible for paying the bill.  I know what I do in every country we visit.  But you do you.

[c-leg5]

1 hour ago, lifes-a-beach said:

I'll chime in here.

 

Imagine coming to in a hospital in Mexico with serious, even life threatening injuries.  You've been in an accident, which unless you can prove otherwise was your fault.  You can't leave Mexico until the bill is paid for the damage you caused, both to the rental and to another party if there is one.  Then there is the bill for your medical care.  Then there is the medical evacuation to get you back to a U.S. hospital  Hopefully you got med-evac insurance as part of your travel policy.  Assuming you are traveling with someone, they will need to stay with you. 

If you injured or killed someone, get ready for an extended stay, more medical bills, and having a Mexican attorney assigned to your case.  Do you speak fluent Spanish?  If not, imagine what that's going to be like.  Did you have a couple of beers?  Or maybe more?  Now we're talking Mexican prison time.

 

As an alternate, you could hire a driver for the day and be responsible for paying the bill.  I know what I do in every country we visit.  But you do you.

+1

Our thoughts exactly and even if not as serious as your scenario, if you are in an accident at all you will be delayed long enough to miss your ship at the very least. Much easier to have a driver, enjoy a drink and know your outlay up front.

[lifes-a-beach]

13 hours ago, c-leg5 said:

know your outlay up front.

That right there!

We concern ourselves with this while planning a budget for something here at home.  Planning a wedding?  Buying a car? Home renovation? Yep.  Going to another country where laws are different and largely unknown, where I don’t speak the language fluently, where I might be seen as a cash cow, I’m gonna have a plan, and it’s not going to include a bunch of unknowns.  
 

On a side note, if you’ve ever made an insurance claim here at home you know what a pain it can be, and how drawn out the process is.  Now imagine that when it relates to a foreign country , with its own legal system and regulations.  Nope.  I’ll just hire a driver.  

Edited August 24 by lifes-a-beach

[STLCARDS82]

On 8/23/2024 at 2:05 PM, ggTexasGal said:

@STLCARDS82  Please provide more information regarding your warning! 

What dangers, mishaps, etc...

Sorry, I've been off-line for a little while. Some of the other posters were exactly spot on. I got the opportunity to work with a couple police departments in Mexico. You can get jammed up real quick if you have an accident while you're driving in Mexico, they can detain you until your ship leaves.... it's really not worth the BS!!...

[STLCARDS82]

On 8/18/2024 at 10:30 AM, c-leg5 said:

Whilst I agree with the concept in general not sure why we need a special announcement unless you know of some recent development, which you haven’t disclosed? 

I try to post this every couple years for new people to cruise critic and new people to cruising!!

[Rudyard]

I was on the Cozumel Bar Hop once and the tour guide warned us to never rent any kind of vehicle there. She said traffic's always bad and pretty much all you need to get a license there is a pulse. She brought it up after a scooter with a family of four on it zoomed past us. 

 

There are people who will tell you it's perfectly safe, they rent vehicles every time they're in Coz, etc, etc. That's awesome for them, but if you do a google search you can find plenty of accidents where cruisers ended up missing the ship or worse.

[STLCARDS82]

Well, to be honest, you just set yourself up with a lot of problems... We called it in the Army." Setting up your self for Failure"... and you're right about the accidents and possible shakedowns from the Police and the Rental Agents!!

[aborgman]

14 hours ago, Rudyard said:

I was on the Cozumel Bar Hop once and the tour guide warned us to never rent any kind of vehicle there. She said traffic's always bad and pretty much all you need to get a license there is a pulse. She brought it up after a scooter with a family of four on it zoomed past us. 

 

There are people who will tell you it's perfectly safe, they rent vehicles every time they're in Coz, etc, etc. That's awesome for them, but if you do a google search you can find plenty of accidents where cruisers ended up missing the ship or worse.

 

I drive all the time... But I go pretty regularly and know my way around, and always buy all the insurance.

 

You'd never catch me on a scooter though - I've seen so many accidents (including a couple fatalities) to ever consider it. 

 

If you don't regularly ride motorcycles at home, don't even think about it - and even if you do, I wouldn't recommend it.

[Ranger-D]

A friend of mine who lives in Cozumel about 5 months a year was riding her scooter, stopped at the stop sign.  Got rear ended by a resident, but because she isn’t a citizen of Mexico, she was the one hauled to jail for about 5 hours until the police determined that she wasn’t at fault.  She speaks fluent Spanish but Mexican law is basically you’re guilty until proven innocent.  And if you are guilty you have to pay any lost wages for the person or persons that were injured by you before you can leave the country.