everything is new again

If you live in Mexico long enough, the extraordinary assumes the guise of ordinariness.

Take this photograph. 

A group of us has just finished a tour of the police command center in Cihuatlán -- the center of police presence in our municipality ("county"), when we stepped out the door, and saw this.

Let me give you a little context.  The building with the signs, warning people that parking is not allowed, is the town church ("parroquia").  The street is narrow, but not so narrow that traffic can flow if the signs are ignored.

The yellow curb is another indication that parking is not allowed.  But cars were parked bumper to bumper the full length of the street.

If you could see through the door into the church, you would see the reason for the crush of cars.  We made our police pilgrimage on the first day of the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe -- the patron saint of Mexico.  There was not an empty pew in the church.  Perhaps, Guadalupe is not a big promoter of Romans 13.*

Not that it matters much.  Parking rules are obeyed only in the lurch around here.  Usually, out of necessity.  There is far more demand than supply will provide legally.  Thus, we make do with what we can.

Even in the presence of the rifle-toting police that stands guard at the police command post.

Come to think of it, though, no one was harmed by this bit of libertarian license.


* -- "Everyone is to obey the governing authorities. For there is no authority that is not from God, and the existing authorities have been placed where they are by God. Therefore, whoever resists the authorities is resisting what God has instituted; and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves."
   
Romans 13:1-2