LINE 12 PARTIAL CLOSURE

Since midnight last night the southern section of line 12 has been closed due to safety concerns.  Maintenance will be carried out on the elevated section of the track rendering 11 stations  out of operation.

So with just 3 stations left to update this project I can not ride the metro to visit them.  Free buses are replacing trains in this section of the line.  Overwhelming numbers of passengers today fought to board them.  Will I also fight my way on in order to complete this project by any means possible?  It is likely.  The estimated period of closure is 6 months.  I am very keen to finish this project.  Stay tuned.

Click here for an English language report on the closure from the Global Post.

Station / Estación # 77: Impulsora

Un poco antes de bajarme en Impulsora fui testigo por la tercera vez, creo, a la cosa más perturbadora que he visto en el metro.

Hay una banda de gente (drogadictos, alcoholicos, personas sin techo, enfermos de mente – supongo) que viaja en el metro con pedazos de vidrio envueltos en una playera o otra pieza de fábrica.

En cada carro se pone el vidrio en el suelo y se yace sobre el vidrio o se empuja varias partes de su cuerpo al vidrio para infligir daño a sí mismo.

Este es un preludio a una súplica por pesos.

Bueno, ahora a la estación.

La cosa que me gustó mucho y destacó en los alrededores de Impulsora es que hay un ambiente de pueblo muy diferente a otras partes del Distrito Federal.

Bicitaxis dominan en las calles, una candidata en el curso de la casa más destartalada sale y se explora la historia de México precolombina en arte callejero.

Just before getting off at Impulsora I was witness for the third time to what is the most disturbing thing that I have seen onboard.

There is a band of folk (drug addicts, alcoholics, homeless, mentally ill – I presume) that travel on the metro with a whole lot of glass shards wrapped up in a t-shirt or other fabric.  In each carriage they lay the broken glass out and then lie on top or press various body parts into them to inflict self harm.

This is a prelude to a plea for pesos.

Moving on,the thing that I really liked and really stood out in the area around Impulsora is that there is the ambience of a self-contained village beating to a very different drum to that of other segments of Mexico’s Federal District.

Cyclo-taxis dominate the streets, a leading candidate in the hotchpotch as house stakes emerges and Mexico’s pre-colonial past is explored in street art.