Green Angels

I heard about the Green Angels the first time I went to Mexico back in the 1960's. The Green Angels are bilingual mechanics paid by the Mexican government to aid tourists and other travelers on the nation's highways. They cruise all the major routes looking for motorists that need help. They carry spare gasoline and diesel fuel, jacks and tools, a limited selection of hoses and belts and wire and hardware, and a generous amount of mechanical ability and common sense. Their service is free.

As we were driving north along a lonely highway toward the border we developed a coolant leak at our radiator's drain valve. I tried to close it tighter, but no matter what I did the coolant kept dripping out. We used most of the drinking water we were carrying to add to the radiator to keep the engine cool, but we kept driving knowing that eventually we'd get to the next city where we could find a radiator shop.

All of a sudden I recognized an oncoming vehicle as being a potential source of help. I hadn't been thinking about the Green Angels, but when I saw the approaching utility truck painted white with a large green stripe, I instantly remembered everything I'd heard about these angels of mercy on the Mexican highways. Only seconds before they passed us, I flashed our headlights. As I pulled off onto the shoulder they slowed and turned around and came back to where I had parked.

Victor and Jorge greeted us cheerily as they stepped from their truck and we shook hands. Then they inquired how they might help us. We showed them the coolant leak and they tried a couple ideas for fixing it, although they weren't successful. They did give us directions to the nearest radiator shop along our route where we would be able to have another drain plug installed.

As Victor was looking at our radiator, he glanced over the engine and noticed a worn spot on a vacuum line that was leaking air. He insisted on replacing that section of hose. I think he would have been disappointed if they hadn't been able to fix something for us.

Before sending us on our way, they asked us to fill out a brief form that they were required to submit for each incident. When we got to the comments sections and started to write in Spanish our appreciation for their service, they laughed and requested us to rewrite it in English. Maybe they get more credit from their boss for assisting foreign tourists.

As we said goodbye, we thanked them for their help and they wished us well. I was glad that after all these years of knowing about the Green Angels I finally had the opportunity to take advantage of their assistance. I will add this experience to a long list of examples of Mexican hospitality.