New British Comedy makes debut in Mexico . . .

New British Comedy makes debut in Mexico . . .

Can't Post | Private Reply

I don't often post to the forums, but I can NOT contain myself this time! It has everything! - Mexico focus, military action, comedy, colonialism and much, much more.

I suspect that here is a new BritCom series in the making!

Five members of a British military caving expedition and their civilian British guide have been trapped by rising water in a cave system known as Alpazat, near the town of Cuetzalan, about 180 kilometres northeast of Mexico City.

They are all in the country on Tourist Visas and the above ground support team appear to have watched too many episodes of "Yes Minister" as they are unable to explain why a military presence is in Mexico without appropriate Mexican permissions and authorities.

To add to the situation:
- the expedition apparently did not inform the local Cave rangers of their presence or intentions.
- The expedition did not consult the weather forecasts and thus did not plan for the lower entrance to become flooded and thus impassable when wearing their scuba gear - which they must wear to get out underwater.
- The expedition did not inform the local authorities when the exploring team became trapped. The Mexican authorites only found out by accident that: - They were there. - They were trapped.
The Mexicans thereupon brought Cave rescuers to assist. The British support team refused their help, saying that they had two British experts on the way who are going to deal with this, and that the Mexican rescuers are probably not as competent.
- Mexican authorities appear to have no knowledge of the impending arrival of these foreign expert rescuers who have not applied for or requested special status to enter the country.

I think this is a wonderful example of "old-style" colonialism being practiced by Britain who apparently still believe - (edited) - that freedom to act unilaterally - anywhere, at any time is perfectly OK!

Now. What would the international reaction be if Mexico sent a military team to Britain to train - without permission - in the coal mines.

In this household we are all betting that the two Brit specialists will be found by Moctezuma before they begin - and then let's see how the Mexican rescue professionals react.

I think that Mexico should use this situation to advantage and negotiate an exchange of ranking position in the next World Cup! - Something actually useful to and appreciated by the general Mexican population.

Stay tuned . . . .

Dabeed
David McL
WebJefe

(This post was edited by DavidMcL on Mar 24, 2004, 5:06 PM)

Bubba

Mar 24, 2004, 7:43 PM

Post #2 of 20 (1063 views)

Re: [DavidMcL] New British Comedy makes debut in Mexico . . .

Can't Post | Private Reply

Monty Python Lives!!!!

Mar 24, 2004, 8:02 PM

Post #3 of 20 (1058 views)

Re: [DavidMcL] New British Comedy makes debut in Mexico . . .

Can't Post | Private Reply

Reuters article on the incident.

Esteban

Mar 24, 2004, 9:30 PM

Post #4 of 20 (1049 views)

Re: [DavidMcL] New British Comedy makes debut in Mexico . . .

Can't Post | Private Reply

I still think the whole fiasco is highly suspect. I read the article about how the English military encourages their guys to pursue these kinds of personal interests but it just doesn't all fit together. It will be very interesting to see the outcome. Have they found Atlantis? Or the Holy Grail or maybe all that gold the Spaniards couldn't find. Maybe Ponce de Leon's fountain of youth? Could also be the next reality show! Who is in charge anyway? Chistes, chismes y doble sentidos. Yea David, if you get any up to date news or if any of you mexconnecters out there get a lead.....it's show and tell time!

Bubba

Mar 25, 2004, 7:45 AM

Post #5 of 20 (1007 views)

Re: [ET] New British Comedy makes debut in Mexico . . .

Can't Post | Private Reply

ET:

I love that part about how the locals may rescue the British cavers whether they like it or not. This could become very amusing.

Mar 25, 2004, 8:42 AM

Post #6 of 20 (996 views)

Re: [DavidMcL] New British Comedy makes debut in Mexico . . .

Can't Post | Private Reply

I think the subject need more time to develop.

Were the military guys on active duty time? Leave? Assignment? I was in Mexico while officially on active duty many times during weekends. This was not official leave, not part of my 30 days a year of leave (vacation). We were theoretically on duty 24 hours a days 7 days a week, but in reality after 4:30 PM 5 days a week work was over. Guys went to town, BOQ, or whatever. Weekends were never interrupted in my experience, but could have been if Russia started a war, or Gen. _ in Omaha swallowed the cigar he was chewing and SAC went on full alert. What ever happened to him? Surprising he’s not back in government.

Britain is a country that encourages amateurism and eccentricity – or eccentric amateurism. A lot of amateur literature on topics such as how to build a small cast iron cupola in your backyard and use it to cast parts for a homemade hand-scraped lathe to build a mid-19th Century steam engine are British. About the last thing I would expect of British these days is to be noodling around with Empire. The only British thinking Empire in Mexico are probably 60-75 year old FM-3 holders, resisting learning Spanish, reading old English novels, spending there days shopping for hand blown brandy sniffers, and in a constant state of fatigue from carrying too much white man’s burden.

If they were up to something, what could it be? There are already foreign owned geological companies core drilling all over in the open, so this would be a screwy way to be looking for global economy-altering wealth. They could be practicing for Afghanistan cave work and snuffing out. I doubt it is threat aimed at Mexico. It could be impolite, and socially threatening to image control. But then how many Mexican military men are in the cucumber patches in North Carolina mental mapping for a counter attack after the losses of 1836-48? And what is there active duty status?

National sovernity is a legitmate concern, but a government that has 10% of its citizens outside it’s borders “non-regularized” with another 20% saying they wish they were there looses some traction in getting too huffy about this issue in my eyes. Right now the Mexican government is actively politicizing in the USA through its consulates for more rights and benefits for its illegal citizens living and working there. I’ve got Mexican friends in the USA who have gone before the city council with a list of grievances and petitions for better treatment and more rights. I’m sort of waiting for the time here when I can actively try to get the city garbage service to ring the bell on my street without getting my FM3 yanked and being deported. Yes, there is this number you can call – but why don’t people do it? Well, because it’s not that easy. Everybody talks about what a problem it is – among themselves.

I’m Irish, never was soft on British.

Mar 25, 2004, 9:52 AM

Post #7 of 20 (984 views)

Re: [TomG] New British Comedy makes debut in Mexico . . .

Can't Post | Private Reply

This is great stuff, isn't it? A handfull of British GI's, probably on leave pursuing their splunking hobby, screwed up and got trapped in a cave while on tourist visas in Mexico. Now President Fox is turning it into an international incident. Geeez... makes you wonder what he would do if a few million undocumented US workers snuck across his Northern border, doesn't it?

mepsi

Mar 25, 2004, 5:16 PM

Post #8 of 20 (937 views)

Re: [DavidMcL] New British Comedy makes debut in Mexico . . .

Can't Post |

I fail to see the problem. Isn't a six person caving trip a perfectly reasonable activity to undertake with a tourist permit? Is there any reason why five off duty military persons shouldn't be the ones doing it? The caves of Cuetzalan have been quite thoroughly explored and the "tourists" had included planning for this eventuality before proceeding with their exploration at which time they allegedly set up a safe camp which they now occupy. I am unaware of any requirement to notify anyone before exploring these caves. I also haven't heard any accusations that they were there to steal prized Mexican bat guano.

I would certainly agree the tactless refusal of local help in their rescue was rather silly and, IMO, fairly typically British but, what the heck, any group is entitled to a few minor eccentricities.

Our family found this whole incident very interesting as one of our daughters was strandwd in Cuetzalan for four days at the start of the "99 floods in the area while she was doing her medical Social Service in a village about 15 miles from Cuetzalan. She had to walk out about ten miles through deep mud and landslides and it was seven weeks before she could get her car out.

On a somewhat different tack, the book "A War of Witches" by Timothy Knab is about Cuetzalan and includes a good bit about these caves.

Monte

Mar 27, 2004, 7:19 PM

Post #9 of 20 (873 views)

Re: [TomG] New British Comedy makes debut in Mexico . . .

Can't Post | Private Reply

Things are developing a little worse for the British right now.

One keeps wondering why they just send in a civilian geological venture business team to loose money doing core drilling and messing around in caves.

But Mexico still looks funny when speaking on the subject of national sovereignty.

Mar 28, 2004, 8:13 PM

Post #10 of 20 (807 views)

Re: [TomG] New British Comedy makes debut in Mexico . . .

Can't Post | Private Reply

Things are developing a little worse for Mexico by Sunday evening. A uranium issue seems to have been hot air – where did it come from in the first place?

A counter attack on Mexican justice system re: American held in Mexican prison for buying prescription drugs without carrying the prescription - their medical history of diagnosis and prescription was deemed inadmissible.

Surrealism as a national culture is an intriguing modern tourism selling point; but it puts a place at a disadvantage when it needs to suddenly play international politics.

west16th1

Mar 30, 2004, 10:31 AM

Post #11 of 20 (745 views)

Re: [TomG] New British Comedy makes debut in Mexico . . .

Can't Post | Private Reply

It Does Seem Strange, That During Their Entrapment, The Team Refused Help From Mexican Officials. Instead Choosing To Wait For A British Rescue Team. It Looks Like The British Behavior Helped Create Some Of The Problem.

Mar 30, 2004, 2:07 PM

Post #12 of 20 (723 views)

Re: [west16th1] New British Comedy makes debut in Mexico . . .

Can't Post | Private Reply

"It Looks Like The British Behavior Helped Create Some Of The Problem. "

I think the flood had a lot more to do with it.

Pat

west16th1

Mar 30, 2004, 3:34 PM

Post #13 of 20 (710 views)

Re: [pat] New British Comedy makes debut in Mexico . . .

Can't Post | Private Reply

See It As You Wish. But The British, By Asking For A Foreign Rescue Team As Opposed To A Local(Mexican) Rescue Team, Did In Fact Create An Air Of Suspicion. Are You British?

Mar 30, 2004, 5:31 PM

Post #14 of 20 (698 views)

Re: [west16th1] New British Comedy makes debut in Mexico . . .

Can't Post | Private Reply

"See It As You Wish. But The British, By Asking For A Foreign Rescue Team As Opposed To A Local(Mexican) Rescue Team, Did In Fact Create An Air Of Suspicion. Are You British?"

Nope, I'm not British, not a conspiracy theorist either. I am from the US of A.

Over time, I have come to believe that the most likely explanation for an incident has a better than even chance of being the correct one.

In the case of the Brits in the cave, I think it is most likely that this whole thing is nothing more than what it appears on the surface .... A group of British GI's (who may very well be highly trained in the art of caving) who just happened to get caught in a cave while on an adventure vacation in Mexico--- on tourist visas even.

I have a hard time imagining a scenario where the British government would send a military team to Mexico on a clandestine mission to explore secret caves. What possible national interest could these caves have for the Brits. Especially, what interests could they have in these caves that would cause them to risk a major interntaional incident if their "spies" were caught.

As for their wanting a British team to rescue them.... If their circumstances were dire, they might have wanted a team they had worked with in the past.. one in which they had confidence. Or perhaps they have an inflated image of their ownimportance, and think the British military will launch a recovery operation just because they are in a temporary bind. Probably not likely due to the international implications of it all, especially if there is a competent rescue team available locally.

Like I said, probably a group of GI's in testosterone overload, who got in over their heads.

raferguson

Mar 30, 2004, 5:34 PM

Post #15 of 20 (694 views)

Re: [west16th1] New British Comedy makes debut in Mexico . . .

Can't Post | Private Reply

I was with a technical rescue squad for ten years, and also have called for rescue for members of my party out on an adventure. I can tell you from personal experience that I prefer to be rescued by people I know, if possible.

In fact, just at lunch today I was discussing cave diving with a friend still in the rescue business. His vacation plans for 2004 include getting advanced certifications in exotic diving specialties. He and I agreed that cave diving is one of the most dangerous activities on the planet. It is very rational, when talking about cave diving, which this is, to want to be rescued by the most qualified individuals available, so that there are no fatalities among the victims or the rescuers.

Wanting to be rescued by British experts is not suspicious, it is human nature. It is also based on good judgement and a desire to survive the rescue.

This whole thing has been blown absurdly out of proportion, when some guys on vacation who get stuck in a cave creates an international incident.

http://www.fergusonsculpture.com

Mar 30, 2004, 5:35 PM

Post #16 of 20 (695 views)

Re: [pat] New British Comedy makes debut in Mexico . . .

Can't Post | Private Reply

Of course, it's quite possible that I might be wrong. :)

Mar 30, 2004, 7:28 PM

Post #17 of 20 (673 views)

Re: New British Comedy makes debut in Mexico . . .

Can't Post | Private Reply

In a bid to follow in the footsteps of Roger Corwin or John Waters, I'm really getting tempted to start bidding on the screen rights for this story. The latest from the (UK) Daily Telegraph we get:

Six rescued cavers held in detention with illegal lap-dancers
By Chris Boffey and Jeremy McDermott
(Filed: 27/03/2004)

The six British potholers freed from a cave underneath the Mexican jungle yesterday shared a detention centre for illegal immigrants with eastern European lap-dancers awaiting deportation....

For all the bodacious details, you can find the article here (free registration on the site is required).

Mar 30, 2004, 8:51 PM

Post #18 of 20 (662 views)

Re: [ET] New British Comedy makes debut in Mexico . . .

Can't Post | Private Reply

Great piece of news! Who could have made that up, even with lots of creativity? It is too screwy to be false. And just when I thought the story was winding down.

All those foreigners look alike..... makes perfect sense that they be held together. But the British were reported to be complaining to the international human rights people about sleep deprivation and the like in captivity. What do you make of that claim?

And where were they deporting the East European lapdancers to? Brooklyn?

Finally things are beginning to jell.

Mar 30, 2004, 9:04 PM

Post #19 of 20 (658 views)

Re: [TomG] New British Comedy makes debut in Mexico . . .

Can't Post | Private Reply

Quote

TomG writes:
....And where were they deporting the East European lapdancers to?....

I think that after all the trauma they've been subjected to including the smelly cavers, I think they need a warm, supportive nuturing environment where they're free to practice their art. Consequently I'm volunteering my place. Donations to ET's Toys for Tarts fund to help them forget their ordeals will be graciously accepted.

As for the reports of sleep deprivation, I'll report back once the unfortunate refugees arrive.

Esteban

Mar 31, 2004, 5:55 AM

Post #20 of 20 (643 views)