Paisano season leads to more traffic, accidents, and economic boom

HIDALGO, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Paisano season is in full swing.

It is a time when Mexican nationals and Mexican-Americans travel between the U.S. and Mexico to visit their loved ones for the holidays. The increased traffic can be a blessing and a headache for residents on both sides of the border.

Reynosa resident Edson Perez knows that right now may not be the best time to cross the international bridge in a car.

"Sometimes I cross on foot and sometimes by car," Perez said. "Whether by car or on foot, the line is long."

He knows he could be stuck in line for hours as many are traveling to Mexico for the holidays. Although he understands traffic like this helps the economy on both sides of the border, he does believe more should be done by the Mexican government to speed up the process.

"More than anything, the issue is with the Mexican side because sometimes they close the lanes for any people going through to declare any goods they are taking," Perez said. "They are very slow, and they also need to be more alert."

Hidalgo Police Chief Romeo Rodriguez believes the same. Although he knows people have to pay their taxes to Mexican authorities, he believes more should be done to speed up the process.”

“People complain because they're in line two-three hours, and they blame us for it, but it's not us, it's not us, it's the Mexican side," Rodriguez said. "They do their inspections at the border, and they slowed everything down, and you're actually getting one car through the checkpoint there every five minutes. So the line gets bigger and bigger. Don't shrink for hours.”

He said traffic tends to triple during this time of the year and it extends for over a mile. He also adds that the most common calls his department receives are because of bumper-to-bumper traffic and road rage.

He also said some local businesses close to the bridge complain about the traffic.

“Most of the small restaurants, the Whataburger, and some other restaurants," the police chief said. "Some of the stores have a lot of trouble with their customers coming in and out. So it does create havoc for us, but we figure a way, and we keep it going and keep it flowing.”

Rodriguez said police alleviate the matter by closing some roads and making sure traffic flows smoothly. He also appreciates the huge economic boom paisanos create in the Rio Grande Valley.

Although traffic might calm down as Christmas begins, Rodriguez asks for people to be patient as travelers start their trip back home in early January as people return to work and school.