Heard on today's surface interval. I thought it was funny....

[DeputyDan]

So we are doing our surface interval at a pier north of town - "out of the park".
several locals were working on their spear guns on the pier and one of our dive group asks them what they hunt.

the answer was - we hunt great whites. There was a pause for a minute and the guy says real serious like... You know great whites. The great white tourists!!!!

LMAO.

 

[Mossman]

I don't get it.

 

[captnpat]

I don't get it.

They hunt tourists.... gringos.....US!

 

[mstevens]

I don't get it.

You might. You might...

 

[Mossman]

They hunt tourists.... gringos.....US!

Uh, maybe I had to be there.

 

[Sue Sue]

So how many trips to Cozumel does it take to at least move up from Tourist status to perhaps Visitor Status ??? What criteria needs to be met before someone can move up ?? To start, I think land based visits hold more weight than cruise based visits. (I am a former cruiser) Also, if you visit enough that you are recognized in restaurants and shops, by name. you may get enough points for visitor status. I know I will most likely never make it to "Resident" so Visitor may be all I can enjoy. Any more ideas out there ??

 

[nimoh]

After 4 trips to Akumal, I am now getting the "local" rate from my dive op. Didn't even ask for it, they just recognize me as a regular. I figure a few more trips and I will be able to vote

 

[cvchief]

So how many trips to Cozumel does it take to at least move up from Tourist status to perhaps Visitor Status ??? What criteria needs to be met before someone can move up ?? To start, I think land based visits hold more weight than cruise based visits. (I am a former cruiser) Also, if you visit enough that you are recognized in restaurants and shops, by name. you may get enough points for visitor status. I know I will most likely never make it to "Resident" so Visitor may be all I can enjoy. Any more ideas out there ??

Oh it doesn't work like that. The commonly accepted method is to find people who have been there less or whose first visit was after yours or who stays a shorter times and then make comments about how much more local you are. It is rampant. Like if you stay 6 months, the local who live there mentions how they out local you and you probably can't 'understand.' If you live there full time and your Spanish poor, then someone who live there and speaks good Spanish will mention how less local you are than they. I really think it is the ugly reverse of how Cozumel makes even pod people think of it as 'their island' after even just one visit. LOTS of down the now looking. I mean typically from Gringo. You don't see it so much from the 'real' local locals.....

 

[mediumone]

Oh it doesn't work like that. The commonly accepted method is to find people who have been there less or whose first visit was after yours or who stays a shorter times and then make comments about how much more local you are. It is rampant. Like if you stay 6 months, the local who live there mentions how they out local you and you probably can't 'understand.' If you live there full time and your Spanish poor, then someone who live there and speaks good Spanish will mention how less local you are than they. I really think it is the ugly reverse of how Cozumel makes even pod people think of it as 'their island' after even just one visit. LOTS of down the now looking. I mean typically from Gringo. You don't see it so much from the 'real' local locals.....

Often the same way with dive counts. A few years ago, we (wife, two teenaged boys, and I), met some others for a night dive, which was our first. I swear one woman audibly sniffed when we told her our number of dives, which were a lot fewer than hers. When all 4 of us came up after 64 minutes with more air than she, she actually shared some of her photos with us.

 

[mstevens]

The commonly accepted method is to find people who have been there less or whose first visit was after yours or who stays a shorter times and then make comments about how much more local you are. It is rampant. Like if you stay 6 months, the local who live there mentions how they out local you and you probably can't 'understand.' If you live there full time and your Spanish poor, then someone who live there and speaks good Spanish will mention how less local you are than they. I really think it is the ugly reverse of how Cozumel makes even pod people think of it as 'their island' after even just one visit. LOTS of down the now looking. I mean typically from Gringo. You don't see it so much from the 'real' local locals.....

cvchief, I think you're completely correct.

My own wife, who's a Residente Permanente with Plan Local, the fideicomiso in her name, a museum/parks card, instant recognition by waiters and shopkeepers, and a super-secret discount card to our favorite beach restaurant, greatly outlocals* me. She's always a bit surprised when I don't know the names of the cats at various restaurants or when pitaya season is. She tries to be nice about it, though. Unless I figure out some way to retire (which would probably require that I quit spending money to get to Cozumel or some equally wacky, bizarre scheme), I'll really always remain a "tourist". She'd probably count as a "part-time resident" or "seasoned visitor".

I believe what you describe is a result of people wanting so badly to belong that they comfort themselves by thinking that at least they belong more than *that* guy (me or whomever). True locals don't need that reassurance, so they can just relax and judge people by their phones or taste in music.

*I adore that word and am officially stealing it. Charge me if you can identify an applicable statute.