Anti-expat sentiments flared at Lakeside on Monday, July 14, after a local media outlet shared a video showing a dispute between a local bus driver and an English-speaking man who refused to move his motorcycle from the middle of a narrow Ajijic street to allow the bus to pass.
The foreigner apparently wanted the bus to back up so he could park his BMW motorcycle in his garage. A bystander's voice is heard in the video explaining that there was plenty of room for the man to move his bike to the side of the street until the bus could continue. In response, the man stepped onto the sidewalk, took off his helmet in defiance, and said, "Call the police if you want, I don’t care."
By Tuesday morning, the post had garnered 28,000 views and over 1,000 comments. It quickly spread across social media platforms throughout the area.
Both Mexican and expat residents overwhelmingly condemned the foreigner's belligerent attitude, with many suggesting that he should mind his manners, be fined for obstructing the roadway, or, in some cases, even face deportation by immigration authorities. Some even suggested that the bus driver should have simply driven into the motorcycle to clear the path.
So far, there has been no follow-up to clarify how the standoff was ultimately resolved.
However, the incident in the heart of Ajijic serves as a clear sign that local residents are becoming less tolerant of foreigners who exhibit a sense of privilege, entitlement, and disrespect. It mirrors the increasingly negative sentiment in Mexico towards outsiders, which has been linked to anti-gentrification protests and "Gringo Go Home" slogans that have recently surfaced in the nation's capital.