A light-hearted yet telling moment unfolded during the official inauguration of Line 4 of the Tren Ligero (light rail) in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga, Jalisco, Mexico, on December 15, when the city’s mayor was seen running behind a departing train.
The station platform was crowded with officials, dignitaries, media personnel, and invited guests for the ceremonial first ride. However, Tlajomulco Mayor Gerardo Quirino Velázquez arrived moments late.
As the train doors closed and the service departed on schedule with the state governor and other officials already on board the mayor realised what was happening and sprinted along the platform in an attempt to catch the train. Despite running alongside the moving train and reaching out, he failed to board in time and was left behind as it pulled away smoothly.
Mayor Takes It in Good Humour
Velázquez later shared the clip on social media, addressing the incident with humour. Captioning the video in Spanish, he wrote, “¡No se preocupen, mi gente! Pasa cada nueve minutos” (Don’t worry, folks! It comes every nine minutes), underlining the punctuality of the new transit system.
Netizens Draw Comparisons With VIP Culture
The video soon went viral, prompting amused reactions and wider discussions online. Many users praised the system’s adherence to schedule, while others drew sharp comparisons with India’s VIP culture, where public transport inaugurations are often delayed for late-arriving politicians.
One user commented, "In Mexico, trains leave on time even if the mayor is late. In India, drivers get suspended if they don’t wait for ministers.”
Another quipped, Haha true! In India, train waits for hours if minister is late for inauguration. Driver dares to leave on time? Straight to jail or suspension! Here in Mexico, mayor runs behind and waves goodbye VIP culture max level in our railways"
Another wrote, “There, systems run on schedule. Here, schedules run on ministers.”
Another wrote, Difference in priorities. There, systems run on schedule here, schedules run on ministers.
