Just drove from San Diego to Loreto. Interesting stop by the Federal Highway Patrol just south of Guerrero Negro. Driving this route for 29 years
now, this is the first time I have been stopped. As we were approaching the Highway Patrol, the officer stopped me saying I was traveling at 67 mph
by his radar gun. I probably was as I usually drive at 65 mph over this stretch. He was very polite and stated he was giving me a warning only and
informing me of the speed limits. Stated the posted speed limit is 50 mph (80 kph). He had a large placard showing all the speed limits and the
appropriate fines. He indicated that at 70 mph the fine would be $360. dollars. He did just warn me and sent me on our way with a smile. DaliDali - 12-8-2018 at 04:02 PM
They set up there often.
When they pulled me over, told me if I stayed at max 60MPH, no harm, no foulSr.vienes - 12-8-2018 at 04:07 PM
OK one report I was willing to write off to eating bad mushrooms, but two?? I guess I have to believe that Unicorns, Yetis and honest Mexican cops can
possibly exist. Very glad to be able to believe.AKgringo - 12-8-2018 at 04:42 PM
One more...In an effort to maintain my momentum on a grade with my underpowered vehicle, I crossed over the center line a bit. Just as I did so, a
federale came into view, and saw me do it!
We made eye contact, and he gave me a stern look accompanied by a wagging finger, but he did not turn around and pull me over!thebajarunner - 12-8-2018 at 04:46 PM
I have seen those Federales with the radar gun down around Viscaino several times.
Each time I was headed North and they were gunning those coming South.
Scary.
As to that little "chart"
I once had a cop pull me over in Rosarito Beach and he showed me his "chart" and the fines ranged up to $10,000 US
I suspected that he had made it up himselfTedZark - 12-8-2018 at 06:23 PM
US$10,000? At least the guy had a sense of humor!BajaBill74 - 12-8-2018 at 06:35 PM
I was pulled over South of GN before sun up. I got out of my car and walked back to the officer. He held out his hand and while shaking hands he said
I was going too fast. True. He explained that 70 KPH meant 60 MPR. Nice guy!Lee - 12-8-2018 at 07:18 PM
I was pulled over South of GN before sun up. I got out of my car and walked back to the officer. He held out his hand and while shaking hands he said
I was going too fast. True. He explained that 70 KPH meant 60 MPR. Nice guy!
I was on this stretch today doing 70 about 9am. Must have squeaked through. Whew.
[Edited on 12-9-2018 by Lee]shari - 12-8-2018 at 08:21 PM
That is a very common spot for the federales from GN to set up a speed trap....at the entrance to the lagoon OJo de Liebre. If they arent there they
are usually a few miles south of that at the entrance to the Ejido Benito Juarez. Slowwwwww down or you're busted!BajaBlanca - 12-8-2018 at 10:00 PM
Two Mexican friends on two completely unrelated car trips both paid $4000 peso fines! They were NOT let off.
Les was indeed speeding there too, but the officer let us off with a warning. He also said that from then on, Les's name was in the computer and
there would be no second chances.
Nowadays, we both keep our eyes on the sides of the road to make sure no copper is there.
The other spot is right before Santa Rosalia if you are headed south. There is a hill and everyone tends to speed as you go up....they sit at the top
just waiting for you!dtbushpilot - 12-9-2018 at 08:54 AM
Was pulled over there going 85. He showed me the book price, $6400 pesos. It seemed reasonable to me considering what nearly twice the speed limit
would get you north of the border. It could have been worse, I was going faster moments before.
We had a friendly visit, he was willing to negotiate. I'm more conservative in that area now.El Jefe - 12-9-2018 at 01:23 PM
Same stop, same place, same chart, same negotiation down to $4000 pesos last March. Kinda ruins your day. We tried the old let's go to the station
thing and they said fine, only we would be on the hook of a tow truck. It is sooooo hard to keep it at 50 MPH on that stretch of straight desert
highway. But oh well. I advise setting the cruise control at 50 and considering it a rest period from having to be 100% focused all the time. Maybe
point it straight and get in a little napBajaDanD - 12-9-2018 at 08:46 PM
I got pulled over there a few years back doing 80. Took the ticket and was told to take it to the nearest federal police station and get it
processed. Did that and was told to take the paperwork to the bank and pay the fine but it was to late on a Friday and we were going back to Arizona
on Sunday.
Blanca in La Bocana was kind enough to take money is sent to her to the bank and paperwork to where it needed to go. Ticket cost me under 200us if
paid within 30days nearly doubled after that.
Thank you again Blanca Con Kso - 12-9-2018 at 11:29 PM
Same experience as BajaDanD - paying it on the side of the road was not an option.
I'm not sure how some of you guys got away with bargaining because the guys that got me were full professionals- there was no discussion just a
ticket.
FYI dealing with a legit ticket in Baja is a pain in the ass. After receiving the ticket I had to wait a few days for it to get processed then either
go to a police station to get the documents or call a number and then print out the paperwork. In any case, you needed that paperwork in order to pay
your fine - and that fine could only be paid at Bancomer.
If I remember correctly it was something like $220 US - I paid it at the Bancomer in Viscaino on my way back north. Nice new bank with some helpful
ladies to guide you to the right window.
While I was getting written up on the side of the road (near the turn off to one of the lagoons near the El Arco turnoff) the cops pulled over a
couple of Mexican ladies - those ladies started yelling at the cops to the point that the police just let them go. The only other time I've seen a
Mexican woman that peeed off was getting ready to board a Volaris flight and the guy pulls out a pocket scale and starts weighing everyone's carry on
luggage... Whooowee he picked on the wrong woman that day - when he told her she would have to pay extra because her bag was overweight, man he set
off some fireworks!
[Edited on 12-10-2018 by Con Kso]El Jefe - 12-10-2018 at 08:31 AM
Just goes to show you that EVERY stop by the police in this wonderful country is a unique scenario. You never know.PaulW - 12-10-2018 at 09:14 AM
I wonder if your official duplicate documents would overcome the hassle and expense? Just forget to go to the bank and pay and let the bank keep the
documents the cop forwarded to them.BajaDanD - 12-10-2018 at 08:33 PM
I was speeding I was wrong I paid the price and had no hard feelings about it.
Now if i wasn't speeding and got pulled over for some mordita I would have some hard feelings about that. I've had it both ways but never by Federal
police only local police in TJ and Tacate. The Federal police were straight up professionals. I respect that.mooose29 - 12-11-2018 at 09:54 PM
The last time I got pulled over by the Federal Poice they were very professional and wrote me the ticket which I more than deserved. I even asked if
they could pay the fine for me and they said no I would have to pay at the station and I had 30 days to do so.
My wife was going down to do some shopping and after some running around she got it paid and got a receipt and my license back (they kept it when they
wrote the ticket).
I deserved the ticket and was actually happy to see the system work. Con Kso - 12-12-2018 at 09:39 PM
I was speeding too.
I was peeed because I just realized the guy at the Pemex just North of the Army base had shorted me at the pump. So there I was all peeed at myself
and grumpy. Also it's easy to speed in the new Tundras. I looked up to see the guy waving me over. I must've been going 75 mph, pulling a kayak
trailer - I was caught red handed.
I had no hard feelings, just felt stupid because I'd been through there on a dirtbike twice the year before and had seen the radar trap. I guess those
mental post-it notes don't always stick - so when I got busted, I just tried to be polite to see if he'd cut me some slack. Maybe give me a warning.
No dice (as in the things you roll when you place craps - not spanish).
Funny how many times you have to sign the "Infracion" - lots of triplicate and the ticket is as big as a sheet of notebook paper. I had a great time
whipping it out and showing it to all the gasolineros on my way to La Paz. Most of them laughed and said they'd never seen something like that before
in their lives. Most asked me why I didn't pay it right then - when I told them it was the Federales Caminos, most shook their head, "Muy serioso" as
if I was some kind of bad ass.
I paid it and it was done - plus the bank girls were kind of cute. That took a little bit of the sting out of it. msawin - 12-12-2018 at 11:26 PM
In October on our way to Loreto I purchased a radar unit. Works great. Kind of for that area.. It worked, I slowed down a bit. It did pick up the
K- band signal that was looking for us. Uniden brand. I do not drive crazy fast, I am slow in my descent like diving.
