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Mulegena
Super Nomad
Posts: 2412
Registered: 11-7-2006
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Just say "No"
Just when I thought it was safe again...
we got hit up by the local cops in Constitution yesterday.
What a shame!
Going north just out of town as the two lanes converge back to Mx.-1 . They zoomed up alongside, tooted the horn. We pulled over when safe out on the
highway within walking distance of the Federales Station.
We did nothing wrong to warrant this stop and were both clear in our minds we were not going to entertain this for very long. They have no
jurisdiction out on the highway beyond the city limits anyway.
We pretended to not understand Spanish.
Kept saying "No" when they tried naming one road infraction after another in poor, poor Spanglish. Did not react when they said we would have to come
to the station tomorrow or when they said they wanted the license plate to ensure we'd be there. We kept saying "No. We're going to Mulege now."
The main cop finally said, "Its just a little infraction." He was smart enough never to suggest we pay him (not to be accused of extortion) I'm
assuming with the thought that we would offer to settle on the spot just to make the problem go away, but...
"No. We're going now." is all we said...
and we drove away! All in all it took 5 minutes, we didn't get upset, the cop didn't lose too much face and certainly didn't get any money.
I do have the phone number for the local police station on my cellphone and do keep a colored copy of my drivers license to present in these
situations, never the real one.
Remember, stay cool, be prepared and polite and just say "No".
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bill erhardt
Super Nomad
Posts: 1370
Registered: 4-2-2005
Location: Loreto, BCS
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Mulegena.......Perfect!
Three times I've been stopped in Constitucion under similar circumstances, and never has a peso changed hands, nor a ticket issued.
Simply refusing to play their game, and having a copy of a US drivers license at the ready to sacrifice to the cause, if necessary, will usually send
them on their way to look for an easier mark. And, if they want to keep the phony license, demanding a signed reciept (recibo) for it will usually
get it returned to you......
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Lee
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3458
Registered: 10-2-2006
Location: High in the Colorado Rockies
Member Is Offline
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Nice story
| Quote: | Originally posted by Mulegena
......."No. We're going now." is all we said...
and we drove away! All in all it took 5 minutes, we didn't get upset, the cop didn't lose too much face and certainly didn't get any money.
I do have the phone number for the local police station on my cellphone and do keep a colored copy of my drivers license to present in these
situations, never the real one.
Remember, stay cool, be prepared and polite and just say "No". |
Wow. This is text book scenario for what to do in case of a scam stop (which I differentiate from a legitimate traffic infraction).
You done good. A scam is a scam. Play dumb or not. Keep saying NO to everything. No, no, and, no.
Tell them where you are going, and tell them you're leaving.
Give them a photo copy of your license, or a throw away license.
Outstanding.
US Marines: providing enemies of America an opportunity to die for their country since 1775.
What I say before any important decision.
F*ck it.
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JoeJustJoe
Banned
Posts: 21045
Registered: 9-9-2010
Location: Occupied Aztlan
Member Is Offline
Mood: Mad as hell
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I think paying a mordida is a personal choice. It's great if you could stand up to a corrupt Mexican cop and demand he write you the ticket or take
you to see the judge and stand your ground about giving in and paying a bribe. However, if you are in a hurry, and don't want to put up with their
shake down techniques then I see nothing wrong with pay a small bribe if you can get it reduced to something like $20 dollars.
I did both. I stood up to the corrupt cops, and other times when I probably wasn't entirely innocent myself I had paid a bribe as I was tiring of the
cops tour of the city and just broken down and gave each cops a small bribe.
Whatever you do don't let what you read on a forum determine your behavior with a corrupt Mexican cop, because it's been my experience when members
are alone with a corrupt Mexican cops their behavior is a lot different then what they report on their favorite forum. I don't know most of you, so
I'll give my opinion what I see on other forums regarding this subject.
I flat out don't believe some of the stories I hear, because almost all the stories I hear these guys make the corrupt cops mostly in Tijuana back
down all the time. It makes me think why these TJ cops even bother shaking down these guys because every time they end up with egg on their face and
get nothing.....or do they? You should hear some of the stories I have heard. They are just so over-the-top and the thing is other members believe
them, and always give them a pat on the back, " hey great going John Doe, you are the man!" Yeah right. I find very few forum members in Mexico ever
report how they were scared and paid the corrupt Mexican cop what he wanted, and if they ever do......they get attacked by others because of it.( hey
you should have stood up for yourself.)
Where I'm from in Tijuana the TJ cops use to shake down a lot of gringos in years past under the Hank Rhon, administration. Under Torres, and Leyzaola
the conditions have greatly improved where it's rare that even gringos get shaken down any more. Although I don't like Leyzaola's techniques. I do
give him credit for lowering the amount of corrupt TJ cops that use to do this sort of thing, but I'm against him torturing citizens, and randomly
picking up rough looking Mexican on the street who hasn't even committed any crime, except look like an ratero or gang-banger.( these guys have rights
too)
But I did use to enjoy the stories about different techniques guys would would use to keep the corrupt Mexican cops away from them. One of my
favorite was the " Sindicatura " card they would either throw in the cops face like a person would show a cross to a vampire to get them to leave, or
they would casually drop the card, or let the cop find it, and supposedly the corrupt cops would leave them alone when they would see he card. I'm
sure it did work sometimes, but not always.
[Edited on 9-26-2010 by JoeJustJoe]
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Skeet/Loreto
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4709
Registered: 9-2-2003
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Joe; I appreciate you words about TJ/
The thing many people do not understand is that it all over Mexico that these things happen, It is basically the same.
I Have been going to Baja Sur Mexico sine 1967 in my on plane then later many, many trips throgh TJ. I have only paid Morida twice, both times I was
speeding and fugured it was not worth the drive as the Cop only wanted $20,.
What you also have to see is that there are some of the Visitors who come to Baja and want to be treated, and demand they be treated like the States
or Canada.
It happens in the States each day when some feels as if they have been mistreated they get a bunch of Loud, Shouting Diaperheads and start making
Noise until they get their way.
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Marla Daily
Nomad
Posts: 418
Registered: 9-2-2003
Location: Loreto, BCS
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Police corruption in Constitucion — here is helpful info.
I received this email today written by Dia Morales about the police corruption problem in Constitucion. She writes:
I would like to give you some very important information you need. After a meeting with the Director of the Police in Loreto I had the opportunity to
express the problem with the corrupted police in Constitution that are asking money to the tourist especially if they are driving car rentals. He was
very supportive and he immediately called the Constitution Director of the police. I made the general claim to him on behalf of my American/ Canadian
clients, friends and tourists, because as a Mexican I feel responsible to help with this injustice.
He told me if anybody has problems of this kind they should say to the police officers to call:
LICENCIADO MIGUEL ANGEL VILLALEJO ( The director of the police in Constitution ) and let them know that you have his private cellular numbe r in case
you need to call him anytime 24 hours. ( I'm not publishing his cellular number for obvious reasons but I will be happy to provide it in case you need
it).
Or call to the 066 number and generate an official report.
He apologizes with the American and Canada community of Loreto and he invites everybody to report this kind of situation; don't give any money to the
police officers, take the police plate car number and the name of the officer.
I hope this helps.
Dia Morales, 135 2431
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Sunman
Nomad
Posts: 400
Registered: 6-22-2007
Location: Oxnard
Member Is Offline
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FYI His number has been posted previously by iflyfish near the beginning of this post.
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BajaNomad
Super Administrator
Posts: 4977
Registered: 8-1-2002
Location: San Diego, CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: INTP-A
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Sunman
FYI His number has been posted previously by iflyfish... |
http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=49294#pid5695...
When I was young, I admired clever people. Now that I am old, I admire kind people.
– Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel
We know we must go back if we live, and we don`t know why.
– John Steinbeck, Log from the Sea of Cortez
Affordable Domain Name Registration/Management & cPanel Web Hosting:
https://www.regionalinternet.com |
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dtutko1
Nomad
Posts: 341
Registered: 8-26-2009
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We just passed thru last friday at about noon, not one cop seen anywhere. Made sure to make a full stop at every stopsign. No shopping or gas or
oranges bought. Military checkpoint north of La Paz is no longer military, just ag.
Dorado Don
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Phil S
Super Nomad
Posts: 1205
Registered: 10-28-2003
Member Is Offline
Mood: After 34 years. Still in love w/ my wife
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We drove through Constitution about a week & a half ago, and followed others directions as to what to do. No problema's. Just drive a little
under the speed limit. Watch for the stop lights, and if there is no stop light, stop for the stop sign. Lot's of lights now through this town. Use
the center lanes. DON't use the 'local' lanes, as it will be slow, and many stops, and many cars. We've never had any problems driving through in the
past 24 years we've been comiing down. Including days that we just drove around town shopping. Nice town if you like big towns. And my gosh,
driving into Cabo and seeing the housing units from the top of the hill is a real eye opener. Everyone seems to have a job down here??????
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BMG
Super Nomad
Posts: 1776
Registered: 6-10-2007
Location: La Paz / Bahia Asunci�n / Away from home
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Drove through Constitution on Nov 30. Headed off the main road 3 or 4 blocks until we were passed the divided highway section. Very little traffic but
some at the cross streets. Heading back to the main highway a motorcycle cop turned off onto the street we were on. I saw him look down at our plate
and watched him make a u-turn and chirp the siren. I immediately pulled over and he stopped by the driver's window. He asked what we were looking for
in English. I said we were just going to La Paz. He smiled and said 'have a good day' and off we went.
I think the world is run by C- students.
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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 29510
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
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| Quote: | Originally posted by BMG
I saw him look down at our plate and watched him make a u-turn and chirp the siren. I immediately pulled over and he stopped by the driver's window.
He asked what we were looking for in English. I said we were just going to La Paz. He smiled and said 'have a good day' and off we went.
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He must have had that sudden urge to go fishing for that "Open Container" species.
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Alan
Super Nomad
Posts: 1617
Registered: 4-6-2005
Location: Yucaipa, CA/La Paz
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Mulegena
"No. We're going now." is all we said...
and we drove away! All in all it took 5 minutes, we didn't get upset, the cop didn't lose too much face and certainly didn't get any money.
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Gutsy move! Happy it turned out well for you but not sure it's one I would recommend to anybody. Remember this discussion is about the corrupt cops
of CC. Are you that confident you know the level of their corruption? Are you that confident that it wasn't a valid stop?
My advice is still to comply with the officer but insist he write the ticket or follow him to the station to pay the fine. I know they have been
posted here before and the actual fines are very low by anyone's standards. Certainly much less than mordida. 95% of the time they give up and send
you on your way.
Just for the record. When I drove through there last June I took the center lanes, kept my speed to 25 KPH and stopped at every intersection without
incident.
[Edited on 12-4-2010 by Alan]
In Memory of E-57
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rebob
Newbie
Posts: 9
Registered: 12-6-2010
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We were through Ciudad Constitucion four times in the past month. Went just below speed limit, stopped at all stop signs and appropriate lights, and
didn't have any issues.
We did see a motorhome fly through a stop sign and a motorcycle police officer was following him with lights on for several blocks.
Also saw the policia out with ticket books in hand near the Bodega Aurrera stopping traffic. They only seemed to be stopping the local wrecks...
[Edited on 12-7-2010 by rebob]
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windgrrl
Super Nomad
Posts: 1323
Registered: 9-2-2006
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Drove through Sunday. Looked carefully for and observed all traffic signs & signals. One police car on the outskirts of town. Gave us a good once
over. Drove the speed limit until we saw the Mex. 1 speed posted again. Drivers turning left were cautious.
When the way comes to an end, then change. Having changed, you pass through.
~ I-Ching
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