MrBillM
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 21656
Registered: 8-20-2003
Location: Out and About
Member Is Offline
Mood: It's a Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah Day
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Mordida Inflacion
Crossed the border ayer and pulled up to the first traffic light.
There was a municipal traffic cop on a motorcycle in the left turn lane.
He looked over at me and when the light changed he went straight just behind
me, then pulled up even with the driver door. He pointed for me to pull over.
After stopping, he got out his ticket book and I walked to the back of the truck.
He said in Spanish that I was not wearing my seat belt (Cinturon) and that he
had to write me a citation. He then asked for my Drivers License. All of this
was in Spanish. He couldn't or didn't speak English. He, of course, never
started wriing in the ticket book. He told me I would have to accompany him
to the Estacion Policia. I then asked how much the fine was and whether I
could pay him and he could then pay it. He wrote down 62 dlls. I said "Sixty-
Two dollars, not Pesos". "Si, lo siento." I asked again, same answer. "Lo
Siento". Since the Police station is right on my way, I said "OK, do I follow
you there or you follow me" ? He nooded and motioned for me to get back
in the vehicle. I started up AND FASTENED MY SEATBELT and began
to drive down the road. After a moment, he pulled up next to me, pointed
at his chest, then at mine and gave me a thumbs up, then with a smile and a
little bye bye wave, drove off. Two blocks down the road, he pulled over a
U.S. Licensed Van.
If he hadn't been so greedy, he would have made some money off of me, but
$62.00 is a little too much for a seatbelt violation. I was ready to go $20-30.
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BajaVida
Senior Nomad
Posts: 541
Registered: 9-1-2003
Location: Motown, Califas
Member Is Offline
Mood: muy cool
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glad you had the courage to just say no!!!
No se apure y dure.
Don\'t hurry and you\'ll last longer.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64479
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Good report... Since you already knew fines in Mexico are very low (it may have been 62 pesos)... why would you consider paying the mordida?
Soon there will be replies that you should have gotten his badge # and report him... However, I think the system is pretty good as it is... So long as
you play the game like you did! Thanks Bill!
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bajaloco
Nomad
Posts: 159
Registered: 12-5-2002
Location: Huntington Beach, California
Member Is Offline
Mood: wishin I was fishin
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P-nche MORDIDA
Not long ago, we were stopped in La paz, going south just past the by-pass. The road was under construction and we were driving very slowly on the far
right lane and was pulled over for speeding, which we were not. The "officer" said that I could pay the fine on the spot, but I insisted to see the
judge...He pretended to call someone on his cell phone, held a fake conversation, then looked at me and said your free to leave and he took off....DO
NOT PAY MORDIDA.....Do not break the laws....You cause problems for everyone... The fine you pay to the judge is usually much less than to the
policeman...also watch your speed, there are radar guns everywhere.
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elgatoloco
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4323
Registered: 11-19-2002
Location: Yes
Member Is Offline
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We got a ticket in La Paz for going the wrong way on a one way street. It cost $11.62 US. 
MAGA
Making Attorneys Get Attorneys
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Bruce R Leech
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6796
Registered: 9-20-2004
Location: Ensenada formerly Mulege
Member Is Offline
Mood: A lot cooler than Mulege
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nice going MrBillM you handled that vary well.
Bruce R Leech
Ensenada
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Bruce R Leech
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6796
Registered: 9-20-2004
Location: Ensenada formerly Mulege
Member Is Offline
Mood: A lot cooler than Mulege
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yes always.
Bruce R Leech
Ensenada
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DanO
Super Nomad
Posts: 1923
Registered: 8-26-2003
Location: Not far from the Pacific
Member Is Offline
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Me too, but I have trouble converting the kilometers per hour to miles per hour. 
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Bruce R Leech
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6796
Registered: 9-20-2004
Location: Ensenada formerly Mulege
Member Is Offline
Mood: A lot cooler than Mulege
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Are those signs in Kilometers? oh oh
Bruce R Leech
Ensenada
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Oso
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 2637
Registered: 8-29-2003
Location: on da border
Member Is Offline
Mood: wait and see
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Ees de leetle numbers on your speedometro, Se?or, not de beeg ones...
Thirty five KPH on the open desert ? Yeah, everyone obeys that, right? Except for autopistas, speed limits are fairly consistent throughout Mexico.
Enforcement is selective.
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triarts
Newbie
Posts: 11
Registered: 3-11-2005
Member Is Offline
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speed limit conversion
dan o killometer is 6 tenth of mile so just multiply amount by 6. example if it says 80 k times 6 equals 48 miles per hour
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tim40
Senior Nomad
Posts: 574
Registered: 3-29-2004
Location: Manhattan Beach
Member Is Offline
Mood: There yet?
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Have paid it a couple of times, know I will in the future. I make the decision related to 'did I do it', the time I have available, and the 'out of
the way factor'. If I did not do what they were suggesting, I don't think I would or could pay....
When searching for the end of your rainbow you only have until dusk....
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