Baja Bernie
`Normal` Nomad Correspondent
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Registered: 8-31-2003
Location: Sunset Beach
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Mood: Just dancing through life
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For the Baja Lady's
The Lady and The Gun (from Mi Baja No Hurry No Worry)
Barbara Dodd never really lived in La Salina. She did spend enough time in the Cantina to qualify as an honorary member of the camp. Barbara and her
husband, who was a Lieutenant on the Los Angeles Sheriffs Department, built a beautiful home overlooking the cove at Angeles Camp. Sadly, they were
only able to share the good life for about six months after he retired. He passed away very suddenly. She sold their dream home and left the area.
No one had the slightest idea what had happened to her.
Suddenly on one of those nights when it was dark, cold, and windy outside, she stepped back into the warmth of the Cantina. We all heard that laugh
it was deep, sad, and mellow. We knew that Barbara had returned without even seeing her. That was how unusual her laugh sounded. After a few drinks
shared with friends, who cared, her laugh became full bodied, throaty, and—happy! That was when that wonderful lady became “Barbara Tee Hee” to all
her friends in La Salina. It was great to hear her laugh; everyone knew it and it made you—well happy!! She wandered in and out of camp life for
years before she followed her husband.
The following brief story will give you an idea of how she met life. Always head on and always with a laugh on her lips.
One night upon crossing the border, in a raging rainstorm, she became lost in the detours erected due to the flooding of the ‘border fence road’. She
stopped, in the Red Light District of Downtown Tijuana, and asked two guys if they could show her how to get onto the Toll Road southbound. They both
smiled and said, ‘No Problema, just follow us.’ So she did until they stopped in a deserted area outside of Tijuana. She pulled in behind them.
They got out of their car and approached her car to tell her that she now belonged to them. She responded with a hearty laugh as she flashed her dead
husbands’ police badge.
When that didn’t stop them she pulled his .38 caliber service revolver and c-cked it. This they understood—no problemo—they were gone.
She found her way home and entered the Cantina soaking wet, but with her ‘tee hee’ lighting up the place.
It was crazy and no one understood how she got away with it; she carried her late husbands badge and gun in her purse—in Mexico; throughout the rest
of her life. She not only enjoyed life, she laughed at it.
P.S.Several of you Lady's always make me think Barbara when you post. Baja does attract strong women who know what they want in this
life...................Salud!
My smidgen of a claim to fame is that I have had so many really good friends. By Bernie Swaim December 2007
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FARASHA
Senior Nomad
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YES BERNIE - a strong Lady indeed - liked that, pulling the trigger at them. Nice to bring that Lady BACK !
Have a nice weekend - and Memorial Day! >f<
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Baja_Girl
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Location: Pasadena, CA
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Bernie,
mi gusto mucho...gracias...a great story indeed.
you are a very talented writer...one of the reasons I love this website so.
que tenga una buena dia!
lisa
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DianaT
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Nice story---the way you write makes one feel like they knew Barbara.
Thanks
Diane
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longlegsinlapaz
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Registered: 11-18-2005
Location: La Paz
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Bernie.....Hmmmmmm....I think I might resemble that remark!  Me thinks Barbara
might have been reincarnated & living in La Paz! 
Not that I'd carry a gun, but if one were handy, I'd certainly follow her lead!
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Baja Bernie
`Normal` Nomad Correspondent
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Long Legs
Your first post convinced me of that.
I have met a few wimpy women in Baja but they never seem to be around for long.
Wait until I post "The Ladies of La Salina" Excerpt to tease...
"They seemed to follow that road as though drawn by a Mexican Pied Piper. No, they were not...........................mostly they were a more
seasoned bunch of people, but none of them acted as if they were anyone's grandma."
P.S. Most Baja Lady's are well worth knowing!
My smidgen of a claim to fame is that I have had so many really good friends. By Bernie Swaim December 2007
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Bajafun777
Super Nomad
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Registered: 9-13-2006
Location: Rosarito & California
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Bernie, great story and I really enjoyed talking and sharing information with you at the book signing that Keri hosted. I am glad you have written
books because your stories are something to be shared. I just had a friend of mine who I convinced to go down to Rosarito for a weekend with her
boyfriend. She is a public defender and he is a law enforcement officer. Well, they had a great weekend until they started heading back out to the
border to come home. A T.J. cop pulled them over and she asked what they did wrong and he said she was speeding, to which she told him she was only
doing 30 and it was posted at a higher speed. The cop still was giving them a hard time and the boyfriend decided that it might be best to just pay
the guy, as this was what he kept hinting to on how long it would take to follow him to the police station to pay a fine. Well, she pushed the
boyfriend's money back to him and told the cop she would follow him to the police station, as she was not going to pay somebody off. When she pushed
the money back it exposed the boyfriend's badge in his wallet. So, now the T.J. cop gets excited made them get out of the car called another cop to
help him search their car hoping to find a weapon or ammo. Well, long story short my friend does not like weapons and her boyfriend would never be so
stupid as to take his weapon or ammo into Mexico. They were held up for over an hour by the cops and they sent back around to the end of the line.
She was ticked off but as she was forced to turn around she kept telling them how crooked they were and her boyfriend kept telling her to be quite.
She tried to find out where the police station was as she was going to make a complaint. She told me," I represent many Mexican Nationals in El
Centro and work close with the Mexican Consul I just can't believe this crap." I told her stuff happens and not to judge her first visit with this
type of nonesense. Told her next time she and her boyfriend can go down with my wife and I. Her boyfriend still can not believe how she kept telling
the cops off. I can't say too much about this as my wife also stands up for herself in Mexico and she can speak Spanish pretty good, especially if
she is mad. If you make them mad women can get very challenging right back at you, right Bernie?
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longlegsinlapaz
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Bernie, I'm not wimpy...I'm not anyone's Grandmother:...I'm not even anyone's Mother...and I'm definitely not one of those "____" on the road, drawn by a Mexican Pied Piper. You stay away from La Paz, 'k? I don't wanna be fodder for some future
chapter!
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longlegsinlapaz
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Bajafun777
Uh oh!!! You mean we're NOT supposed to speak up when pulled over solely for mordita?
GUILTY!! <<<only guilty of politely telling them they were
mistaken...not of the trumped up infraction!
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fdt
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Location: Tijuana, Baja California
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Mood: Yeah, what if it all goes right
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Bajafun777
So, now the T.J. cop gets excited made them get out of the car called another cop to help him search their car hoping to find a weapon or ammo.
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No one, no cop, municipal, state or federal can obligate you to get out of your car. It is against the law, same as they can not enter your home or
property, unless its with orders from a judge. If your friend is in El Centro, she can contact the Mexicali office for the Consejo Ciudadano de
Seguridad Publica http://ccsp.org.mx/denuncias.html
She is right when she said "I just can't believe this crap"
A well informed Baja California traveler is a smart Baja California traveler!
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Bajafun777
Super Nomad
Posts: 1103
Registered: 9-13-2006
Location: Rosarito & California
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Mood: Enjoying Life with Wife In Mexico, Easy on The Easy
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Fernando, good to hear from you again. You and your wife make a good team and I enjoyed meeting both of you at the book signing party. The tequila
tasting contest was also fun and I think we kept the table awake, and GeoRock kept it awake with her humor also. Yea, I told my friend she can still
make a complaint but she has cooled down, however if it happens again she will find the police station regardless of how much time it takes her. I
told her to take along her Consul card as the know her very well in Mexicali and use it to lodge her complaint. She said they really had a lot of fun
at the beach other than the exit issue, so her trip was not a total loss. Longlegsinlapaz, no didn't mean you can't speak up but given the
possibilities some times you take a real risk. I know if you meant my friend you both would have a high time in La Paz she is a riot, must be a lady
lawyer thing.
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Lee
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What's the point and where's the justice?
| Quote: | Originally posted by Bajafun777
They were held up for over an hour by the cops and they sent back around to the end of the line. She was ticked off but as she was forced to turn
around she kept telling them how crooked they were and her boyfriend kept telling her to be quite. She tried to find out where the police station was
as she was going to make a complaint. She told me," I represent many Mexican Nationals in El Centro and work close with the Mexican Consul I just
can't believe this crap." I told her stuff happens and not to judge her first visit with this type of nonesense. |
Seems like another issue of mordita. Boyfriend wants to get on with his weekend, and girlfriend wants to do battle.
Now, if there was evidence that she made a real point, hung these crooked cops out to dry, they learned a valuable lesson in honor and integrity, then
I think she won. They are better people for it and she made a difference.
In this case, she lost time, ended the weekend on a sour note, not to mention the aggravation of stewing in a longer line. Who won?
Crooked cops know when they are being crooked and they were just jerking her chain.
How much was her time really worth? Unless there's more to this story, it looks like she won on principle, but lost in other ways.
I come away thinking the boyfriend had wisdom and she wanted to use her position and authority to make a point. Point lost.
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shari
Select Nomad
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Registered: 3-10-2006
Location: bahia asuncion, baja sur
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Mood: there is no reality except the one contained within us "Herman Hesse"
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Barbara Tee Hee...sound like my kind a gal!
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