BajaNomad - What's the Drill?

What's the Drill?

Marc - 7-12-2010 at 06:44 PM

So I am tooling through town; say Cuidad Constipation, and I am not paying attention to my driving (I love Mexican Women!) I go through a stop sign or I'm driving a tad over 12 mph or whatever 30 km is, and I am pulled over by the ONLY HONEST COP in Baja, or in all Mexico for that matter. He, or she if I am lucky, does not try to extort mordida (is that a capital M?) Anyway, what happens next? A trip to the Comandante? Or a summary judgment at the station?. Will they take a check?

So far in 19 years not a stop or a ticket. I was stopped in Sonora last year for a vehicle permit check. Just lucky or maybe it's my Latin good looks.

:?:

Mexicorn - 7-12-2010 at 06:49 PM

OK whatever you say.........

desertcpl - 7-12-2010 at 06:53 PM

:?:

Udo - 7-12-2010 at 07:33 PM

WTF :?:

Marc - 7-12-2010 at 08:07 PM

My question is, dim bulbs, HOW DOES ONE PAY A LEGITIMATE FINE? I.e. What is the drill?

BajaBlanca - 7-12-2010 at 08:11 PM

I have heard that you must go to a bank and pay up.

gnukid - 7-12-2010 at 08:14 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Marc
My question is, dim bulbs, HOW DOES ONE PAY A LEGITIMATE FINE? I.e. What is the drill?

In most cases you would go to the centro de transito with a ticket noting your infraction. Generally going there promptly provides you a discount of %30 or more for early payment. Usually the fines are very low.

DENNIS - 7-12-2010 at 08:19 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Marc
My question is, dim bulbs, HOW DOES ONE PAY A LEGITIMATE FINE? I.e. What is the drill?

I'll send you my PayPal information. :lol:

fishabductor - 7-12-2010 at 08:21 PM

who you calling dim bulbs....

[Edited on 7-13-2010 by fishabductor]

DENNIS - 7-12-2010 at 08:24 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by fishabductor
who you calling dim bulbs....

Everybody...I think. Not very friendly for a noob. :lol:

pepino - 7-12-2010 at 08:27 PM

Taken to station, only cash accepted. They will usually allow you to go to the nearest ATM.

fishabductor - 7-12-2010 at 08:30 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by pepino
Taken to station, only cash accepted. They will usually allow you to go to the nearest ATM.

In other words, you hand your cash over to another officer who is probably on the take... And the bonus is they may even allow you to get cash from the ATM. :lol:

[Edited on 7-13-2010 by fishabductor]

Marc - 7-12-2010 at 09:05 PM

In Mazatlan in 1970 the police would remove the offenders license plate after an infraction. I remember the cops all had pliers and screwdrivers on their duty belts.

DENNIS - 7-12-2010 at 09:08 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Marc
In Mazatlan in 1970 the police would remove the offenders license plate after an infraction. I remember the cops all had pliers and screwdrivers on their duty belts.

I remember that. I've heard they still do that in some places.

Marc - 7-12-2010 at 09:22 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DENNIS

Quote:

Originally posted by fishabductor
who you calling dim bulbs....

Everybody...I think. Not very friendly for a noob. :lol:

Sorry about that. A noob yes. Actually I've been monitoring Nomad since "02. I broke my arm in May and then infection set in and since I have had no life for months now I decided to join up.

Dennis I really dig your insightfulness and sense of humor. That's for real! :yes:

DENNIS - 7-12-2010 at 09:29 PM

Thanks, Marc. This little guy- :lol:

- means I was just kiddin'.

Paying Up

MrBillM - 7-12-2010 at 10:15 PM

The Legitimate Way ?

Don't know. In 45 years, never have. Hopefully, Never Will.

I don't usually take pride in being a part of the majority, but when it comes to Mordida v. Legal, I've found that MOST I've known follow my rule. Pay on the way and have a nice day.

The one time I almost broke the rule was simply because the officer was a little too greedy. He saved me the embarrassment of actually doing the legal thing by letting me go when I balked. A short distance down the road, I passed him shaking down another Gringo-Licensed vehicle.

What's the Deal?

Ken Cooke - 7-12-2010 at 10:48 PM

I keep hearing about Ciudad Constitucion being some sort of enforcement "Hot Spot", but last week in Mexicali and Tijuana, it appeared that the Police were pulling over vehicles one right after the other.

I decided to travel through Tijuana to see the CECUT and the Rio zone, and my wife and I happened upon a dragnet. Turning a corner past two parked Motorcycle units, I kept a close eye on my speedometer, but I was asked to pull over regardless.

The Officer explained that because I had a 31% window tint on my Driver's and Passenger-side windows, that I was in "Violation" of the law. No mention was made of the fact that this law applies to Mexican residents and not tourists.

The Officer looked at my Wife and I as if he were expecting his Mordida, but I refused to give him a single Peso. :!:

I just sat there, with him clutching my Drivers License and 3 yr old Vehicle Registration form. 2-3 minutes later, he asked us to drive with our windows down in order that Law Enforcement could see inside of the vehicle. I can live with that. What I cannot live with is paying an Officer a tip when his employer pays him, and he is a public servant.

I say, hold your money when you travel through Ciudad Constitucion and not pay the Mordida. :!:

[Edited on 7-13-2010 by Ken Cooke]

David K - 7-13-2010 at 08:10 AM

Good point Ken... wait 'em out and they will move on to easier prey!

Leidys sure got a complete Baja tour, didn't she?

Barry A. - 7-13-2010 at 08:25 AM

Hmmmmm, Ken-----as an aside, I thought that 'window tints' on the passenger and driver side windows was illegal in CA unless factory installed--------at least that is what the local cops told me.

Barry

Bajatripper - 7-13-2010 at 08:29 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Marc
In Mazatlan in 1970 the police would remove the offenders license plate after an infraction. I remember the cops all had pliers and screwdrivers on their duty belts.

They still do that in La Paz, but it has only happened to me when it was a parking infraction and I wasn't around to pay the mordida in time. The front plate was taken to Transito, where it was waiting for me to pay my fine.

jeffg - 7-13-2010 at 08:35 AM

A few years back (ok, maybe 15) I was pulled over in Ensenada for running a yellow light, which I did. When the cop pulled me over he told me that was the infraction, I explained that in the U.S. yellow means "hurry up". Apparently not here. Anyway to get to the point, he said I had to get a ticket, had to follow him to the station to pay. He never even approached the idea of a mordida, and neither did I. We followed him to the station, paid a clerk or judge or someone the fine of 17.50 (pesos), and was on my way a little while later.

I do stop for yellow lights now...

Jeff

Bajajorge - 7-13-2010 at 09:39 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Marc
My question is, dim bulbs, HOW DOES ONE PAY A LEGITIMATE FINE? I.e. What is the drill?

You're to vague. What is the definition of Legitimate in Mexico? :lol:

bajalou - 7-13-2010 at 09:50 AM

In San Felipe, you follow the police to the station, they take your keys and then write the ticket which you take around the building to the Judge's office where you pay the fine. Then take the receipt back to the police dept and get your keys and head out to have a nice day.

I once paid 129 peso fine for running a stop sign, a friend argued with a cop who wanted him to follow him to the station and finally got the cop to take $40 for the same offense. ???

Legitimate en Mexico ?

MrBillM - 7-13-2010 at 10:07 AM

It's an amorphous concept subject to myriad vagaries, possibly including the weather, the phase of the moon and planetary alignments in addition to the demands of individual wallets.

The saving grace to the "Flexibility" enjoyed in Mexico is (or, at least HAS been) a reasonable and civil exchange wherein individuals are allowed to make monetary choices and allowances based upon a balance of competing interests.

There is NO Right or Wrong regardless of the decision made. In this system, the choices made by each individual regarding the payment methodology for fines and services is the CORRECT one for that particular person.

Whether or not the Hispanic system is one that could be successfully integrated into the U.S. is an open question. While it is tempting to think so, it's possible (even likely) that those on the receiving side, lacking a cultural tradition centuries long, would be inclined to be overly greedy and spoil a potentially attractive ideal. It seems to be a uniquely Latin-American balance of Greed and Good Judgment that has allowed the system to function well to mutual benefit over a long time. Even then, there are those who sometimes fail to appreciate and observe Hallowed tradition in pursuit of excessive aggrandizement.

Which is too bad. I'd much rather contribute a reasonable amount to Officer "Joe's" Ski-Boat fund with no impact on Driving record or Insurance rates.

DanO - 7-13-2010 at 10:24 AM

Quote:

. . . and since I have had no life for months now I decided to join up.

Right, got it.

fishabductor - 7-13-2010 at 12:33 PM

First, he calls us dim bulbs...then he says since he has no life he decides to join up (with the rest of us who have no lives...I gather)

Gee, welcome .. :fire:

[Edited on 7-13-2010 by fishabductor]

Ken Cooke - 7-13-2010 at 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Barry A.
Hmmmmm, Ken-----as an aside, I thought that 'window tints' on the passenger and driver side windows was illegal in CA unless factory installed--------at least that is what the local cops told me.

Barry

I heard that 70% of daylight needs to pass through drivers and passenger windows. My windshield was UV-A/UV-B tinted (clear) for Medical purposes, but it is not recognizable to most people. I have a 31% tint, but in the 7 years that these windows were tinted, I have yet to be pulled over for a violation. As a matter of fact, I have not been ticketed for the past 8 years. That's something to celebrate. :bounce:

mtgoat666 - 7-13-2010 at 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by MrBillM
Whether or not the Hispanic system is one that could be successfully integrated into the U.S. is an open question.

billy boy:
"the hispanic system?"
i think "hispanic" is a gringo term. did you mean to say "latino system" or something along those lines?
do you call our existing system the "WASP system?"

Marc - 7-13-2010 at 05:08 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bajajorge

Quote:

Originally posted by Marc
My question is, dim bulbs, HOW DOES ONE PAY A LEGITIMATE FINE? I.e. What is the drill?

You're to vague. What is the definition of Legitimate in Mexico? :lol:

DENNIS - 7-13-2010 at 05:11 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by mtgoat666
think "hispanic" is a gringo term.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hispanic

Cloven Hoof in Mouth

MrBillM - 7-13-2010 at 08:28 PM

Goats ARE Stupid, aren't they ?

Marc - 7-13-2010 at 09:23 PM

Quote:

My Tundra double cab has factory tinted dark windows on the back doors. The problem is with the front door windows only?

Ken Cooke - 7-13-2010 at 09:34 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Marc

Quote:

My Tundra double cab has factory tinted dark windows on the back doors. The problem is with the front door windows only?

Correct - Front windows w/aftermarket tint only - for residents, not tourists.

Marc - 7-14-2010 at 09:54 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DENNIS

Quote:

Originally posted by mtgoat666
think "hispanic" is a gringo term.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hispanic

Being Spanish I have dealt with "what is a Hispanic"? all of my life. Mom and Dad both from España.
I know that Mexicans have very derogatory names for the Spanish but most of them will claim a "Spanish grandfather" anyway. The same with Filipinos and we are (the Spanish) not to popular there either.
Our Family name can pass for English or Irish so I have just coasted with it. I should start a thread on this? :?: