BajaNomad - Our DOGS IN CAR SHAKEDOWN in Tecate Thursday, Oct. 6

Our DOGS IN CAR SHAKEDOWN in Tecate Thursday, Oct. 6

Marla Daily - 10-8-2011 at 04:07 PM

Almost ready to cross the border after our long drive from Loreto, we were pulled over by a cop in Tecate on the hill going down into town that has the two hard to see stop signs a block apart before the red light before McDonalds.

The cop—Officer Hernandez from Durango—said we had multiple infractions for having our four dogs in the king cab of our camper truck. Fine was $1500 pesos to be paid in cash. He told us in no uncertain terms it was ILLEGAL to travel with dogs in the cab with us. We said we didn't have cash. He offered to take us to an ATM machine or to the office downtown—our choice. We don't use ATM cards. After half an hour of arguing, he let us go, but only after we were forced to put our well-behaved dogs in the camper on the back of the truck.

Anyone know about this supposed "dog law"??? We've ALWAYS traveled with our dogs in the cab with us. Our little "Loreto" just turned 15 and we've never had this problem! Any helpful suggestions out there?

bajamigo - 10-8-2011 at 04:12 PM

Quien sabe. I see a lot of 3 or 4-year olds standing on the transmission hump between the front seats in many junkers; the Ensenada cops don't seem to mind. Maybe they'd see it differently if momma was holding a beagle instead of a baby in her lap.

BajaGringo - 10-8-2011 at 04:26 PM

Pure BS

BajaBlanca - 10-8-2011 at 04:32 PM

get a chihuahua !!

I am glad you got off scotfree but sorry youhad to go thru the stress

being that yesterday I saw a mom dad and 2 kids one one quad wearing no helmets ..... that concerns me, and should that cop, more than any dogs in the cab !!!!

dogs in cab

akshadow - 10-8-2011 at 04:33 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Marla Daily

remember some other posting on a similar subject elsewhere. Have not seen any conclusive evidence of the existence of an actual law.

Paulina - 10-8-2011 at 04:36 PM

That's a new one for the mordita books. The fact that he wanted cash, offered to take you to an ATM makes it obvious. I would bet that if you said you would go to the office down town he would have stopped prior to actually going to the station and tried another tactic.

I wonder if there's a law about driving with goats, chickens, pigs in vehicles too? I've seen plenty of these as well as unsecured children. Dogs must be higher up on the protected species list.

P>*)))>{

ArvadaGeorge - 10-8-2011 at 04:42 PM

2 years ago a buddy of mine got stoped in Mexacalli for a small dog on his lap while driving --i think a 50 or 75 bribe got them underway. The cop said if the dog is in the cab it needs to be in a carrier

[Edited on 10-8-2011 by ArvadaGeorge]

Ateo - 10-8-2011 at 04:59 PM

Total crap. Looking for $$$.

Pompano - 10-8-2011 at 05:00 PM

I agree with BajaGringo....pure bull-pucky. Never let on that you have any cash and insist on the station visit.

However, my dogs don't sit in the passenger or back seats.
Why would they sit there when they're all good drivers?

Nan&D - 10-8-2011 at 05:10 PM

On tuesday we drove south through Tecate. I was driving a camper van and pulling a quad trailer. I took extra precaution to fully stop at every stop sign. At the top of the hill I was waved over by a motorcycle cop. I pulled over and he came up beside me and just said "Have a nice day". We had a little knuckle bump and I said "Thanks".
D

DENNIS - 10-8-2011 at 05:11 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by bajamigo
Quien sabe. I see a lot of 3 or 4-year olds standing on the transmission hump between the front seats in many junkers; the Ensenada cops don't seem to mind. Maybe they'd see it differently if momma was holding a beagle instead of a baby in her lap.

Too often I'll look in my mirror and see the car behind and a woman with a child in her lap....like a human air-bag. They're usually driving with their hood ornament right up my butt, so that just makes it worse.
I wish they'd quit doing that.

DENNIS - 10-8-2011 at 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Nan&
On tuesday we drove south through Tecate. I was driving a camper van and pulling a quad trailer. I took extra precaution to fully stop at every stop sign. At the top of the hill I was waved over by a motorcycle cop. I pulled over and he came up beside me and just said "Have a nice day". We had a little knuckle bump and I said "Thanks".
D

He was just fishing. :light:

That hill....I started to count the stop signs once and got bored at seven or eight. Still don't know how many there are in that one mile stretch.

woody with a view - 10-8-2011 at 05:16 PM

next time insist on a trip to the station. PERIOD. end of hassle!

mtgoat666 - 10-8-2011 at 05:24 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Marla Daily
Almost ready to cross the border after our long drive from Loreto, we were pulled over by a cop in Tecate on the hill going down into town that has the two hard to see stop signs a block apart before the red light before McDonalds.

The cop—Officer Hernandez from Durango—said we had multiple infractions for having our four dogs in the king cab of our camper truck. Fine was $1500 pesos to be paid in cash. He told us in no uncertain terms it was ILLEGAL to travel with dogs in the cab with us. We said we didn't have cash. He offered to take us to an ATM machine or to the office downtown—our choice. We don't use ATM cards. After half an hour of arguing, he let us go, but only after we were forced to put our well-behaved dogs in the camper on the back of the truck.

Anyone know about this supposed "dog law"??? We've ALWAYS traveled with our dogs in the cab with us. Our little "Loreto" just turned 15 and we've never had this problem! Any
helpful suggestions out there?

DOES SOUND LIKE A SHAKEDOWN, but also sounds a bit loopy to travel with 4 dogs in cab of a PU truck.

If they were in front seat of cab, then ya, the cop was in the right...

Roberto - 10-8-2011 at 06:20 PM

Mexicans are often scared of dogs, which deters mucking around in the cab. Ergo, it is illegal to have them there. How dare you have something that prevents us from stealing stuff from your vehicle?

The law in Mexico is a matter of interpretation of the person "enforcing" it.

And yes, what Woody said. Works every time. Alternative is to keep arguing and wasting their time. They figure out pretty soon that the profit margin will increase by moving on to the next potential target.

The dead giveaway is the insistence on cash. They are not allowed to collect fines on the spot.

[Edited on 10-9-2011 by Roberto]

UnoMas - 10-8-2011 at 08:39 PM

Just getting a jump on the Christmas fund :lol:

DianaT - 10-8-2011 at 09:26 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DENNIS

Quote:

Yea, I also wish they would quit doing that-----

The dog issue---I agree with UnoMas----Christmas is coming.

Paula - 10-8-2011 at 09:27 PM

Marla!

You just left?? We just got here!!!

COME BAAAAACK!!!!!

Nappo - 10-8-2011 at 09:43 PM

The numerous stop signs and the first stop light are always a challenge when going down that hill in Tecate. We always return on our way home thru Tecate and can't tell you how many locals blow thru the red light, run the stop signs, but we always stop, look both ways (just like they taught you in elementary school) and continue on.
Those of you who take this route know some of the stop signs are very close together. Just take your time and stop. We've never had a problem, but always talk about what a ticket trap it could be.
Just hope Tecate doesn't start being a mordida point.

Just say "No"

Mulegena - 10-8-2011 at 11:17 PM

"My dear Officer Hernandez from Durango... you're new to this town, aren't you?
We have zero tolerance for attempted shake-downs in this part of the woods,
my dear Officer Hernandez from Durango."

Pescador - 10-9-2011 at 08:05 AM

Now if he was really smart he would have insisted that they wear seat belts and fined you for that.

Ateo - 10-9-2011 at 08:30 AM

This is the type of situation my wife would've loved to be in. She was born and raised in Tijuana, and never takes any chit from corrupt cops. Sometimes I have to tell her to tone it down. Once she started writing down the cops name & badge number then got on the phone to call the local radio station to broadcast this shakedown. This was on the side of the road in TJ on that steep hill that parallels the border fence. We got away without paying anything.

Now having said all that, my normal routine is to pay the $20 and be on my way. Strange though, I don't think I've paid a mordida in at least 15 years.

meme - 10-9-2011 at 11:04 AM

I gotta wonder if this was the same cop that USED to be on the streets in Mexicali working a similar scam. Did he have braces on his teeth? This guy got so busy & popular we called him Mr Braces.Im sure he made some big bucks tho likly before the Chief pulled him in. Now they seem to be asking if we are from San Felipe?????If so just seem to be letting them go on ther merry way.

Bob and Susan - 10-9-2011 at 02:43 PM

does someone KNOW the rule?

is it documented somewhere?

it may be true

and did you make a FULL stop at those stop signs
or did you rool thru them

805gregg - 10-9-2011 at 05:32 PM

Where do I apply for a job as a "Policia" just a badge to steal.

805gregg - 10-9-2011 at 05:36 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by woody with a view
next time insist on a trip to the station. PERIOD. end of hassle! [/quote

Or just don't put yourself in a third world country with a corupt police, judicial and political system. Mexico is getting worse by leaps and bounds.

[Edited on 10-10-2011 by 805gregg]

dtbushpilot - 10-9-2011 at 07:04 PM

Good idea gregg, we'll miss you :bounce:

......dt

CaboRon - 10-10-2011 at 05:35 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by meme
I gotta wonder if this was the same cop that USED to be on the streets in Mexicali working a similar scam. Did he have braces on his teeth? This guy got so busy & popular we called him Mr Braces.Im sure he made some big bucks tho likly before the Chief pulled him in. Now they seem to be asking if we are from San Felipe?????If so just seem to be letting them go on ther merry way.

Those braces can be very expensive :lol:

rhintransit - 10-10-2011 at 06:29 AM

only shake down attempt I ever had was in Tecate. I was driving on a two way street that suddenly turned into a one way street, the wrong way. that the motorcycle cop was sitting right there waiting for me shows how well the trap was marked. I admitted my error and thanked him for the warning. he then told me he would write a ticket but it was 'very expensive,' did I have 7000 pesos? after a ladylike stunned silence and some welling tears, I said 'no, senor, I barely have enough money for gas to get back to Phoenix.' we stared at each other for awhile, then he waved me on in with a disgusted look.
maybe it was the novelty of the response?

Marla Daily - 10-10-2011 at 07:47 AM

"sounds a bit loopy to travel with 4 dogs in cab of a PU truck"

We never meant to have 4 dogs. Dogs in Baja sometimes just happen, as many of you know. Our dogs are great travelers, easy keepers, and each has his/her own place in the truck. We have made the drive many times. Our California Aussie has her large bed behind the driver's seat; the La Purisima-poodle-imposter has her small round bed atop the cooler behind the passenger seat; the Cataviña girl has an elevated bed in a box built between the front bucket seats; and 15-year-old Loreto rides on my lap in the passenger seat. All perfectly legal in the U.S. But what of Mexican Law?

Jack Swords - 10-10-2011 at 08:36 AM

Marla...you are to be commended for adopting the Baja dogs. Life for a Mexican dog is pretty bad. We have always traveled with our dog, never a problem. An aussie, she is 14 and we thought we were losing her to pancreatic disease and picked up an aussie puppy. She recovered and plays with the pup like she is 3 years old. So, in November we'll be driving down with two dogs. They'll have to learn to duck down on command as we go through a city with this new revenue enhancement policy. Two dogs on our small sailboat, wow. We will check with the La Paz police and the Feds on what may be just an individual's desire for a better paycheck, posting the result.

mcfez - 10-10-2011 at 08:48 AM

I am sometimes ashamed to be part of the Nomads.....you all need to have your dogs in a car seat belt......like my "Pooochy" here

Bajatripper - 10-10-2011 at 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by BajaGringo
Pure BS

I'm sure I'm late, as usual, but welcome back, Bajagringo. Glad to see you're feeling better, you had us worried there for a while.