BajaNomad - San Felipe Hwy Bogus Traffic Stop

San Felipe Hwy Bogus Traffic Stop

sancho - 11-22-2011 at 11:54 AM

Off the SF site, I do like the Mex Patrolmans logic, you
must have been speeding, everyone does...

There are long stretches of the road where you can see 2-3 miles ahead and there was not a vehicle in sight - except for the flashing lights of a Federal Highway Patrol car parked way in the distance. Since I was not speeding, I did not have any qualms about proceeding. As I got closer I saw that the patrol officer had stopped an old truck and had just finished "giving him a ticket". I was surprised to see the officer walk into the middle of the road and wave his flashlight at me to stop when I was still several hundred yards away. I slowed and stopped next to his patrol car, rolled down my window and he told me I had been speeding and would be issued a ticket. Of course I protested I had not been speeding but he insisted I had because the limit was 80kph (50 mph) even though the last limit notice I had seen said 110 kph. I asked him how he knew I was exceeding the limit and he told me with a perfectly straight face that everybody on this road speeds!

At this point I was prepared to follow him into San Felipe and pay the ticket but a miracle happened. Another Federal patrol car appeared, heading north from San Felipe, and stopped in the fast lane opposite us with his lights also flashing. My officer looked over at the other patrol car, looked at me and told me to get going. I suspect that we have already entered the season of goodwill where police at every level are expected to be productive and earn their Christmas bonuses.

David K - 11-22-2011 at 03:41 PM

Call their bluff and insist on going to see the judge...

IF you are innocent, you will be sent on your way before that happens. They are looking for easy prey.

IF you are guilty, the fine is lower than U.S., so don't let the cop scare you into paying him (if he says the fine is like $100 dollars+).

Guilty and Adrift in a Sea of Innocence

MrBillM - 11-23-2011 at 12:12 PM

Over the years, listening to myriad tales of Innocent woe at the hands of corrupt law-enforcement, I have discovered ONE THING in common with attending Traffic School and listening to each participant lay bare their victim-hood.

In both cases, it turns out that I have been the ONLY Guilty person in the bunch.

Quite extraordinary when you think about it.

It would seem the law of averages would eventually catch up.

But, as close as I have ever come (in Mexico) was a quibble (of 3 mph) over exactly WHAT the speed-limit was.

[Edited on 11-23-2011 by MrBillM]

ElCazadorAZ - 11-23-2011 at 05:47 PM

I got stopped west of Hermosillo couple years back. Yes I WAS speeding, though the officers somehow missed the huge FedEx van that passed me like I was in reverse only a moment before being stopped... No matter.
I was polite to the officer without exception and we conversed easily, he being very patient with my rudimentary espanol. We talked for awhile about fishing off of Bahia Kino (which was great). We established that, no, I didn't own a house in Kino, we were visiting friends. Finally, almost embarrassed, he got around to: Senor, su velocidad.... I said, yes, and? He said I was going 110 which wasn't accurate though I was (along with everyone else) exceeding the somewhat ludicrous posted 70Km/hr limit. He showed me the "radar" gun which seemed to be permanently stuck on 110. He said that I would have to follow him to the station to talk to the sargent. No tengo prisa, vamanos I said. He hesitated. But, its an hour from here... No problem, I repeated. Lets go. He fidgeted and finally said that I could pay my fine on the spot. Really? Well, how much is it? He said 80 dollars. 80 dollars! I gasped. I opened my wallet and luckily had a total of 54 dollars. I told him that I needed gas and tolls on the road north and that I didn't have 80 dollars. He looked in my car and said what about your wife? Does she have money? I asked him if HE wanted to ask her for money. He declined. I pulled 2 crispy 20's out and said, Senor, Por favor. He said OK. The guy would have been a great guy to drink beer and talk fishing with. While I had never, ever negotiated a cash payment with a policeman before, I kept remembering these 2 things: YOU ARE NOT IN THE USA and YOU WERE SPEEDING. It was strange for a first timer, to get half off on a speeding violation to be sure. In the USA there's a good chance - let's call it 98% - that the police are on your side and you are in no danger from them unless you make unsolicited rapid movements. In Mexico, it just isn't that way. Face it. Why does everyone from the USA go to Mexico and then b-tch about it not being like the USA?!? Because its different is exactly why we GO there. We are foreigners there. Period. Hell, I think it went pretty well considering. Did it go into the pockets of the officers? You bet it did. I sincerely hope their kids ate well that week and maybe got a new shirt to wear to school. Call it mordida if you want. I call it a tax on visiting their country. I can afford it and so can you. Don't we have buena suerte?!? H.

David K - 11-23-2011 at 06:04 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ElCazadorAZ
I got stopped west of Hermosillo couple years back. Yes I WAS speeding, though the officers somehow missed the huge FedEx van that passed me like I was in reverse only a moment before being stopped... No matter.
I was polite to the officer without exception and we conversed easily, he being very patient with my rudimentary espanol. We talked for awhile about fishing off of Bahia Kino (which was great). We established that, no, I didn't own a house in Kino, we were visiting friends. Finally, almost embarrassed, he got around to: Senor, su velocidad.... I said, yes, and? He said I was going 110 which wasn't accurate though I was (along with everyone else) exceeding the somewhat ludicrous posted 70Km/hr limit. He showed me the "radar" gun which seemed to be permanently stuck on 110. He said that I would have to follow him to the station to talk to the sargent. No tengo prisa, vamanos I said. He hesitated. But, its an hour from here... No problem, I repeated. Lets go. He fidgeted and finally said that I could pay my fine on the spot. Really? Well, how much is it? He said 80 dollars. 80 dollars! I gasped. I opened my wallet and luckily had a total of 54 dollars. I told him that I needed gas and tolls on the road north and that I didn't have 80 dollars. He looked in my car and said what about your wife? Does she have money? I asked him if HE wanted to ask her for money. He declined. I pulled 2 crispy 20's out and said, Senor, Por favor. He said OK. The guy would have been a great guy to drink beer and talk fishing with. While I had never, ever negotiated a cash payment with a policeman before, I kept remembering these 2 things: YOU ARE NOT IN THE USA and YOU WERE SPEEDING. It was strange for a first timer, to get half off on a speeding violation to be sure. In the USA there's a good chance - let's call it 98% - that the police are on your side and you are in no danger from them unless you make unsolicited rapid movements. In Mexico, it just isn't that way. Face it. Why does everyone from the USA go to Mexico and then b-tch about it not being like the USA?!? Because its different is exactly why we GO there. We are foreigners there. Period. Hell, I think it went pretty well considering. Did it go into the pockets of the officers? You bet it did. I sincerely hope their kids ate well that week and maybe got a new shirt to wear to school. Call it mordida if you want. I call it a tax on visiting their country. I can afford it and so can you. Don't we have buena suerte?!? H.

I like your attitude!

viabaja - 11-29-2011 at 10:26 AM

Good comment by ElCazadorAZ! Yes, most likely all us are speeding! Let's be truthful. I've said it many times in the past, one is not in the USA! People tend to forget that and I've been going since the late 50's. The thing I regret are the days of the $20 "ticket" are gone!

Stalking for Dollars

MrBillM - 11-29-2011 at 10:33 AM

Heading North on 5 back in October, we had a Fed unit pull out just south of the "Yurimuri" junction, catch up with us and look us over, then drop back about 1/4 mile and follow us at EXACTLY our speed (changing as we did) for miles before giving up.

It's happened a number of times in that area.

At least (so far), they've followed the "RULE" that they wouldn't pull us over UNLESS we did speed. Each time for the last years, we've always been together. I'm not sure what would happen if I was a solo driver.

[Edited on 11-29-2011 by MrBillM]

sancho - 11-29-2011 at 11:20 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by viabaja
The thing I regret are the days of the $20 "ticket" are gone!

Me too, seems the ASKING pice is now $60-$80-$100?
The part that gets my attention is 'we are going to
INPOUND your vehicle, you can pick it up tomorrow',
a bluff, most likely, EFFECTIVE yes...

mcfez - 11-29-2011 at 02:09 PM

http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=56512

DENNIS - 11-29-2011 at 02:15 PM

I don't know why no one has suggested this in the past, but what with printers being as sophisticated as they are these days, why arn't we printing Mordida Bucks?

bufeo - 11-29-2011 at 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DENNIS
I don't know why no one has suggested this in the past, but what with printers being as sophisticated as they are these days, why arn't we printing Mordida Bucks?

Well, I can't go into too much detail—in fact little or NO detail, but I know a fellow (pretty well) who had possession of some old counterfeit U.S. currency. Story is he carried it along on trips to Baja only for such immediate use such as Extemporaneous Mexican Customs fees, Roadside Traffic "Magistrates", and such. Never did he even think about passing these off for "legitimate" use south of the border.

This person, after being 'mugged' at knifepoint in San Francisco in the '70s, carried a second wallet which was complete with an expired driver's license, expired credit cards, and a bit of this fake currency.

Legend has it that in the over forty years of having these insurance policies along he has used them only once, but, then, I don't know for certain that this is accurate. :biggrin:

Allen R

[Edited on 11-29-2011 by bufeo]

As OFTEN said .....................

MrBillM - 11-29-2011 at 03:31 PM

Especially in Baja:

"The Truth should NEVER get in the way of a good story".

AND, it NEVER has.

DENNIS - 11-29-2011 at 03:38 PM

Well...it might still be a good idea. The mordidaizing cop would have a difficult time explaining where and how he got it without implicating himself.....which he may enjoy doing anyway.
Ohhh well....just a thought.

Great story, Allen. Thanks for telling us about your long, lost friend.

wessongroup - 11-29-2011 at 04:08 PM

Like it Dennis... :light:

Next... Sharkey's... :lol:

[Edited on 11-29-2011 by wessongroup]

mcfez - 11-29-2011 at 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DENNIS
I don't know why no one has suggested this in the past, but what with printers being as sophisticated as they are these days, why arn't we printing Mordida Bucks?

I like that idea! :lol:

sancho - 11-30-2011 at 11:19 AM

Counterfeit US $, interesting, slightly extreme for
me, I've heard of the Throw
Away Wallet, a few $ in it, shows you don't have
much. I once was sitting in the Rosarito Station
on the Cops desk, trying to lower the $160 FINE,
glad for me, I had only Travellers Checks, I assumed
they could not cash them, he settled for what was
in my wallet, $14

[Edited on 11-30-2011 by sancho]

Currency

bajaguy - 11-30-2011 at 11:44 AM

In my Baja "throw away" wallet, I think I will carry about $900 in Angolan Kwanza's, which is about $10USD.....just in case.

DENNIS - 11-30-2011 at 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by bajaguy
Kwanza

I thought that was a Christmas party? How do you stuff a Christmas party into your wallet?

Nah

bajaguy - 11-30-2011 at 12:09 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DENNIS

Quote:

Originally posted by bajaguy
Kwanza

I thought that was a Christmas party? How do you stuff a Christmas party into your wallet?

They named the Christmas party after the national currency

bufeo - 11-30-2011 at 01:24 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DENNIS...Thanks for telling us about your long, lost friend.

"Long", yes. "Lost", not yet, unless you're speaking about his soul. In any event, the 'source' is unimpeachable.

The difficulty in disclosing his identity lies in trying to explain his having had possession of counterfeit currency, which might get sticky, at the very least, tedious.

I like the idea of Kwanzas. I have a bunch of old pesos for sale...any takers?

Allen

Wallet Party

bajaguy - 11-30-2011 at 01:48 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DENNIS
I thought that was a Christmas party? How do you stuff a Christmas party into your wallet?

Give me a couple of $100USD and I'll show you........