BajaNomad - Cuidad Constitucion gauntlet

Cuidad Constitucion gauntlet

Lee - 3-13-2012 at 03:14 PM

A friend came through last week, it was early evening but dark, he was driving a truck towing a travel trailer, got pulled over and told he was either speeding or had run a traffic light. (Don't recall which.)

Based on advice from a BCS friend prior to this, he was advised to ''go to the station,'' so that's what he insisted on.

He followed the cop down a dark street thinking they were going to be robbed, and at the police station was turned over to a woman who produced a ''chart'' with all the ''fines''and their ''penalties.''

The cop added an additional infraction to the ''ticket'' -- reckless driving and the ''chart'' showed that both violations amounted to $80.00 US.

My friend payed the fine and left.

I would personally advise travelers not to go to the police station but that's me. My friend said he had handed over his driver's license and felt he had no options but to pay the fine to get his license back.

Think everyone has their own way of dealing with this kind of situation so I'll leave it at that.

mtgoat666 - 3-13-2012 at 03:16 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Lee
My friend said he had handed over his driver's license and felt he had no options but to pay the fine to get his license back.

i always carry 2 licenses. my current one and my expired one. when required to give license to hostage taker, i give them the expired one :lol:

constitucion,, which lane ?

captkw - 3-13-2012 at 03:22 PM

Hola,anyone know what is the correct/best lane when driveing thur that awsome/fun/wonderful place ??? LOL..............K&T :lol:

OOP'S this was gonna be a new tread,,,,sorry for the hijack,,,K&T

[Edited on 3-13-2012 by captkw]

Bajahowodd - 3-13-2012 at 03:42 PM

My most recent experiences driving trough CC have been benign. I've kept in the center and made very complete stops at every intersection where there were no operating signals. That includes patiently waiting for pedestrians, even if they are way over on the other side. Once they stepped off the curb, I waited. Haven't had a problem in the past two years.

Year before that. a police cruiser tailed me all the way through the town. But it seems to me that there has been a much lower presence of police recently.

Perhaps your friend didn't come to a complete and prolonged stop at an intersection. Just a thought.

David K - 3-13-2012 at 03:46 PM

Maybe use Google Earth to map out a parallel route through CC?

DENNIS - 3-13-2012 at 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bajahowodd
Perhaps your friend didn't come to a complete and prolonged stop at an intersection. Just a thought.

The signs only say stop....not park. :light:

An Inch or a Mile?

Bajahowodd - 3-13-2012 at 03:53 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DENNIS

Quote:

Originally posted by Bajahowodd
Perhaps your friend didn't come to a complete and prolonged stop at an intersection. Just a thought.

The signs only say stop....not park. :light:

Stop. Open a beer. Light a cigarette. Adjust the GPS.......

Any question it was a stop? :lol:

Lee - 3-13-2012 at 04:01 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bajahowodd
Perhaps your friend didn't come to a complete and prolonged stop at an intersection. Just a thought.

That might be the case. Had he been a nomad, he would have stated he came to a full and complete stop. (I then count to 5 looking both directions 3 times.)

Actually, there is a roundabout way through town going North and South. GOing North, it would be the first right turn, go 3-4 blocks then left to the end of that street, then left again to the highway. Going South, reverse this.

Not sure full and complete stops even help but no harm in trying.

wessongroup - 3-13-2012 at 04:07 PM

Sure seems to be a busy place, with this type of driver "concern" ...

pointdog - 3-13-2012 at 04:10 PM

I go down the center at about 10-15 mph. Execute what can only be described as "prolonged stops" at stop signs and where I think there may have been a sign at one time. White knuckled, on edge.
I hate that place. :no:

dtutko1 - 3-13-2012 at 04:45 PM

I passed thru a week ago stopped at every stopsign, never saw a cop. No Problem. I wouldn't consider driving at night, unless it's home from a local restaurant.

Marc - 3-14-2012 at 07:01 PM

We came through in February. My bud was driving. I can't get him to come to a complete stop! I am sweating bullets. Turns out we got through OK. Was a Saturday about 2:30 PM.

The place sucks!

[Edited on 3-15-2012 by Marc]

rts551 - 3-14-2012 at 07:15 PM

geeze. I spend time there and have friends in that town. Never had a problem. Just my luck I guess. but then I never have a problem in Tecate either.

dtbushpilot - 3-14-2012 at 09:27 PM

I got pulled over there several years ago for speeding....I was....., I negotiated an agreeable settlement and asked the officer if he would be kind enough to pay my fine for me next time he was at the station as I was in a hurry. He was nice enough to help me out and send me on my way. I drive through there all the time (last time was today), I usually forget to be careful and haven't had a problem......just lucky I guess.....dt

DavidE - 3-15-2012 at 05:57 PM

I stopped there ans had lunch in Oct. Laughed my butt off when I saw gringo rig after rig going way faster than 40 km/hr. Running amber lights, turning when they shouldn't. Try it sometime - stop and see this going on for yourself. One guy wiith a black silverado and 3 axle boat and trailer went through town at 45 mph and blew three lights.

desertcpl - 3-15-2012 at 06:05 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DavidE
I stopped there ans had lunch in Oct. Laughed my butt off when I saw gringo rig after rig going way faster than 40 km/hr. Running amber lights, turning when they shouldn't. Try it sometime - stop and see this going on for yourself. One guy wiith a black silverado and 3 axle boat and trailer went through town at 45 mph and blew three lights. [/quote

he must have been tired after Blowing Three Lights LOL

LaPazGringo - 3-15-2012 at 06:13 PM

Haven't had a problem the last 10 times. The one time I got pulled over I was told I had run a stop light and sped, which was certainly not true. What probably drew attention to me was the fact that I carefully drove the speed limit and made extended stops. The cops were sleazy, greasy, sweaty slobs with shirts untucked and had a real feel of slime about them. Had my son with me and decided a $20 bill and swallowing my pride was the best option. It bugged me for the next couple of hrs til I saw Requeson and realized those rotten thieves just weren't important.

acurland - 3-15-2012 at 11:50 PM

It's a shame the way crooked police chase away tourists from Baja.

Lee - 3-16-2012 at 09:50 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by acurland
It's a shame the way crooked police chase away tourists from Baja.

Really?

Think there are people here not going through CC because of crooked cops? Maybe those who are frightened but certainly not nomads.

Think there are more people here who have never been stopped than people who have been scammed.

And, it's possible that half those stopped are breaking the law -- blowing through town running lights. Bet that plsses those cops off.

wessongroup - 3-16-2012 at 10:03 AM

Some do and some don't ... sounds about right

Last ticket I got was from a California Highway Patrol fella for speeding at the El Torro "Y" South bound at about 1:30 am.. in 1988 ... had just gotten back from a flight back east, got my car at long term parking and headed home ...

Asked why he picked me... as i was just following everyone else ...

"Just sign here Sir" ... polite but firm.. said thanks, and was glad I hadn't been drinking on the flight back ...

Have fun driving ... but, tickets are part of the "experience" along with "crashes" like TW posted ...

Hat's off to those CHP guys... and other that must respond to accidents.. it was something I never really enjoyed...

Investigation of cause, was something I enjoyed ... but, not many of the other aspect of investigating deaths, for what ever the cause ...

Drive safe, as it only takes a second ... and YOUR life changes for ever ...

LaPazGringo - 3-17-2012 at 02:41 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Lee

Quote:

Originally posted by acurland
It's a shame the way crooked police chase away tourists from Baja.

He said tourists, not nomads and you'd have to agree that dirty cops chase tons of tourists away from Mexico. Americans are scared of most police officers in Mexico because of the all-pervasive corruption. You're idealizing it for the Mexican police as though they have to endure a flood of speed demon Americans flaunting their traffic laws while their own citizens are model citizens. We both know that's not true. Tons of cops in Baja feel perfectly justified in extorting Americans and the only reason they might not do it is if pressure is exerted from higher channels who know the impact it's having on the flow of dollars.

rts551 - 3-17-2012 at 02:58 PM

Too bad facts are not used to back up the statements that are made. Using emotion laden adjectives to not add to credibility.

Bajahowodd - 3-17-2012 at 03:39 PM

I will chime in on one aspect of the situation. That is police in Mexico, especially local police are paid ridiculously low wages for what they are employed to do. That would seem to be fertile ground for the extortion we all encounter from time to time.

You want clean cops? Pay them well.

Lee - 3-17-2012 at 03:41 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by LaPazGringo
You're idealizing it for the Mexican police as though they have to endure a flood of speed demon Americans flaunting their traffic laws while their own citizens are model citizens. We both know that's not true.

I think it is true but can't put a number on it. If there are bad apples in every bunch, and I think it's about 10%, yeah, I think they breeze through CC pulling boats, driving fancy Class A's, rolling through stop signs (like locals), not making complete stops, etc.

None of this justifies getting scammed for being white and monied.

I'm convinced CC cops make their share of legal stops. Whether you pay at the scene or at the station is your call.

DavidE - 3-18-2012 at 08:39 AM

"Keeping up with traffic" doesn't work any better in mexico than it does in the USA.

Kilometer speeds many times are ridiculously slow. Constitucion is 40 kmh 24.82 mph.

You must stop for an AMBER light.

If a light turns red while you are in an intersection you can be cited.

To make a LEFT turn in Constitucion, first exit to the RIGHT onto the paralelo, Parallel the direction you were traveling in until the next block.

On a green arrow or other signal, make a LEFT, go across the highway.

Same rule for u-turns