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BCSTech
Senior Nomad
Posts: 584
Registered: 4-16-2006
Location: Todos Santos, BCS / Placerville, CA.
Member Is Offline
Mood: Carpe Manana
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Possible Speed Trap into La Paz
While on the way from Todos Santos to La Paz at 10 AM Saturday morning, we were stopped at the outskirts South of the city limits by the Policia for
"speeding." I saw the cop with someone else pulled over on the other side of the highway and I didn't think anything of it, and we even made eye
contact as we drove by. As I wasn't going fast, I didn't think to check my speedometer. Many cars had passed us and continued to do so. Two miles
down the road, he caught up and pulled us over and accused us of speeding. He informed us that, although the Federal Highway speed is 80 km, it drops
to 60 km at the city limits and said we were going faster than that. This was out on the four lane where the new section meets the old.
When he said he was going to write us a ticket for $807 pesos, we swallowed our anger, paid a mordita and went on our way.
Could have just been bad luck but it's possible they're targeting cars there now because the road is better coming into town and people enter the city
limits with greater speed. BTW, parts of the same section of older four lane are posted with various and conflicting speed limit signs reading 40 km
and even 30 km (for metrically challenged readers, that's only 18 mph on a four lane highway!). So, may be nothing but be cautious. - Alan and Debra
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cabobaja
Nomad
Posts: 363
Registered: 9-19-2006
Location: South \"O\", Elias Calles, BCS
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Mood: Smiling
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BCSTech................you are correct. Have had two friends in the past week (both female with US plates) experience the same situation. They paid
the cop and went on their way.
My wife was also stopped (she is Mexican) and told the cop she was not speeding and she would prefer to go to the police station and speak to his
supervisor. He told her to slow down and have a good day!
My experience after many years in Baja is to be nice and request the nice cop to take you to the station. Not once is in the past 33 years in Baja has
a copper escorted me to the copper station.
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comitan
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4177
Registered: 3-27-2004
Location: La Paz
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Mood: mellow
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Just one little bit of advice Never ever make eye contact with the police, don't ask me why but your odds go way up when you do.
Strive For The Ideal, But Deal With What\'s Real.
Every day is a new day, better than the day before.(from some song)
Lord, Keep your arm around my shoulder and your hand over my mouth.
“The sincere pursuit of truth requires you to entertain the possibility that everything you believe to be true may in fact be false”
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Barry A.
Select Nomad
Posts: 10007
Registered: 11-30-2003
Location: Redding, Northern CA
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Mood: optimistic
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Comi------I think you are on to something here-----
-------but i don't know why----------?????? tho I admit that it appears to work------something about not challenging their authority---------as a
long time cop, I know that when somebody challenges your "authority" it is annoying at the very least.
In my 50+ years of driving in Baja, I have NEVER, even once, payed any Mordida-------and I have never been taken to the Police Station either. But in
all honesty I have seldom been pulled over.
In my opinion, (my 2 cents worth) paying the Mordida is the root cause of the corruption, and it will continue until all (at least most?) stop
participating in the practice.
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BCSTech
Senior Nomad
Posts: 584
Registered: 4-16-2006
Location: Todos Santos, BCS / Placerville, CA.
Member Is Offline
Mood: Carpe Manana
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I agree. It really bothered me to pay one and I told my wife it just encourages them. But it was our first time getting pulled over, we were beginning
to be late for an appointment, bla, bla, bla.
We had a long discussion about it and next time we will demand we go to the station.
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Bajabus
Senior Nomad
Posts: 892
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: Elias Calles B.C.S. or NC USA
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Mood: My friends..it's good.
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two great points...never make eye contact and never ever pay the mordita...always ask to go to the police station. if the officer insists it's better
to pay now because it's more expensive at the station (a common retort) tell the officer you will pay if he gives you a receipt with his name on it
and the name of his chief. that pretty much shuts them up right away and they send you off with a warning.
if he tries to get the mordita out of you but eventually takes you to the station because you insisted...make sure you mention to the chief that the
officer tried to give you a "discount" out on the road.
"Preventive war was an invention of Hitler. Frankly I would not even listen to anyone seriously that came and talked of such a thing."
Dwight David Eisenhower
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bancoduo
Banned
Posts: 1003
Registered: 10-3-2005
Location: el carcel publico mazatlan sin.
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| Quote: | | if he tries to get the mordita out of you but eventually takes you to the station because you insisted...make sure you mention to the chief that the
officer tried to give you a "discount" out on the road. |
Better make sure he knows where you live so he can
come by and thank you for being FIRED. Seems to me there are a lot of [know it alls] out there giving questionable advice.
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bancoduo
Banned
Posts: 1003
Registered: 10-3-2005
Location: el carcel publico mazatlan sin.
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| Quote: | Originally posted by comitan
Just one little bit of advice Never ever make eye contact with the police, don't ask me why but your odds go way up when you do.
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I would think not looking them in the eye is a sign of weakness. I stare them down, but I am always
respectful. It works for me. The key here is do what the Mexicans do. The bite is a age old tradition so you might want to honor the culture, Whats
left of it,
[Edited on 10-2-2006 by bancoduo]
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Bajabus
Senior Nomad
Posts: 892
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: Elias Calles B.C.S. or NC USA
Member Is Offline
Mood: My friends..it's good.
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Yeah well I did it in Todos Santos (I live south of the town by about 14 miles) and it's the last time they hassled me. After living down there full
time for about 9 years my advice is not based on idle speculation.
"Preventive war was an invention of Hitler. Frankly I would not even listen to anyone seriously that came and talked of such a thing."
Dwight David Eisenhower
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Barry A.
Select Nomad
Posts: 10007
Registered: 11-30-2003
Location: Redding, Northern CA
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Mood: optimistic
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bancoduo
"-------so you might want to honor the culture, Whats left of it,----------"you say????
"Honor" corruption???????? I don't think so.
"If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem." somebody once said.
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Bajabus
Senior Nomad
Posts: 892
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: Elias Calles B.C.S. or NC USA
Member Is Offline
Mood: My friends..it's good.
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I think talking to turismo helps, talking to the local paper, talking to the police chief and talking to the mayor all help. Do they target
foreigners more...well in the instance I quoted above I was stopped because I had a cracked windshield.........now you tell me.....what do you think?
"Preventive war was an invention of Hitler. Frankly I would not even listen to anyone seriously that came and talked of such a thing."
Dwight David Eisenhower
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El Jefe
Super Nomad
Posts: 1027
Registered: 10-27-2003
Location: South East Cape
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My favorite story on this subject is David Eidell's one about going through the usual deal on the bogus pull over with the cop, following him to the
station and telling him in front of other cops as they entered the station, "Why don't you just give me $20 and I'll forget the whole thing."
That got big smiles around from all the boys at the station.
That's huevos.
No b-tchin\' in the Baja.
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bancoduo
Banned
Posts: 1003
Registered: 10-3-2005
Location: el carcel publico mazatlan sin.
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| Quote: | Originally posted by El Jefe
My favorite story on this subject is David Eidell's one about going through the usual deal on the bogus pull over with the cop, following him to the
station and telling him in front of other cops as they entered the station, "Why don't you just give me $20 and I'll forget the whole thing."
That got big smiles around from all the boys at the station.
That's huevos. |
David Eidell is a story teller with a vivid imagination. I can't believe anyone takes him
seriously. In other words; he is a humorous bullchiter or a pathological liar.
[Edited on 10-2-2006 by bancoduo]
[Edited on 10-2-2006 by bancoduo]
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Bomberro
Nomad
Posts: 157
Registered: 7-19-2006
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We drive to La Paz about 3 to 4 times a month. I have been stopped probably 3 or 4 times in the last two years. I never pay the Mordita, and always am
respectful of the police officer. I have never actually gone to the station to pay a fine, as the seem to always drop the charges after finding out
that I am willing to go. Many Americans pay a modita at the drop of a hat. They are tooo busy to go to a station to pay fine, belive the cop that the
fine is huge, want to take the easy way out. They are the reason so many Americans are stopped, its easy takings. The fines for these offences are
very little, sometimes a little as 2 dollars! Just Say No!
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bancoduo
Banned
Posts: 1003
Registered: 10-3-2005
Location: el carcel publico mazatlan sin.
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Bomberro
We drive to La Paz about 3 to 4 times a month. I have been stopped probably 3 or 4 times in the last two years. I never pay the Mordita, and always am
respectful of the police officer. I have never actually gone to the station to pay a fine, as the seem to always drop the charges after finding out
that I am willing to go. Many Americans pay a modita at the drop of a hat. They are tooo busy to go to a station to pay fine, belive the cop that the
fine is huge, want to take the easy way out. They are the reason so many Americans are stopped, its easy takings. The fines for these offences are
very little, sometimes a little as 2 dollars! Just Say No! |
This man is right. It's a mind game very close
to the way I approach it. It works almost every time.
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stormcatcherbaja
Newbie
Posts: 4
Registered: 9-6-2006
Member Is Offline
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radar detector
After being pulled over North of La paz, 2 Camino Federales, one in the middle of the road with a radar gun, and the other writing tickets, I was 1
of more than 15 cars, the last one also, I gave him my US license(US plates), spoke only English, and cried B...S..., after another 15 minutes he sent
me on my way. After getting to San Diego, I went and bought a radar detector, it has saved me at least 20 times in the last couple of years, mainly
between San Jose and Cabo, and now my accountant and attorneys have them also.
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osoflojo
Nomad
Posts: 378
Registered: 10-29-2004
Location: c.s.l./b.c.s.
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Yeah well, I dont think there is any "all encompassing" right way, wrong way. I have done it both ways with varying re****s. The last time I went "to
the station" it cost me 50 pesos more than I was quoted on the street.
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vandenberg
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5118
Registered: 6-21-2005
Location: Nopolo
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Mood: mellow
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A friend of mine made a illegal left turn on a very poorly and weirdly marked intersection in Loreto ( I live here,so know it's true). The cop wanted
to write him a ticket for $ 20.00. Following friends advise, he insisted on going to the station and ended up paying $ 64.00. We were waiting for him
at the local steakhouse and needless to say ,it ruined a good dinner.
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pargo
Nomad
Posts: 162
Registered: 9-14-2006
Location: Burbank Ca.
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Mood: Baja Nomas
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| Quote: | Originally posted by vandenberg
A friend of mine made a illegal left turn on a very poorly and weirdly marked intersection in Loreto ( I live here,so know it's true). The cop wanted
to write him a ticket for $ 20.00. Following friends advise, he insisted on going to the station and ended up paying $ 64.00. We were waiting for him
at the local steakhouse and needless to say ,it ruined a good dinner. |
Seems as though no matter what advise you get, theres an example of how it did or didn't work. My advise is play your cards however you wish. If you
get away with it = A good Baja experience, if you don't =baja- ja ja. Either way, it's all part of the Baja experiences that keep us loving and going
back to Baja...y es todo!
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Barry A.
Select Nomad
Posts: 10007
Registered: 11-30-2003
Location: Redding, Northern CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: optimistic
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Vandenberg-------
----the key here (or one of them) was that he apparently was guilty, and knew that.
You would pay a lot more than that, I am thinking, in the USA?. Would he rather pay the $20 and just enable the corruption to keep increasing???
I think he made the right decision. (easy for me to say) 
I guess that is an individual decision. I know what my decision would be-----but I am a saint.
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