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Spearo
Nomad
Posts: 153
Registered: 11-30-2010
Location: Moscow, Idaho and Pescadero, BCS
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I got pulled over in Constitucion about three weeks ago for supposedly running a stop sign. I knew what was going to happen when the first question
out of the cops mouth was "Do you speak Spanish?" He told me I could either pay him 1000 pesos now or come to the station tomorrow. I actually
laughed when he hit me up for the 1000 and I think he realized at that point that this wasn't going to go as planned. We went round and round, him
holding my license. Then my buddy called me on the radio and I started to explain to him in unflattering terms what was going on, the cop tossed my
license on the seat and left.
I got held up in Tecate as well this trip. The cop told me 500 pesos now or we go to the station. I told him lets go to the station so we took off
and he drove a couple blocks and stopped again, motioning me to the car. 500 now or we go to the station. Lets go to the station. This happened
three times before I paid him 200 for my license. I was losing my temper and bad things were going to happen. I hated to give him money but he had
all day and I did not. I did get a police guided tour of residential Tecate for a mere 200 pesos.
Ten years of driving down there without a problem then twice in one trip...
Were it not for the abdomen, man would easily reckon himself a god.
Friedrich Nietzsche
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Bajahowodd
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9274
Registered: 12-15-2008
Location: Disneyland Adjacent and anywhere in Baja
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Last two times I passed through Cd. C, not a cop in sight. A couple of years ago, they seemed to be everywhere. It may well be something to do with
the day of the week and the time of the day. Never saw a cop anywhere there on a Sunday.
I do find it curious that it appears we are now seeing increased harassment all over. And it's not even close to Christmas. 
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Loretana
Senior Nomad
Posts: 825
Registered: 5-19-2006
Location: Oregon/Loreto
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Mood: alegre
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Bajahowodd
I do find it curious that it appears we are now seeing increased harassment all over. And it's not even close to Christmas. |
They're gearing up for Semana Santa, the other important "mordita" week.......(today is Palm Sunday, Holy Week follows) 
"If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration."
-Nikola Tesla
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windgrrl
Super Nomad
Posts: 1336
Registered: 9-2-2006
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A few weeks ago we had a police escort of close scrutinization by officers in truck and on a motorcycle as we drove carefully through town around
noon. They lost interest and turned back before the town exit.
When the way comes to an end, then change. Having changed, you pass through.
~ I-Ching
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Lee
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3597
Registered: 10-2-2006
Location: High in the Colorado Rockies
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Seems like there is a large contingency who believe ''going to the station'' is the correct thing to do and justice will be meted out by the
Commandant once there.
I've written that last month, a friend passing through CC was stopped, he chose the station, and it turned out badly with a $50 fine: a ticket for
speeding and one for reckless driving -- both, according to my friend, were untrue. (My friend said he thought things could have been settled for
less, on the street, but he (friend) got angry and, I'm assuming, had some attitude.)
If a cop follows you for awhile with lights off, he's checking you out. They might be drinking beer, laughing, wondering if they're making you
nervous. Maybe wondering whether they should stop you or not. They're probably bored.
I think my chances are in my favor negotiating on the street than at the station. Nothing to back that up -- just a feeling.
For the record, I expect to be stopped more often than I am. (I'm never stopped -- been stopped once in the past 10 years.) But I always expect
it. And, mentally, I'm always prepared to negotiate.
US Marines: providing enemies of America an opportunity to die for their country since 1775.
What I say before any important decision.
F*ck it.
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LaPazGringo
Nomad
Posts: 237
Registered: 2-28-2012
Location: La Paz
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| Quote: | | Originally posted by SpearoI was losing my temper and bad things were going to happen. |
Listen man, I totally understand. But you have to train yourself that things are different down here and getting mad and beligerant will not solve the
problem, it will only make it worse. Right or wrong, he has authority and a loaded weapon on his side. Smiling allot and playing dumb is still my
tactic. Not a word of Spanish and a billion of english; a barrage of English until he can't take it anymore and waves the white flag.
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BajaNomad
Super Administrator
Posts: 5006
Registered: 8-1-2002
Location: San Diego, CA
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Mood: INTP-A
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| Quote: | Originally posted by LaPazGringo
Smiling allot and playing dumb is still my tactic. Not a word of Spanish and a billion of english; a barrage of English until he can't take it anymore
and waves the white flag. |
When I was young, I admired clever people. Now that I am old, I admire kind people.
– Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel
We know we must go back if we live, and we don`t know why.
– John Steinbeck, Log from the Sea of Cortez
https://www.regionalinternet.com
Affordable Domain Name Registration/Management & cPanel Web Hosting - since 1999 |
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 65278
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Online
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Yup, that is the answer of the day!
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Lee
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3597
Registered: 10-2-2006
Location: High in the Colorado Rockies
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| Quote: | Originally posted by LaPazGringo
Not a word of Spanish and a billion of english; a barrage of English until he can't take it anymore and waves the white flag. |
How does one play dumb when the cop says in perfect English: 1,000 pesos or follow me to the station?
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LaPazGringo
Nomad
Posts: 237
Registered: 2-28-2012
Location: La Paz
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Lee
| Quote: | Originally posted by LaPazGringo
Not a word of Spanish and a billion of english; a barrage of English until he can't take it anymore and waves the white flag. |
How does one play dumb when the cop says in perfect English: 1,000 pesos or follow me to the station? |
By giving a very wordy, round-about Gomer Pyle kind of answer full of random questions, observances and even maybe a recital of the preamble to the
Declaration of Independence if you know it. Why? Because "1,000 pesos or follow me to the station" are the only words of English he knows.
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Lee
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3597
Registered: 10-2-2006
Location: High in the Colorado Rockies
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Seriously, there's lots of ways a traffic stop can play out. And the cop I'm alluding to (the one that stopped my friend last month) spoke fluent
English. This cop is probably clueless as to who Gomer Pyle is -- so play on. Slow/goofy gringo is a valid ploy especially if it works for
you.
In CC, at least, there's always the call to the Mayor, who's number I have in my cell phone contact list, but not sure how that play's out either.
Here's a scenario I think is funny and could work and I'm tempted to try it: when entering CC, stop and talk to the first cop you see. Tell him
some cops (not all cops) in town have a bad reputation for harassing tourists. Offer to pay him to escort you through town. 50 pesos? I bet he
takes it.
US Marines: providing enemies of America an opportunity to die for their country since 1775.
What I say before any important decision.
F*ck it.
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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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| Quote: | Originally posted by Lee
Here's a scenario I think is funny and could work and I'm tempted to try it: when entering CC, stop and talk to the first cop you see. Tell him
some cops (not all cops) in town have a bad reputation for harassing tourists. Offer to pay him to escort you through town. 50 pesos? I bet he
takes it. |
I like it!!!! and it could really work, I am thinking, if you can get past the language barrier. 
Barry
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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 29510
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Barry A.
if you can get past the language barrier.
Barry |
Only one way that I know of to do that.
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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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| Quote: | Originally posted by DENNIS
| Quote: | Originally posted by Barry A.
if you can get past the language barrier.
Barry |
Only one way that I know of to do that. |
Mucho pesos????
Barry
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gallesram
Nomad
Posts: 384
Registered: 7-6-2010
Location: Laguna Beach
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I don't think that any one thing (speaking English) completely takes care of the problem; I think it's a combination of things (speak only English, be
firm and stand your ground, use only a copy of your license, have a sticker on your car & act like you're calling the Sindicatura). Since you're
dealing with crooked cops, there is no fool-proof formula here, but I think that by doing all of these things you greatly reduce your chance of having
to pay a mordida.
Clearly, there are going to be exceptions and you always run the risk of calling the cop's bluff by going to the station and actually paying more at
the station, although I have only heard of that happening once. The great majority of times people (including me) who use the tactics above have not
had to pay anything.
BTW, I used to routinely pay cops who pulled me over anywhere in Mexico since I was pretty scared; it wasn't until reading the posts about CC a few
years ago that I learned what to do and now I never pay. There are probably a lot of tourists out there who are scared and don't know the game and
end up paying. I definitely wouldn't use these tactics in another country until I knew from others who traveled there that they worked.
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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 29510
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Barry A.
Mucho pesos????
Barry |
That's better than what I had in mind.
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oladulce
Super Nomad
Posts: 1625
Registered: 5-30-2005
Location: bcs
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| Quote: | Originally posted by CP
Got pulled over in Loreto and gave the cop an expired CA license. Took him all of a second to point out that I was driving on an expired license.
Dug out the current one to avoid THAT infraction. |
BigWooo tried the expired license technique in Cd Constitución during the peak of the harassment a couple years ago with the same results. The guy
scanned his name and then commented on the expire date and we had to quickly back peddle and produce the current license before the guy actually had a
real infraction to site us for. I wouldn't recommend producing an expired license in Cd C.
We spend a day in Cd C every few weeks and haven't had a problem since the peak a couple years ago. Every trip we're on at least 50% of the back
streets in town to hit all the building materials places, to get to municipal bldgs, banks,etc. I see way more police on the back streets in town
than on the main drag, but we don't get that "target" feeling as in the past. Hopefully this won't be another trend.
[Edited on 4-3-2012 by oladulce]
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fixtrauma
Nomad
Posts: 389
Registered: 11-17-2008
Location: El Centenario & Lebanon,Oregon
Member Is Offline
Mood: Monomaniac
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| Quote: | Originally posted by DENNIS
| Quote: | Originally posted by LaPazGringo
| Quote: | Originally posted by acadist
I have always carried an expired licence just for this situation, when I cross the border it becomes the 'main' licence in my wallet until i am back
nob |
Me too and when I get a SD license, I'll have an expired and a current Calif. as throw-aways.  No mordida! |
Got a slick, inexpensive laminator from Amazon and I'm making two right now. |
That is funny!! I carry a half dozen nicely laminated ones myself when driving down!
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rhintransit
Super Nomad
Posts: 1588
Registered: 9-4-2006
Location: Loreto
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am back in Loreto, took the Constitucion back streets detour yesterday. just didn't want to deal with the possibility of another stop, or being
recognized. is a pain to have to plan one's trip this way...
reality\'s never been of much use out here...
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