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chavycha
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Registered: 1-20-2014
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Ciudad Constitucion police?
Well, normally I wouldn't think much of it, but after a search of the board here and seeing all the trouble people have had with the transit police in
CC in years past, I'm sad to report that it, at least for us this evening, seems to be the same as it ever was.
We pulled into town relatively late this evening, and turned onto a side street near the bank. About a block down, in what was basically an alley, we
u-turned, and came back to come alongside the bank.
As we parked, across the street a pair of transit cops pulled up, turned on their lights, and approached. We were accused of 'improper u-maneuvering'
and 'failing to go around the block'. The 'fine' was to be 1000p, and since the police station was 'closed', we could come in and pay next morning.
Having traveled and worked more than a bit in the third world (though not Mexico), I'm pretty familiar with this scenario. I don't know bupkus about
the official law on U-turns on back roads, but I'm damn sure it had more to do with our plates and the proximity to the bank. To be fair, the officer
did not ask outright for a bribe, but I'm pretty sure the fine for such a 'violation' is significantly less than we were quoted. It looks like we
settled it out significantly better than most who went to the station (or even those who, like us, chose the 'pay here' option). Whatever, small
potatoes in the big picture.
I was, however, pretty disappointed to read the archives here regarding the corruption and subsequent reform of the police activity in CC.
Hopefully this is an isolated incident and not indicative of more problems to come.
CC is otherwise a nice stopover, the Paraiso is a great little hotel for the $, and we had some burritos to die for this eve at the stand just next to
the pizza place.
[Edited on 2-10-2014 by chavycha]
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Bob and Susan
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Location: Mulege BCS on the BAY
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it wasn't a "shakedown" ...
you made an illegal U-turn
since you stayed in town that night...
did you go to the police station and pay the fine?
or did you become a "criminal" and pay "mordita"
Mexican towns have many "one-way" streets
if you were in the USA and made an illegal U-turn...
wouldn't you get a ticket too?
just because you are a tourist doesn't mean you can break the laws
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Mula
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This is the first problem I have heard of in Constitucion in a long time.
And it isn't really a problem. Unless marked at the intersection - u turns are frowned on.
And last time - several years ago - when we had an attempt shake down - the guy said the find would be 500 pesos. My husband said he would go to the
police station.
There the fine was 570 pesos.
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ashek
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same problem, two days in a row just yesterday. once with u turn, once with alto, ( apparantly 2 seconds isnt long enough) . the bs harrasment is
back.
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tecatero
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I have had to pay the "need lunch money " 3 out of my 4 recent visits thru Constitucion......same thing, stop sign violation at the 6 way
intersection..........offfered 200 pesos once , then paid 100 pesos the other 3 times.......Its like having a toll road thru CC these days, reminds me
of driving up gringo hill in TJ back in the day where it was a 50/50 chance you're gonna get stopped.
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baja Steve
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I was in town for 4 days a month or so ago and never had one problem. One afternoon I did see a driver go through a stop sign and got stopped, by the
time I walked up to where he was stopped he was talking to the officer in a loud voice so I stepped in to calm him down and at the end the driver,
police officer and I walked back to the stop sign which was at one of the lights that has been out for years. After looking at it the driver realized
he did run the stop sign and calmed down. By the time we got back to the drivers pick up the driver was apologizing and the officer let him go without
a ticket and telling the driver to drive safe. Bob and Susan are right you need to slow down and obey the laws.
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chavycha
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Please read the original post, I am not claiming that I did not break a traffic law, but to do a u-turn on a minor side street with no traffic at 10pm
is unlikely to have been a 1000p offense.
The ability to 'pay now' with out of country plates, to have the police station 'closed' when it turns out it is indeed open until midnight 7 days a
week, to be encouraged to go into the bank to get more money (we didn't), only to have a fine that magically shrinks... well, my birding skills aren't
up to snuff but it sure looks and sounds like a duck.
Based on the history with Ciudad Constitution reported on here, I figure a heads up to warn fellow travelers is worthwhile, especially since the last
relevant thread from October 2013 indicated no one had experienced issues in a long while.
I've added a '?' to my original post title so you can judge/interpret at your leisure.
Have a great morning.
[Edited on 2-10-2014 by chavycha]
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vandy
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I try not to stop in Constipation any more.
Stick to the center lanes that are federal jurisdiction.
Mexican cops are nothing more than ugly girl scouts selling expensive bad cookies.
And I give them about as much respect.)
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Pescador
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| Quote: | Originally posted by vandy
I try not to stop in Constipation any more.
Stick to the center lanes that are federal jurisdiction.
Mexican cops are nothing more than ugly girl scouts selling expensive bad cookies.
And I give them about as much respect.) |
Boy, with that attitude, you must be a real best seller in Mexico. I think that is where the term "Ugly American" came from. Their whole purpose in
life is just to harass you.
A little free information. The center lanes through town are not federal jurisdiction, If you look closely on the outskirts of town you will see a
sign (although you may have missed it because it is in spanish) that shows the line where federal jurisdiction ends and the city jurisdiction begins.
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vgabndo
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Mood: Checking-off my bucket list.
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Scott, I was sorry to read of your shake down. I'll believe what Bob and Susan say when it is obvious that every possible Mexican vehicle is also
ticketed for making a U-turn or running a stop sign in Constitution.
Clearly the police there target tourists for these offenses more often than the resident population.
It is also JUST as illegal to take a bribe as to pay one. If the officer didn't write you a receipt and give you all the paperwork that would have
been generated in court, you can bet he put the money in his pocket. It might have been interesting to visit court on your own in the morning and
make sure the cop turned-in the money!!!
Thieves come in many colors, and some wear badges and fail in their duty to enforce the law uniformly and without prejudice.
This should also be obvious to the local Judge. As a result, I have to wonder if you would have done any better going to court and making your case to
someone who probably ISN'T allowed to simply pocket the fine. He must be able to see the preponderance of gringos in front of him for traffic offenses
and SHOULD have some question about the equal application of the law.
Welcome to my perfect world!!!
Sure was great to meet you guys!
Undoubtedly, there are people who cannot afford to give the anchor of sanity even the slightest tug. Sam Harris
"The situation is far too dire for pessimism."
Bill Kauth
Carl Sagan said, "We are a way for the cosmos to know itself."
PEACE, LOVE AND FISH TACOS
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DENNIS
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| Quote: | Originally posted by chavycha
Please read the original post, I am not claiming that I did not break a traffic law, but to do a u-turn on a minor side street with no traffic at 10pm
is unlikely to have been a 1000p offense.
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You're probably right, and thanks for the report.
As long as I've been here and watched the techniques of the traffic police, I've come to the conclusion that some infractions are on the books mainly
to subsidize low police income...."U Turns" among the first. This infraction will get their attention every time and my Mexican friends will agree.
They receive very little brotherly sympathy from the police.
I have to appreciate the strict "U Turn" enforcement as I can imagine the traffic chaos without it. It's bad enough as is.
Also, I used to have myself convinced that when the police would start whining about low pay, the city would put in more stop signs.....but who knows.
Thanks again for your report.
"YOU CAN'T LITTER ALUMINUM"
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captkw
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C.C.
I leave "rattle snake"-jaunclalito,,preuto escondito early sunday morn and get to CC around 7 am and have no problems in the last 12/15 years now !!!
GET THRU EARY...YEARS AGO ..going south used to be a taco place almost the last thing in town on the right south bound always stopped and ate..really
miss that little outside Killer taco stand !! but ,, My main point is go thru before the "cops" get on duty !!! that way you wont have to play their
"game"..........K&T
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Whale-ista
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Other common infractions in town vs highway
It's not just gringos who become targets: I once did a long drive from Ensenada to Guaymas with friends who lived in Ensenada. The van had Baja
government plates (it was a work trip). We were stopped/cited in a small town in Sonora for passing a slow moving vehicle in the towns "urban" zone.
My friend didn't dispute it. He paid the fine (?) on site and chalked it up to experience. He figured: After a few nonstop hours of highway driving it
can be easy to forget to slow down in towns. Some local police may take advantage.
I won't dispute visitors could be targets at many of these places, not just by police, but Pemex vendors etc. looking for a few extra dollars/pesos at
outta Towners expense.
So I lock my gas tank and slow down in towns, with or without topes, and come to full, long stops even if the locals are rolling thru the same
intersections. I figure: Unlike me, they could be cousins of the local policia, and have home field advantage.
Finally, Agree it's unwise and unfair to cast aspersions on all police. There are good/bad everywhere, (Just look at recent news in San Diego) but IMO
good generally outnumber bad.
\"Probably the airplanes will bring week-enders from Los Angeles before long, and the beautiful poor bedraggled old town will bloom with a
Floridian ugliness.\" (John Steinbeck, 1940, discussing the future of La Paz, BCS, Mexico)
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DavidE
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Location: Baja California México
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Mood: 'At home we demand facts and get them. In Mexico one subsists on rumor and never demands anything.' Charles Flandrau,
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Some Mexican traffic laws are bizarre. Some towns do not allow u-turns. Other towns with paralelos make turning left off the main thoroughfare
illegal, you have to dogleg to the right follow the paralelo to the next intersection, then make a left according to signage or the light.
But the one that -really- gets tourists is the one about rear-ender liability. In most states in Mexico when making a left in a rural area YOU MUST
PULL OFF ONTO THE RIGHT SHOULDER OR OFF THE HIGHWAY if it is safe to do so. Wait for traffic behind you and oncoming traffic to pass then carefully
make your left or U-Turn. Motorists are cited if they violate this law and THEY ARE LIABLE for damages to the car that hit them from behind. Re-read
the part about "If It Is Safe To Do So".
It is illegal to ENTER an intersection on an amber light, flashing or not. The same infraccion as running a red light. American motorists are no more
susceptible to breaking a strange traffic law in Mexico than Mexicans are to break a strange traffic law north of the border.
When coming to a stop, a complete stop means eventually feeling yourself being pushed back against the seat. Anything less than that is a Hollywood
Stop.
MAKE A COP SHOW YOU THE INFRACCION IN HIS BOOK. It doesn't matter you do not speak Spanish. Simply note the page number of the infraccion. When you go
to the comandancia, in your complaint, the second complaint to The State Tourism Secretaria the THIRD complaint federal written up by the Green
Angels, refer to the page number. Want to SCREW the cop? Tell the Jefe at the comandancia that the cops offered to let you go if you paid say two
thousand pesos on the spot. Think the cop's superiors won't instantly believe the cop has not been holding out on them sharing the loot? You gotta
another think coming.
A Lot To See And A Lot To Do
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DENNIS
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Whale-ista
Finally, Agree it's unwise and unfair to cast aspersions on all police. There are good/bad everywhere, (Just look at recent news in San Diego) but IMO
good generally outnumber bad. |
In Mexico, it's beyond the individual. It's a system....as much a part of their culture as Tortillas, and each transaction will have it's own
characteristics. Fair shake or shake down....it can go either way at any given time.
"YOU CAN'T LITTER ALUMINUM"
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Sweetwater
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Mood: chilly today hot tomale
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| Quote: |
I try not to stop in Constipation any more. Stick to the center lanes that are federal jurisdiction.
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I've been through Constitucion several times and always stayed in the center lanes. Is the quote true? I have seen the local cops sitting at multiple
intersections but I haven't seen them with anyone pulled over. I'm mostly interested in not causing problems or stopping there unless there is a real
need.
Everbody\'s preachin\' at me that we all wanna git to heaven, trouble is, nobody wants to die to git there.-BB King
Reality is what does not go away when you stop believing in it. -Philip K Dick
Nothing is worse than active ignorance. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe(1749-1832, German writer, artist and politician)
When choosing between two evils, I always like to try the one I\'ve never tried before. - Mae West
Experience is what keeps a man who makes the same mistake twice from admitting it the third time around.
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David K
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Went through Ciudad Constitucion twice on 2012 summer trip, didn't even see a policia either time. Stopped happily at every red light and any stop
sign (and counted to 3 before going).
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Udo
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That is a really good one David!
I have seen that one so many times at just about every town I have traveled through.
I always thought that the driver was too lazy or did not want to get on the lane closest to the middle.
Problem is...that every time I have seen it done, there is a whole slew of on-coming traffic!
The "carefully" has never been applied, IMHO.
| Quote: | Originally posted by DavidE
But the one that -really- gets tourists is the one about rear-ender liability. In most states in Mexico when making a left in a rural area YOU MUST
PULL OFF ONTO THE RIGHT SHOULDER OR OFF THE HIGHWAY if it is safe to do so. Wait for traffic behind you and oncoming traffic to pass then carefully
make your left or U-Turn. Motorists are cited if they violate this law and THEY ARE LIABLE for damages to the car that hit them from behind. Re-read
the part about "If It Is Safe To Do So".
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Udo
Youth is wasted on the young!
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DavidE
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Location: Baja California México
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Mood: 'At home we demand facts and get them. In Mexico one subsists on rumor and never demands anything.' Charles Flandrau,
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Ain't that the truth. On Mex 200 at La Peñita I once waited for perhaps ten minutes (it seemed like an hour) before traffic cleared for me to cross.
Being old, I jockey the car perpendicular to the highway, so when I do cross, it's going to be plenty quick.
Screwing around on the paralelos in Moscaino is bad enough, where there is "normal" amounts of cars I really sweat it. Dog legging can be freakin'
dangerous if a person isn't cautious. The "Y" intersection approaching Guerrero can be a thrill when you have a kid in a battered pickup take the
salida at 80mph.
Ceda El Paso in proper Spanish means YIELD RIGHT OF WAY
Ceda El Paso in real Spanish means PRAY
A Lot To See And A Lot To Do
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monoloco
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| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
Went through Ciudad Constitucion twice on 2012 summer trip, didn't even see a policia either time. Stopped happily at every red light and any stop
sign (and counted to 3 before going). |
Why is it that every time someone posts about getting shaken down by
the police, two or three will predictably chime in that they didn't get hassled? Just because it didn't happen to you, doesn't mean it doesn't happen.
"The future ain't what it used to be"
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