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Don Jorge
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Sounds like they did the right the thing at the right moment. You play these moments by ear.
To those who say they would never go to the police station, maybe it is because you have never been married to or traveled with a Mexican woman who
thinks the cops are trying to rip money away from her family or her?
In those moments one best step back and enjoys the rip your wife/girlfriend puts on the crooked cop.
[Edited on 8-21-2019 by Don Jorge]
�And it never failed that during the dry years the people forgot about the rich years, and during the wet years they lost all memory of the dry
years. It was always that way.�― John Steinbeck
"All models are wrong, but some are useful." George E.P. Box
"Nature bats last." Doug "Hayduke" Peac-ck
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bajatrailrider
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Im very surprised the cops went to cop shop. As when they ask for money. They have always en route ditched the car going to cop shop. As they don't
want you telling so that means that station is crooked too.
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David K
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What happened to Christopher is exactly what I would expect to have happened...
1) Rolled through a stop sign along with others but was the lucky one with U.S. plates to be stopped 
2) Cop tries to scare them with a high estimated ticket price (4000 pesos/ over 200 dollars). Maybe he hopes they will plead for lower fine or hope
the cop offers a solution to pay the fine for them?
3) Knowing fines are much lower in Mexico, they insist on seeing the judge/ going to the station.
4) The fine was only = 17 dollars.
Knowledge is king!
It worked out well and they now have a fun story to tell the rest of their lives.
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JZ
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Think going the police station is a very bad idea. Use it as a bluff and negotiation tactic.
Your time is worth way more than doing a run to the police station to save a few pesos. Plus you might have 1-4 more ppl with you?
Who knows what happens at the police station. And how much does the stress on everyone cost?
I'm going to disagree that this was a good way to handle this situation, and I'll coach my kids differently.
Yeah, sure if it's just me and a cop is hassling me and I have no where to be, yes, I might go to the station.
In my hundreds of trips to MX, only once did I get shaken down remotely close to that bad, and it was in Tecate for drinking a beer in car while
driving.
[Edited on 8-21-2019 by JZ]
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Lee
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It's difficult negotiating a fine on the street, or at the station, if you're guilty. What would have happened if the fine had been $214 US at the
station?
I posted what happened to a friend in Ciudad when he went to the station.
I just believe, for me, I have a better chance for a good outcome on the street, not possibly outnumbered at a police station. It's probably a
toss of the die that a gringo would get ''justice'' at a station.
From the 2 stories I've read, the old man at the Tecate station, and my friend in Ciudad, things didn't go well for these 2 people.
DK writes ''knowledge is king.'' Yes and no. Unfortunately, for the son in this situation, and with DK's knowledge, the assumption upon getting
stopped is that going to the police station will get you justice, a fair shake, a low and reasonable fine.
I don't assume that at all. My assumption, and I've never been to a MX police station, is I've given up some leverage by being on police turf.
Cops around means I'm outnumbered. Because I don't trust the whole situation anyway, there's no reason to believe I'll get justice anywhere in MX,
especially at the hands of the police.
When knowledge becomes a belief system, especially in MX, a tourist is setting themselves up for a fall.
DK: I think it is important to post factual history rather than the fantasy of some possible future event.
Starting to sound a little pompous there, Dave.
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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del mar
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Quote: Originally posted by David K  | As I said to JZ, you are free to post your own observations or fears in your own posts. This is my post about what actually did happen... not what
could have happened.
Let the people decide based on facts. If you have personal opinions, then great... we all do. Sometimes they are based on fact and sometimes it is
just a gut feeling or maybe just a need for drama?
Have a nice day!  |
 "if knowledge is king" maybe you should have taught the boy not to roll
through stop signs IN TECATE. station vs pay on the street is a personal preference, I like the street choice!
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David K
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Oh, he is 30 years old, so it's on him how he drives now. He actually didn't see the sign (later said it was really hard to spot, maybe
intentionally?) and was just repeating what the other cars were doing at that junction (didn't I state that already?).
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HeyMulegeScott
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Good for him. I liked defrag4's advice also in another thread. Don't pay a bribe it just makes it harder for the next dude.
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sancho
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| Quote: Originally posted by Lee |
I stopped for that light to make a right turn. Thought of turning on the red, like California, but then thought no.
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Is turning on a red in Mex legal? Not that they wouldn't try
for mordida anyway. Maybe the same story, a guy paid in
the $300 dll. range for the pocketknife in Tecate, I suppose
claiming a concealed weapon
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JZ
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| Quote: Originally posted by David K | As I said to JZ, you are free to post your own observations or fears in your own posts. This is my post about what actually did happen... not what
could have happened.
Let the people decide based on facts. If you have personal opinions, then great... we all do. Sometimes they are based on fact and sometimes it is
just a gut feeling or maybe just a need for drama?
Have a nice day! |
Bud, I'm not giving you some hypothetical opinion.
I've been stopped 10-20 times in the last 5 years. Not the last 20 years.
If you told your kid to go to the police station, I'm gonna say that is bad advice. And feel very confident about that.
You started this thread and you had to expect comments and opinions.
For as often as you go to Baja, I'm pretty surprised why there aren't more story's of you traveling with your boy? Seems like a flurry in the last 10
days. I could post 1,000 pics of my boys down in Baja over the last 3-4 years.
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Alm
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| Quote: Originally posted by David K |
3) Knowing fines are much lower in Mexico, they insist on seeing the judge/ going to the station.
4) The fine was only = 17 dollars.
Knowledge is king!
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We ALL know that fines in Mx are cheap, there isn't much practical use of this. Knowledge means little when law becomes a belief (well put here), and
- subject to individual interpretation. Some people leave Mx police station with a better outcome, some - with no change, some - with worse. And
there is always more time lost and more stress when going to the station. Street fine is usually (almost always) a subject to negotiation.
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JZ
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I was on Amigos, and that other board ran by that guy named Blackie.
Don't plan to stop going to Baja with my kids when they get older. Seems like you just reconnected with yours at his wedding.
[Edited on 8-22-2019 by JZ]
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AKgringo
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Good plan JZ, I hope it works out for you! You do realize that it won't be too many more years before your kids will have plans, and commitments of
their own, and hopefully you will play an important part.
I have been trying to put together a family Baja adventure for a couple of years, but nothing has worked out yet. The extra 4000 miles or so from
Anchorage complicates things a bit, but it is mainly conflicting schedules.
If you are not living on the edge, you are taking up too much space!
"Could do better if he tried!" Report card comments from most of my grade school teachers. Sadly, still true!
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JZ
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| Quote: Originally posted by AKgringo | Good plan JZ, I hope it works out for you! You do realize that it won't be too many more years before your kids will have plans, and commitments of
their own, and hopefully you will play an important part.
I have been trying to put together a family Baja adventure for a couple of years, but nothing has worked out yet. The extra 4000 miles or so from
Anchorage complicates things a bit, but it is mainly conflicting schedules. |
I get you. And can understand Anchorage. In this case the wife is from Mexicali. Not a mention I can recall in 10 years.
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Jack Swords
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Strange, once again, how this thread has evolved. Back to the original topic: One has a choice of how to deal with Mexican police. Depending upon
circumstances one may chose one or the other. In over 50 years driving in Baja and mainland Mexico I have both paid on the street and gone to the
police station. Paying on the street (negotiated amount) is an expedient necessitated by many things. Going to the station is always an adventure
usually ending up with a very minor fine and jokes and hand shaking all around. I have "visited" the police station in several communities from
Veracruz to La Paz and always treated well.
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thebajarunner
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Location: Arizona....."Free at last from crumbling Cali
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Mood: muy amable
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| Quote: Originally posted by Jack Swords | | Strange, once again, how this thread has evolved. Back to the original topic: One has a choice of how to deal with Mexican police. Depending upon
circumstances one may chose one or the other. In over 50 years driving in Baja and mainland Mexico I have both paid on the street and gone to the
police station. Paying on the street (negotiated amount) is an expedient necessitated by many things. Going to the station is always an adventure
usually ending up with a very minor fine and jokes and hand shaking all around. I have "visited" the police station in several communities from
Veracruz to La Paz and always treated well. |
Good words Jack, and yes, back to the topic
I too have done both,
First I sic my little Jalisco born bride on the cop, that usually works
Next, we hem and haw around and see if there is a reasonable number out there between us
And, if not in a hurry then the station is always just part of the adventure.
I daresay, if you are a real Baja aficionado and have never "visited the station" you are missing a real part of the experience
and, nice to see you on board this morning Jack...
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AKgringo
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Sorry, I will assess myself five demerits for my part in the mini hijack!
Back on topic, the second time I was pulled over for a shakedown in La Paz, I declined the offer to "pay right now, no ticket". Using my marginal
Spanish, I politely told him no mordida, give me a ticket, or let me go. He let me go!
For what it is worth, I was guilty of not having my seat belt fastened.
If you are not living on the edge, you are taking up too much space!
"Could do better if he tried!" Report card comments from most of my grade school teachers. Sadly, still true!
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BajaTed
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Kinda related question
Does the Sindictura's (public corruption agents) exist anymore???
Es Todo Bueno
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Tioloco
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I have had quite a number of experiences through the years with the Mexican police. Most "visits" to the police station were relatively positive with
a minimal financial impact. One instance however, taught me to be very leery of going to the station. Much better in my opinion now to settle it as
quickly as possible on the side of the road. When things go south, you cant hit the rewind button.
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JZ
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| Quote: Originally posted by Tioloco | | I have had quite a number of experiences through the years with the Mexican police. Most "visits" to the police station were relatively positive with
a minimal financial impact. One instance however, taught me to be very leery of going to the station. Much better in my opinion now to settle it as
quickly as possible on the side of the road. When things go south, you cant hit the rewind button. |
Thanks for sharing this.
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