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wilderone
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3824
Registered: 2-9-2004
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"shakedown is a numbers game for these cops and it probably beats sitting around bored and poor"
That doesn't justify extortion on a daily basis. This is systemic organized crime. These cops must be very rich by now. Probably gives the jefe a
percentage. The Baja Governor should be involved. Someone should distribute flyers reporting the situation and warning, in the middle of the night,
on all cars in all towns in a small radius of Cd. Const. just to let them know we know. Paste up the flyers on store windows in town. "WARNING the
cops in this town will attempt to shake down all gringo tourists on false driving/traffic charges. They will want a payoff. These cops do this on a
daily basis. Everyone is involved. ......."
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Baja&Back
Senior Nomad
Posts: 549
Registered: 9-10-2004
Location: Vancouver, Canada / todo de Baja
Member Is Offline
Mood: Rarin' to go South!
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If you get ripped off by the cops in CC (or even an attempt), email your story to Patricia at Misiones RV park - npso@hotmail.com, with details.
She is peeed off & willing to go to the mayor's office to stop this.
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bajaguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9247
Registered: 9-16-2003
Location: Carson City, NV/Ensenada - Baja Country Club
Member Is Offline
Mood: must be 5 O'clock somewhere in Baja
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Sounds like a job for Zorro!!!!
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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 29510
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
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| Quote: | Originally posted by wilderone
Paste up the flyers on store windows in town. "WARNING the cops in this town will attempt to shake down all gringo tourists on false driving/traffic
charges. They will want a payoff. These cops do this on a daily basis. Everyone is involved. ......." |
Don't get caught doing that. If you are caught, you'll have to defend yourself and your accusations. That won't be easy , but it will get you
deported.
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wessongroup
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 21152
Registered: 8-9-2009
Location: Mission Viejo
Member Is Offline
Mood: Suicide Hot line ... please hold
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| Quote: | Originally posted by bajaguy
Sounds like a job for Zorro!!!! |
Exactly....
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gnukid
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4411
Registered: 7-2-2006
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| Quote: | Originally posted by DENNIS
| Quote: | Originally posted by wilderone
Paste up the flyers on store windows in town. "WARNING the cops in this town will attempt to shake down all gringo tourists on false driving/traffic
charges. They will want a payoff. These cops do this on a daily basis. Everyone is involved. ......." |
Don't get caught doing that. If you are caught, you'll have to defend yourself and your accusations. That won't be easy , but it will get you
deported. |
This is probably the best place to post your negative experience, but remember that you do need to pay attention to facts, that is why a simple
video/audio recording device that everyone has on the cell phone is great for capturing the conversation. You can just hold the phone in your hand
unobtrusively pointing in the direction of yourself and the other party. If in fact there is gross dereliction it should be obvious.
I would give little faith to "informing" officials simply because, as yet it has no effect, many are on the take as well, and those who are not have
no influence over those who are on the take. Probably, officials in Baja are significantly disparate and have little inter office communication nor
responsibility much like everywhere else.
In fact, you are the most powerful person to address your own concerns. As soon as a corrupto sees that you are aware, patient, and unwilling to be
fearful and cough up money for nothing they will always lose interest. They do want to be seen as the cop who is talking to someone on the main drag
for more than a few minutes, nor do they want to be seen in an escalating situation where they have no case.
It's like fishing, if nothing's biting you move on.
And as soon as Constitucion catches on that Gringos are not such easy pathetic money trees, who instead are armed with sophisticated tools and
networks to catch liars and cheats they will move on to easier targets. Identify the people behind the problem.
Keep in mind, these guys and gals live in a small town, they really only want money for beer, food, gas and el fin de la semana, if you give the money
for nothing they will continue if you require them to do their job instead they will. It's not so different from anywhere, perhaps.
[Edited on 6-24-2010 by gnukid]
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ursidae69
Nomad
Posts: 275
Registered: 2-22-2004
Location: Youngsville, NM
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Just to add to the data, on my 3 week trip in February, I was pulled over in Constitución. More like waved over out of traffic by a man with a
whistle. He asked for my license and then asked where I was going. I had the vibe that something was coming and I just smiled and he finally just
handed my license back. He must have changed his mind.
That's the first time I've ever been pulled over in Mexico.
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Peloncito
Junior Nomad
Posts: 66
Registered: 1-9-2007
Location: Los Gatos, CA - Los Barriles, BCS
Member Is Offline
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Shakedown
Okay, I will add myself to the victim list. On June 21st, we were pulling into CC, heading south to our home in LB. I have been reading the posts
recently and decided to play it extra cautious. I started down the center lane, literally going 10 mph. I stopped at every light, crosswalk and stop
sign. I noticed one police officer had someone pulled over on the frontage road. I proceeded south very slowly. About three lights from the end of
town, I noticed a police truck turning left in front of me while I was sitting at a red light. He turned left, made a U-Turn and shadowed me on the
frontage road the entire rest of the way. Continuing @ 10mph, he finally pulled behind me at the last light and lit me up. When I was chatting with
him, he said I failed to stop for pedestrians seven blocks back. Impossible since he only pulled in front of me near the end of town. He told me he
was going to keep my license and I could come get it at 8:00 the next morning at the police station or........ $500 pesos right now. I pondered
letting him keep my license and just getting a new one when I returned to the states, but figured that might not be that bright. After negotiating for
several minutes, we agreed on $400 pesos and we were on our way. He even extended his hand out to shake my hand. He was polite even after I told him
that everybody knows what is going on here and that he is only hurting his own community by harassing tourists. I asked him who would ever want to
come stay in this town with all of the police extortion and he simply laughed and said not my problem.
I will be driving back north in a few weeks to continue the saga. It is a shame, because I normally stay there for lunch and a few beers. Not
anymore!!!!
Mike
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Iflyfish
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3747
Registered: 10-17-2006
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I have enjoyed staying in Constitution at the lovely RV Park and had again planned to do so. Not now, not till this is resolved. I do not want to be
shaken down by these crooks. 400 pesos is an outragious fee to pay to these guys! Outragious.
Is there any way around these sharks? This is THE Federal Road thru this town! Basta Yo!!
Iflyfish
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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 29510
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Iflyfish
Basta Yo!!
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There will be no "Basta" until it's forced upon them. These arn't isolated acts of extortion that can be reported to the Chief, Comandante or anybody
else in that city. They get their share. They get it because they're part of the system and that's a system we, with our NOB mindset, will never
comprehend.
The system is as old as Spain and will resist, probably forever, the moralistic change we only wish they would adopt.
What we're trying to do is convert them into Americans like us. Many here can't see the futility in that.
Conversion for moral reasons will not work.
Conversion for financial reasons will have an immediate effect.
Attack their economy and the metamorphisis will be swift.
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bajaguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9247
Registered: 9-16-2003
Location: Carson City, NV/Ensenada - Baja Country Club
Member Is Offline
Mood: must be 5 O'clock somewhere in Baja
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Iflyfish
I have enjoyed staying in Constitution at the lovely RV Park and had again planned to do so. Not now, not till this is resolved. I do not want to be
shaken down by these crooks. 400 pesos is an outragious fee to pay to these guys! Outragious.
Is there any way around these sharks? This is THE Federal Road thru this town! Basta Yo!!
Iflyfish |
Fish.....write or e-mail the RV park and explain why you will not be visiting........let us know if they reply!!!!
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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 29510
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | Originally posted by bajaguy
Fish.....write or e-mail the RV park and explain why you will not be visiting........let us know if they reply!!!! |
In fact, give us their email addy and I for one will write and tell them of my change of plans to drive through their beautiful city to get to their
motel.
I urge others to do the same. It's a start.
This method could be expanded to resorts south of C.C.. It's a painless effort that will definitly get a ball rolling if it's sustained.
Make justice your online hobby.
Any contact info out there to be added to the list of economic victims?
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Here's a post from this thread which I put up a few pages back, for those who may have missed it:
posted on 6-20-2010 at 06:57 AM
Maybe it's time to get the San Diego Union involved. This city has gone berserk with mordida to the point that it's a story.
In the meantime, spread the mantra...."Don't go to or through Ciudad Constitución."
Hurt their business and the business of all points south. Your personal complaints will fall on deaf ears regardless who is printing forms to report
rampant mordida. As long as the money travels through that crap hole, the police will demand you share it with them.
The only thing that will stop this atrocity is pressure from the business communities to the south. Let them demand change. They'll get it.
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BAJA.DESERT.RAT
Senior Nomad
Posts: 980
Registered: 11-5-2009
Location: BAJA SUR
Member Is Offline
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Hola, there was a post on the western onion about an art festival in la paz in november. i emailed the person promoting it and told her that our
annual caravan of older travelers in southern baja changed our minds about attending it due to the C.C. situation and were fearful of being harrassed
going and coming back through C.C. so this year, we'll do more of the U.S. as we should also put monies into our own economy.
we feel so sad for the people that aren't involved with this self seving type of conduct that will only hurt the honest and hardworking people.
YES...GO TO OTHER WEBSITES ! give them feedback as to why people are being discouraged from going further than loreto.
don't be laxidaisical as we need to have this harrassment stopped !
BIEN SALUD MRS. RAT
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BajaBlanca
Select Nomad
Posts: 13196
Registered: 10-28-2008
Location: La Bocana, BCS
Member Is Offline
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well, I think we should all tell any gvt official we meet. The governor, presidente municipal and others come to La Bocana every so often, I will
make a point of letting them know. I find that most Mexicans are royally P O'd when they hear these stories ..... they dont like it any more than we
do.
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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 29510
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
Member Is Offline
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Right-On, Mrs. Rat. That's what I'm talkin' about. How about giving us that email address so we can join your effort.
What a great start.
C'mon folks...just a few minutes of your computer time might have a positive effect. It's worth a try.
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bajaguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9247
Registered: 9-16-2003
Location: Carson City, NV/Ensenada - Baja Country Club
Member Is Offline
Mood: must be 5 O'clock somewhere in Baja
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Maybe we can get Baja Cactus to give us some e-mail addresses?????
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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 29510
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | Originally posted by bajaguy
Maybe we can get Baja Cactus to give us some e-mail addresses????? |
That would be good. I wish someone who knows Antonio personally would talk with him.
We can find a lot of them. Make fishing and hotel reservations to be cancelled soon after for reasons of CC.. All of this has to be south of
Constitución of course, unless you live south of there. Then use north side destinations.
Be creative. It won't hurt anybody but the enemy.
[Edited on 6-27-2010 by DENNIS]
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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 29510
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
Member Is Offline
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Here we go. Lots of contact info here:
http://www.gringogazette.com/advertisers_index.php
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Dave
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6005
Registered: 11-5-2002
Member Is Offline
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Oh...I'd hope not
| Quote: | Originally posted by DENNIS
Make fishing and hotel reservations to be cancelled soon after for reasons of CC..
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It's one thing to explain not making a reservation but making one with intent to cancel?
That's unethical.
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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 29510
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Dave
That's unethical. |
Unethical problems require unethical solutions.
Besides...who does it hurt?
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