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"He doesn't have a cell phone ... says they are only for dating... and he doesn't want to spend his money that way... at this time.. "

Geez, and all along, I thought that a cell phone was only good for ordering pizza on your way to pick it up!

as a criminal defense lawyer and general scofflaw, i have no love for excessive revenue generation in this fashion......i hate the police state as much as anyone (more than abt 99.8%)(this is part of why i love Mexico!) .........but i think tickets for texting is a great idea. a texting teen is durn near as dangerous as a drunk with .22 BAC....friend was recently tboned by one on his bike and the docs are optimistic that they'll be able to save his legs, he was sitting at stoplight in full hi-viz protective gear in mid afternoon.

and every time we rag on the cops, let's keep in mind how many of us have jobs where we might get blown away by a tweaker who hasn't slept in 6 days. i was stopped last weekend at about 130 am in way-rural NM and i was thinking afterward what must have been going through cop's mind as he walked up to the window. i thanked him, even after he'd given me 3 tickets..... (last cop i did that to didn't show up for trial even though i saw him in the courtroom at the time....a lesson there?). Whatever we all think of cop overreaching, privileged-class mentality, power games, etc, you gotta admit that being a patrol officer in our uh, que chingado, world takes some big brass ones, and we wouldn't want their job.

I do agree that those in law enforcement have earned and deserved our support. I have family members who wear a badge and I know what they deal with on a daily basis. My beef is how we have allowed city and state governments to turn many of them into little more than revenue agents to help solve budget deficits...

Originally Posted by BajaGringo

I do agree that those in law enforcement have earned and deserved our support. I have family members who wear a badge and I know what they deal with on a daily basis. My beef is how we have allowed city and state governments to turn many of them into little more than revenue agents to help solve budget deficits...

Then you have San Diegos Finest,What is the last count 6 i think under arrest or investigaton for misdeeds.

Originally Posted by J.P.

Then you have San Diegos Finest,What is the last count 6 i think under arrest or investigaton for misdeeds.

There are bad apples in any large group, north or south of the border. I do hope they make examples out of those now under investigation that are found guilty...

Well I have never been stopped on the highway in Mexico. But I have been stopped many times in the city of Mexicali and in Tecate. I first learned to just pay the bribe which is usually 50 pesos for taco money. I did that 2 or 3 times in Mexicali. I have also been stopped when I did nothing wrong. I called BS and would tell the officer "vamos estacion policia vamos." Usually they lower the bribe amount when you do that. I was persistant and finally they just let you go. One time the policia said to follow him to the police station. I did and after about 3 blocks he just sped up and went away. Once in Tecate I did the same thing. I got to the police station and went in with him. The jefe in charge at the station told me the charge for not stopping at the stop sign was $30 US . He spoke excellent English. I told him I did stop and told him I love Mexico and plan on retiring in Ensenada. I told him the only thing I did not like about Mexico was the BS gringo traps and garbage traffic citations. I told him I always stop in Tecate on my way to Ensenada and eat and buy things. I said "If you make me pay this citation when I did nothing wrong I will never stop and buy anything in Tecate again." He said sorry you have to pay the fine. As I left I stated "Never again will I stop in Tecate". He then said OK I will let you go this time. The officer who pulled me over had a very angry look on his face. I think the jefe knew I was telling the truth and he knew I probably did stop in Tecate and buy things.
Usually in the US you do get pulled over lagit. In the states the police do not take taco money bribes. LOL

Just curious ... how many have been stopped in a vehicle that was over 20 years old...

They do "seem" to like the newer vehicles...

worked like a charm, while down .. driving a 1986 Bronco...

would look for those Toyota's with 8 people packed inside ... doing about 35 mph.. and follow them.. no worries .. and it gave me better gas milage, plus the dogs liked it too... they could spend a lot more time barking at one thing....

No hurries no worries..

I've actually only been stopped twice in the 30 or so years visiting and then actually having a casita here in Baja. Both times my wife was with me & got me out of the ticket. I can honestly say both incidents were trumped up. The first incident in Ensenada. It was for not observing an "Alto". Thing was the Alto was actually painted on a building, parallel to the street! Aside from the direction it was pointing, it totally meshed with the signage!
Another time in T.J. for not yeilding for a pedestrian. The ped had darted out in front of me. Ever happen to you?
In both cases I was ready to pay the mordida, but my wife who (unfortunately) has a less then stellar opinion of Mexico would not have it. The arguement ensued. She began to first deny any wrong doing & then shame the cop, because I, as a firefighter had come down to train, contribute uniforms & equiptment to various fire dept.'s down here over the years. Which was true. By the time she was done, there were so many "perdon"s, even I was embarrassed. God bless her.
North of the border, different story. I love our law enforcement here. In fact my son-in-law is a CHiP-ie...but, as all have already alluded to, traffic infactions up her are no joke ($$$).
Coming down to our casita one weekend, My wife's driving down I-5 , around Miramar I think. She gets pulled over. I was shot-gun, asleep. The CHiP-ie knocks hard on my window, he's fuming..."I've been trying to pull you over for two miles, where do you think you're going...to a fire? ( yes, he actually said that, with my fireman's sticker in the window-LOL).
End result...about $400 in fines, traffic school, etc.
I'll take South of the border anytime. LOL.

Originally Posted by Amigo Arizona

Well I have never been stopped on the highway in Mexico. But I have been stopped many times in the city of Mexicali and in Tecate. I first learned to just pay the bribe which is usually 50 pesos for taco money. I did that 2 or 3 times in Mexicali. I have also been stopped when I did nothing wrong. I called BS and would tell the officer "vamos estacion policia vamos." Usually they lower the bribe amount when you do that. I was persistant and finally they just let you go. One time the policia said to follow him to the police station. I did and after about 3 blocks he just sped up and went away. Once in Tecate I did the same thing. I got to the police station and went in with him. The jefe in charge at the station told me the charge for not stopping at the stop sign was $30 US . He spoke excellent English. I told him I did stop and told him I love Mexico and plan on retiring in Ensenada. I told him the only thing I did not like about Mexico was the BS gringo traps and garbage traffic citations. I told him I always stop in Tecate on my way to Ensenada and eat and buy things. I said "If you make me pay this citation when I did nothing wrong I will never stop and buy anything in Tecate again." He said sorry you have to pay the fine. As I left I stated "Never again will I stop in Tecate". He then said OK I will let you go this time. The officer who pulled me over had a very angry look on his face. I think the jefe knew I was telling the truth and he knew I probably did stop in Tecate and buy things.
Usually in the US you do get pulled over lagit. In the states the police do not take taco money bribes. LOL

Yes in Mexicali the 12 times I have been stopped alone in my car and said lets go to the station the police let me go except twice they said follow me and took off at the entrance to the station. They do ask if I can help them out sometimes [mordida] and other times have accused me of going to buy pot or that I smell like beer and argue a bit and then go away mad.

The one time in Ensenada I was coming back from San Quintin late at night with a friend in the car and did go through a 4 way stop sign and on the corner there was a police pickup parked at the taco stand. 2 blocks later a motorcycle cop pulled me over and took my driver´s license and I followed him to the station and paid a $230.00 peso ticket, took about 20 minutes. Alan

Originally Posted by MexicaliAlan

Yes in Mexicali the 12 times I have been stopped alone in my car and said lets go to the station the police let me go except twice they said follow me and took off at the entrance to the station. They do ask if I can help them out sometimes [mordida] and other times have accused me of going to buy pot or that I smell like beer and argue a bit and then go away mad.

The one time in Ensenada I was coming back from San Quintin late at night with a friend in the car and did go through a 4 way stop sign and on the corner there was a police pickup parked at the taco stand. 2 blocks later a motorcycle cop pulled me over and took my driver´s license and I followed him to the station and paid a $230.00 peso ticket, took about 20 minutes. Alan

Excellent post... thank you for your findings... they are exactly what I described to others...

1) If you didn't break a law, don't be intimidated, suggest going to the station (usually freaks the cops out because so many tourists fear this idea).

2) If you did break the law, the fines are much less in Mexico... pay and be on your way.

Originally Posted by David K

Excellent post... thank you for your findings... they are exactly what I described to others...

1) If you didn't break a law, don't be intimidated, suggest going to the station (usually freaks the cops out because so many tourists fear this idea).

2) If you did break the law, the fines are much less in Mexico... pay and be on your way.

Thanks David.

Also I have noticed if I do not drive alone in Mexicali I don´t get stopped unless doing something stupid years ago.

I also noticed since my Maxima is older I don´t get stopped even when coming home from a fiesta at a salon or jardin at 4AM anymore.

It appears it was when my car was newer and I was alone late at night that they used to stop me. I also did not have a front license plate for many years then, but after I got new plates they didn´t bother me as much.

In TJ it is a different story the 2 times they stopped me when I was entering the Tecate libre from Otay. No reason to pull me over other than to just bother me. Alan

Originally Posted by David K

2) If you did break the law, the fines are much less in Mexico... pay and be on your way.

Pay where? On the street, or at the station?

Originally Posted by DENNIS

Pay where? On the street, or at the station?

At the station... police can not touch money... it's the law! ;)

Originally Posted by David K

At the station... police can not touch money... it's the law! ;)

:r ofl: