Please don't give money to the PN...

chrisdr

Member
Oct 7, 2012
223
1
18
Well I had a fun experience today...

Driving down the malecon in SD with the windows down as the gas light had been on for a while so thought I would turn the AC off. Low and behold 2 seconds later the PN came up beside me and tapped on the window and pointed to the side of the road... Usually I tell people not to stop and just keep driving but there where four bikes with 8 PN on and one of them came in front of the car so I had to pull over.
Now I was driving my wife's sisters car I mine is in the garage, so they came to my window (mean face, trying to intimidate me), asked to see my documents...
Now silly me before taking the car out I should have checked that everything was in order, so my bad... the insurance card was missing. I gave them the documents and obviously they noticed the card was missing. I apologized and said I left it at home.
At this point you could see them (all 8 of them) thinking they have hit a big pay day here, and said they are going to take me to the station... Again I was in the wrong, I admit that for not carrying the insurance card but then they started to get heavy, telling me I was going to jail etc.
They wanted me to go with them and two of them got in the back of my car... which got me a little angry to say the least, they didn't say where, so I called my lawyer and he spoke to them. Ok so now he said just let them get in the car they will take you to the police station and my lawyer will meet me there.
I knew what was coming, the two started to be all 'we are your pals' when I was driving and started saying how the pay was so low etc... and informed me that they would be 'happy' to take payment for the fine now to save me the trouble to going the police station... how nice of them.
They had really ****ed me off by now as they were being really aggressive so I told them in no uncertain terms that we are going to the police station... and that they can speak to my lawyer who will be bringing the insurance card with him - they kept saying how much time it would take - no problema! I have all day I told them. That prompted them to say pull over next to an Amet and said you will have to pay her for the ticket - they got out spoke to her and left! The Amet just told me to go...

Its a pretty standard occurrence but I just wanted to get it out there that PLEASE do not pay these guys else they will keep on doing it. He wanted 1300 pesos for the fine! Now I would be happy to pay it in the proper way with the ticket as I was in the wrong but theres no way he was getting his hands on it.

Its probably happened to me about 12 times over the last two years (every time with the window down - hence the blackouts now) and not once have I paid a penny - the only thing that has changed is the amount they ask for... the first was 50pesos two years ago... talk about inflation!

Just wanted to get this off my chest as they really annoyed me the way they went about it - yes I know they don't earn a lot but why does that entitle them to my money? - I work for it!
 

malko

Campesino !! :)
Jan 12, 2013
5,545
1,327
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I used to pay when I was new here, but now its got to a point where zhey pull u over for i existant traffic violations so now I phone lawyer, take pictures and of course never ever stop in isolated places.....by the way my wife always tells something like limpio tu mani before they check car, since sheseems to think they would actually plant drugs or such in ure car to shake u down......
once I actually drove like 2 km through santiago on the end of autopista duarte with 2 motorbikes and 4 police on themwith shotguns screaming at me to pull over. Mywife said no way we are stopping here, follow us to supermarcado nationnal... one of the rare times I ve seen here panic, she told me to put my handgun on my lap and she was feeding shells into the shotgun. It was my second visit to dr and I was scared ****less, I was seriously thinking of running over them with the pick up!!!!! In the end they told my wife she did the right thing, stop in front of big shops, tourist places, etc....... never on the side of road or highway....
 

cjp2010

New member
Mar 25, 2013
397
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0
Good info. I like how you handled it. Having your lawyer's phone number on you at all times is smart. Maybe I'm wrong about this, but I thought only AMET was supposed to conduct the traffic stops anyway. I don't believe there is a "proper" way to pay PN for this whether you were in the wrong or not.
 

chrisdr

Member
Oct 7, 2012
223
1
18
Good info. I like how you handled it. Having your lawyer's phone number on you at all times is smart. Maybe I'm wrong about this, but I thought only AMET was supposed to conduct the traffic stops anyway. I don't believe there is a "proper" way to pay PN for this whether you were in the wrong or not.

It helps that my wife's dad is a lawyer :)
 

Mauricio

Gold
Nov 18, 2002
5,607
7
38
I had a kind of equal experience, driving without matricula and insurance card. I paid 600 pesos while I was not 100% percent sure they could make my day difficult and have my vehicle towed away.

Yesterday evening I had another issue, my car failed on me on the highway, near Bonao, it was about 6pm. A local guy said he would stay with me until a tow truck came while it was not safe there, when it finally got dark two police officers came also, which didn't necessarily make me feel more secure, in the end a friend who happened to be not too far off on the same highway came and helped me solve the problem with the car. I did pay the police officers 500 pesos for staying with me in the dark, even though I suppose that's what they are for.
 

Omar_NYC

New member
Mar 22, 2013
297
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I don't believe there is a "proper" way to pay PN for this whether you were in the wrong or not.

There is. You apologize to PN extensively, ask if there's a way to work it out, let them get in your car and drive around the area for a few blocks, slip them a couple pesos, and go on your merry way.
 

chrisdr

Member
Oct 7, 2012
223
1
18
There is. You apologize to PN extensively, ask if there's a way to work it out, let them get in your car and drive around the area for a few blocks, slip them a couple pesos, and go on your merry way.

My issue with that is its not just a couple of pesos!
 

vida

New member
Mar 18, 2010
122
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I have often read similar threads. Does anyone have any experience with a denuncia to internal affairs of the Nacional Policia or the Ministry of Interior and Policia?
 

bigbird

Gold
May 1, 2005
7,375
163
0
I know. I paid RD$1000 to get out of a jam myself.

Wow, you guys are getting discounts. LOL Over a year ago I get pulled over in SD. PN tells me I made a left turn with right turn signal on. hahahahaha

PN starts out with I can pay him the fine and not have to go to court tomorrow (Saturday) to pay the ticket. $100 USD and I will be on my merry way. I tell him I don't have $100 USD. Well after going back and forth he asks me how much do I have. I told him nothing. Now he remembers I had told him I was on my way to buy baseball tickets so he wants to know how I intended to pay for the tickets. Simple, credit card.

Needless to say he just got ****ed and let me go.
 

NV_

Bronze
Aug 4, 2003
710
6
0
Wow, you guys are getting discounts. LOL Over a year ago I get pulled over in SD. PN tells me I made a left turn with right turn signal on. hahahahaha

PN starts out with I can pay him the fine and not have to go to court tomorrow (Saturday) to pay the ticket. $100 USD and I will be on my merry way. I tell him I don't have $100 USD. Well after going back and forth he asks me how much do I have. I told him nothing. Now he remembers I had told him I was on my way to buy baseball tickets so he wants to know how I intended to pay for the tickets. Simple, credit card.

Needless to say he just got ****ed and let me go.

LOL what a stupid reason to stop you...thankfully he wasnt rewarded for it.

...and if you end up handing over 1000RD its cause you were doing something wrong.... not judging... just saying.... I love the corruption. lol :)
 

Omar_NYC

New member
Mar 22, 2013
297
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Now he remembers I had told him I was on my way to buy baseball tickets so he wants to know how I intended to pay for the tickets. Simple, credit card.

Needless to say he just got ****ed and let me go.
That's funny :D

The fine was originally RD$1300. I figured I'd offer what I paid just to get out of it. But willing bribe payers can certainly become easy targets.
 

NV_

Bronze
Aug 4, 2003
710
6
0
Policia Nacional Infraction "Pay Off/Bribe" Guidelines:

Driving Violation - Any more than 200-300RD is too much.

Papers/Matricula/License Violation - A little more severe and thusly, more expensive.... any where from 500RD to 1500RD depending on how bad your violation or combination thereof.

Drug Violation (less than 1g of anything) - this ones a doozey.... dont do it. dont have it in your car. DONT DO IT. It will cost you anywhere from 2000RD to 30,000RD if you're lucky (there ARE honest police officers in the DR). If you're not, be prepared for a living hell that could last weeks or months.

Anything worse than that and you are royaly screwed and no amount of money will help you...well no amount of money the average person can come up with anyways....

BTW, this post is in jest....
 

NV_

Bronze
Aug 4, 2003
710
6
0
That's funny :D

The fine was originally RD$1300. I figured I'd offer what I paid just to get out of it. But willing bribe payers can certainly become easy targets.

Can I ask, what was your violation? 1300 seems like a lot of money for an actual violation.
 

cjp2010

New member
Mar 25, 2013
397
0
0
Wow, you guys are getting discounts. LOL Over a year ago I get pulled over in SD. PN tells me I made a left turn with right turn signal on. hahahahaha

PN starts out with I can pay him the fine and not have to go to court tomorrow (Saturday) to pay the ticket. $100 USD and I will be on my merry way. I tell him I don't have $100 USD. Well after going back and forth he asks me how much do I have. I told him nothing. Now he remembers I had told him I was on my way to buy baseball tickets so he wants to know how I intended to pay for the tickets. Simple, credit card.

Needless to say he just got ****ed and let me go.

Don't use either turn signal the next time. You'll blend in better.
 

AlterEgo

Administrator
Staff member
Jan 9, 2009
23,097
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South Coast
PN pulled us over on the Malecon recently, I posted about it several days ago. Definitely profiled us and the car we were driving.
 

NV_

Bronze
Aug 4, 2003
710
6
0
Talking on the cell phone while driving

PN could give a rats a$$ that you were talking on the phone....they just saw an angle and an opportunity. PN doesnt give fines/multas.... most they could do would be take you to the station, which they NEVER would because their commanding officer would have their asses.

PN are there to fight crime (sort of) not enforce traffic laws. If you havent committed a crime, and your papers are in order, dont give them a cent. Just say lets go to the station... they will find another victim very quickly.