Police

william webster

Platinum
Jan 16, 2009
30,247
4,329
113
I have long posted about ignoring police roadblocks/stops and have admitted that there are times when they cannot be avoided...... here's one -

On a recent Saturday morning my friend and I are 'off leash' - two boys loose on the road.

I encounter a stoplight in Rio San Juan - the one at the main corner, regularly ignored by many.
Dutifully, I stop and keep chatting w/ my friend - my Swedish friend who is a body builder, makes little Arnie Schwartzenegger look like Mickey Mouse.

Fifteen or twenty seconds of stop - no traffic, no police - so I proceed forward.... thru the red light.

About 150 yds ahead , from under the shade of a tree, out steps our favorite RSJ cop..... I'm dead:tired:

I remember all the rules - back off on the Espanol, be polite , offer money.

He explains about the light , I mime that it was blinking (flat out lie).
He indicates that he wants to impound the car -- now my bodyguard is doing nothing but finally goes for his pocket.... 200 pesos.

Impound ???!!! No, no ... I stutter out 'aeropuerto - esposa'.... the cop isn't budging.

Then I revert to the old game show trick, make a call - I want to call my lawyer - and get my phone.
This is when I knew I was dead..... he didn't even flinch at the call threat..... why should he?
He's got me.

Remember - I did run the red - broke the law - he's really got me.
And he wants the car - 'til Monday morning.

I called my friend who explained everybody ran that light - that I needed to go the airport - blah, blah, blah.

No Dice!!

Finally she sweet talks him into helping me -
if he pays you the fine, will you please take it the station and pay it for him??

Grudgingly , he agrees.

Like a drug drop, I have to secrete 1,000 pesos into a folded piece of paper and slide it to him slyly.

Meanwhile, I might as well have Bambi beside me -
The Hulk sits like a statue instead of getting out and threatening the guy or just stepping on him and squashing him like a bug.

Anyway, 1000pesos and I'm released.

That is my most serious police experience to date - since January of 2008 - so not that bad.

After all, I was guilty as charged.
 

Lothario666

Bronze
Oct 16, 2012
1,379
0
0
Bambi needs to be taught how to do a video with his cell phone.
It would have been much more thrilling to watch the video.
 

gonzo two

Banned
Jan 13, 2010
227
2
0
93
they use the light in charamicos specifically for catching people going through it - it serves no other purpose
 

mido

Bronze
May 18, 2002
1,522
14
38
He could have given you a ticket, but not take the car away from you. How much is a ticket for running a red light now?
 

Ringo

On Vacation!
Mar 6, 2003
2,823
41
0
I have long posted about ignoring police roadblocks/stops and have admitted that there are times when they cannot be avoided...... here's one -

On a recent Saturday morning my friend and I are 'off leash' - two boys loose on the road.

I encounter a stoplight in Rio San Juan - the one at the main corner, regularly ignored by many.
Dutifully, I stop and keep chatting w/ my friend - my Swedish friend who is a body builder, makes little Arnie Schwartzenegger look like Mickey Mouse.

Fifteen or twenty seconds of stop - no traffic, no police - so I proceed forward.... thru the red light.

About 150 yds ahead , from under the shade of a tree, out steps our favorite RSJ cop..... I'm dead:tired:

I remember all the rules - back off on the Espanol, be polite , offer money.

He explains about the light , I mime that it was blinking (flat out lie).
He indicates that he wants to impound the car -- now my bodyguard is doing nothing but finally goes for his pocket.... 200 pesos.

Impound ???!!! No, no ... I stutter out 'aeropuerto - esposa'.... the cop isn't budging.

Then I revert to the old game show trick, make a call - I want to call my lawyer - and get my phone.
This is when I knew I was dead..... he didn't even flinch at the call threat..... why should he?
He's got me.

Remember - I did run the red - broke the law - he's really got me.
And he wants the car - 'til Monday morning.

I called my friend who explained everybody ran that light - that I needed to go the airport - blah, blah, blah.

No Dice!!

Finally she sweet talks him into helping me -
if he pays you the fine, will you please take it the station and pay it for him??

Grudgingly , he agrees.

Like a drug drop, I have to secrete 1,000 pesos into a folded piece of paper and slide it to him slyly.

Meanwhile, I might as well have Bambi beside me -
The Hulk sits like a statue instead of getting out and threatening the guy or just stepping on him and squashing him like a bug.

Anyway, 1000pesos and I'm released.

That is my most serious police experience to date - since January of 2008 - so not that bad.

After all, I was guilty as charged.

So YOU are the one driving up the donations to the Police Pension Funds. :(

I ran one on the main street in Moca last year while trying to avoid an accident. Cop indicated for me to pull over and we indicated that we would go right at the next corner to get out of traffic. No problem.

We had Amado with us so we gave him the paper with copies of everything (never the originals) and let him go handle it. 300 pesos and we were off.

Perhaps a large person that needs a lot of food was thinking that being in a crowded jail cell with little food was not a good idea. Dog eat Dog. :speechles

Impounded for the weekend? What do you think that really means? lol
 

william webster

Platinum
Jan 16, 2009
30,247
4,329
113
He could have given you a ticket, but not take the car away from you. How much is a ticket for running a red light now?

That day - it was 1,000 pesos

My friend on the phone said the guy was VERY serious about taking the car for the weekend.

I thanked him profusely - my poor Spanish reappeared briefly while I apologized and thanked him
 

VJS

Bronze
Sep 19, 2010
846
0
36
I think mentioning the airport is a bad idea - gives the cop more power as now he thinks you are in a rush and he's got all the time in the world. Impound the car for running a red light? - would that be the first ever in DR? - I wasn't there but I think he was bluffing. I was stopped for running a red in Santiago not too long ago and just sat in the car chatting with the cop about nothing until he got bored and let me go.
 

william webster

Platinum
Jan 16, 2009
30,247
4,329
113
VJS, this guy wouldn't flinch -- money = no ...... threaten to call a lawyer = no reaction

He had me ... and wanted his pound of flesh..... I consider myself lucky to get away with the basic 1,000 p fine

Its the only time I've ever been nervous around those guys....but I wrong - ran a red.
What's to do ??

Bend over !!
 

SantiagueroRD

Bronze
Apr 20, 2011
766
1
38
Two NY lawyers were driving drunk in PP around 1985 and slowed down but no stop for a sign. PN with good English tried to give them a warning but they got all stupid lecturing him that a slow down without traffic is the same as a stop. The Sergeant then got angry with their abusive superior attitude and jerked the driver out and started tuning him up while saying "You want me to slow down or stop".
 

VJS

Bronze
Sep 19, 2010
846
0
36
VJS, this guy wouldn't flinch -- money = no ...... threaten to call a lawyer = no reaction

He had me ... and wanted his pound of flesh..... I consider myself lucky to get away with the basic 1,000 p fine

Its the only time I've ever been nervous around those guys....but I wrong - ran a red.
What's to do ??

Bend over !!

Well, I guess he really needed the money that day! - I would probably be curious enough to find out just how far he was willing to take it but if he really wanted to take me to the station, I'd have to fold too before reaching it as the price would go up at that point.

Funny story - a mother of a friend (old Dominican lady) was recently stopped for running a red light in Santiago. The funny part is that the light wasn't even working at all on that day (as they are still trying to solve the great technological challenge of how to run traffic lights 24/7). She still got a ticket though!
 

bienamor

Kansas redneck an proud of it
Apr 23, 2004
5,050
458
83
Funny story - a mother of a friend (old Dominican lady) was recently stopped for running a red light in Santiago. The funny part is that the light wasn't even working at all on that day (as they are still trying to solve the great technological challenge of how to run traffic lights 24/7). She still got a ticket though!

Got one better, in 1998 after the Hurricane. Was on 27th an San Matin in SD. Cop stopped me for running the red light, No light, no Pole, nada, but he informed me that if it was there then it would have been red because the one up the street was green. I offered him a ride to the palacio as I wanted to here him tell the captain the story, he elected to not take the ride.
 

RayO

Member
Mar 25, 2012
103
15
18
We've been lucky so far with the big fella in RSJ. Our white faces get the wave through at those traffic stops in town. Guess he figures we're too new to try to shake down yet. "No comprende"
 

Mauricio

Gold
Nov 18, 2002
5,607
7
38
He wouldn't have impounded the car for running a red light. You were bluffing and so was he and he won. It cost me 800 pesos for using my phone and not having any papers with me. There they could have impounded the car. Not for using the phone, but for not having the papers. I offered 200 as well, they didn't accept, I drove with them to an ATM and took out 800 pesos.
 

mountainannie

Platinum
Dec 11, 2003
16,350
1,358
113
elizabetheames.blogspot.com
I was speeding on the new Samana highway which is an easy thing to do., A great temptation. And coming around a curve I see a traffic stop, complete with the police car with a cop with a radar gun who flags me. A radar gun! wow. When I can't even find a can opener that works. He shows me the gun with some impressively high digits on it. I have no way to know if it is working.

So I know that I must have been doing. ..... Right... 70... when.. well. shulda been something like 55? or who can figure out kilometers anyway? but it was too fast and I knew it.

By this time he has his elbow on my window. But I have my Shihtzu in the passenger seat. Hot that she would have been any better than Bambi, but there was always the chance that he was afraid of dogs.

And he starts to write out the ticket. All fair and square. And I ask how much? 500 pesos.

And I will have to go to the courthouse in Samana to pay it.

Damn, There goes my weekend!!

But, he says, if I want to pay it now, to him, that will avoid the trip.

So considerate, these cops.
 

william webster

Platinum
Jan 16, 2009
30,247
4,329
113
No Castle -- I could care less if he paid:ermm:.... just give me my car.

Mauricio - I tried to bluff but didn't have much of a chance........ I was GUILTY of running that light:nervous:

Pay up and live to tell the tale.

He who fights and runs away, shall live to fight another day..... (The Great Race, if I recall)
 

DOMINCAN JOE

Bronze
Aug 15, 2006
1,992
38
0
So WW, did you check to make sure he paid the fine at the station. :nervous:
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