Is it me or have the police been more active in shaking down people for bribes.
My last 2 times down here I have gotten pulled over twice for no seatbelt. The first time we "negotiated" a 500 peso multa on the spot.
The second time there were 2 guys on scooters demanding 1200 pesos. I had 2 friends and 3 kids in the car. I told them 500 pesos was doable, but 1200 no way. I even joked about it being christmas time, hence the increase.
They took my license and demanded that I follow them to some place to pay the 1200 and watch a 2 hour video tape. . . .he he he he.
While following them we passed the location fo where the embassy used to be. I stopped and chatted with some guards and asked where the new embassy was. We then switched drivers and drove towards the new embassy.
The cops would not come near us when we were stopped outside the old place. Once we started driving, they pulled us over again. We said we were going to the embassy. They were mad and asked why.
I told them my novia called and said it was not normal to have to follow motos to a police station, and usually they just write a ticket to pay later. I said I was in a foreign land and was nervous. I said I wanted to ask my embassy if this was normal procedure. . . . .he he he he.
They were PISSED and said OK just give us 500 pesos. DUMMIES. Now I know they are on the ropes and I say no. I say follow us to the embassy and if they say I need to pay 500 pesos I will gladly do so. If they say I need to pay 2000 pesos I will gladly do so. I say if they tell me thet I should not be paying "fines" to cops on scooters, I won't.
They tried to scare me by saying they have my license etc. I said, no problem. Keep it. It actually expired a few days prior!!! My buddy took out his digital camera to take a few photos and they dropped the license in my lap and said have a nice day!
Dummies could have had 500 pesos, but decided to follow us around for 45 minutes to get nothing.
Moral of the story. Act nervous, tell them you are driving to your embassy, and always carry a digital camera. he he he he
My last 2 times down here I have gotten pulled over twice for no seatbelt. The first time we "negotiated" a 500 peso multa on the spot.
The second time there were 2 guys on scooters demanding 1200 pesos. I had 2 friends and 3 kids in the car. I told them 500 pesos was doable, but 1200 no way. I even joked about it being christmas time, hence the increase.
They took my license and demanded that I follow them to some place to pay the 1200 and watch a 2 hour video tape. . . .he he he he.
While following them we passed the location fo where the embassy used to be. I stopped and chatted with some guards and asked where the new embassy was. We then switched drivers and drove towards the new embassy.
The cops would not come near us when we were stopped outside the old place. Once we started driving, they pulled us over again. We said we were going to the embassy. They were mad and asked why.
I told them my novia called and said it was not normal to have to follow motos to a police station, and usually they just write a ticket to pay later. I said I was in a foreign land and was nervous. I said I wanted to ask my embassy if this was normal procedure. . . . .he he he he.
They were PISSED and said OK just give us 500 pesos. DUMMIES. Now I know they are on the ropes and I say no. I say follow us to the embassy and if they say I need to pay 500 pesos I will gladly do so. If they say I need to pay 2000 pesos I will gladly do so. I say if they tell me thet I should not be paying "fines" to cops on scooters, I won't.
They tried to scare me by saying they have my license etc. I said, no problem. Keep it. It actually expired a few days prior!!! My buddy took out his digital camera to take a few photos and they dropped the license in my lap and said have a nice day!
Dummies could have had 500 pesos, but decided to follow us around for 45 minutes to get nothing.
Moral of the story. Act nervous, tell them you are driving to your embassy, and always carry a digital camera. he he he he