Police Corruption

In cooperation with: Visit Mexico
Chicago
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14 posts
83 reviews
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Police Corruption
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Well. We just returned from the Yucatan. Our first time in Southern Mexico. And we were pulled over by a Playa Del Carmen police officers.

We were returning from Tulum on our way to Puerto Morales. The officer told us we were going to fast around a curve. Comical, since the highway is straight as an arrow just north of the city and I always stayed under the speed limit. We were in a mini-van with seven people.

The cop told me he was going to take my license and I would have to come back the following day to the police station and pay a $120.00 fine. Initially, I told him that might be a problem since I had to return the van in the morning. But I then relented and said I'd figure out a way to get there. He didn't seem to like that plan and then said, I could follow him to a "police station" right then to pay the "fine." I told him that would be a problem since we had just grocery shopped (true), were heading ion the opposite direction and I had kids in the car who were hungry and others waiting for us to cook dinner for them.

He was a little flustered but I had remained very friendly the whole time and smiled repeatedly along with my meager spanish. He then told me I could pay right on the spot. I told him that was a great idea. He beamed from ear to ear until I told him to hold on while I got my credit card (tarjeta). He quickly told me, they could only take cash. I sadly told him him that we only had a credit card and the cash was back in Puerto Morales. He told me to hold on while he conferred with his "partner in crime". Within a minute he came back, gave me my license and suddenly in pretty good English told me that they had decided to only give me a warning this time.

The moral of the story: don't be scared, be friendly, don't give in and don't keep any cash in your wallet.

Meadow Lands...
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203 reviews
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1. Re: Police Corruption
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Wow! Grace under pressure. Sounds as though you handled everything perfectly. Good for you.

Mexico
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2,121 posts
2. Re: Police Corruption
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Well handled!

Cape Town Central...
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1,203 posts
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3. Re: Police Corruption
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Thanks for the $cam warning..

Edmonton, Canada
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34 reviews
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4. Re: Police Corruption
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Thats where we got it too, playa del carmen. Horrible place to drive, IMO. We paid it because well my husband is a dummy with a pocket which his ID was located it, brimming with pesos, so we paid 500 pesos. It was hilarious, he had wrote a promisary note and I showed it to some friends who live in cancun and they said it made no sense. I think they were quite ashamed of the behaviour. Fact is I could care less, but I think others do and it affects tourism.

Detroit, Michigan
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13 reviews
103 helpful votes
5. Re: Police Corruption
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Well now. Every post I read about this issue always says:

"I always rent a car and I never have a problem." Some people just won't admit that this can be an issue.

For many people, renting a vehicle is a necessity but if it is not, most will be better off using tour companies and cabs.

I have seen so many posts where people just needed a vehicle to get from the airport to the resort. I always advise them to use a transfer but someone always chimes in telling them to rent a car - its no problem. Usually it isn't but it can be. I learned this in Jamaica - when someone says "no problem mon", it means no problem for them, not for you.

Glad you guys got out of it without too many issues. For me, I'd rather not have the hassle. After 10 trips to the area, we usually stay close to the resort. Cabs and airport transfers do the trick just fine. Of course, sometimes you have to rent a car but people should only do it if they have to.

Edited: 11 years ago
San Antonio, Texas
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6. Re: Police Corruption
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LoveSun, You handled that very well.

The only part I struggle with is that you were pulled over in the first place if you were truly doing the speed limit, or under it. It's such easy pickings for the police because so many tourists follow the lead of the locals who are ripping down the highway, plus the fact that the speed limits change so abruptly and often. Did you deny speeding?

You REALLY need to be watching very closely just to know what the speed limit is at any given moment.

The advice about keeping your cash out of your wallet is good. I keep mine while driving in a money belt - that way I cna pull out and show my empty wallet.

Well done.

Edited: 11 years ago
Chicago
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14 posts
83 reviews
74 helpful votes
7. Re: Police Corruption
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Bellasogno-Thanks for compliment.

No need to struggle with whether I was speeding or not. I was not. I drove through there earlier in the morning and was well aware of the frequent speed limit changes. We even discussed these changes while we were driving through, both times. I stayed in the right lane and closely followed the speed limit changes. Also, prior to being pulled over, there was heavy traffic all around us, do to the time of the day and extensive roadwork being undertaken on this stretch of highway. Finally, I stayed at least ten km under the posted speeds.

Regardless, the issue is not whether I was speeding or not. The issue is extortion. The officers being discussed in this thread and others like it, really don't seem to care about whether you were speeding or not. They are only looking for tourists to steal money from. I would have gladly accepted a ticket if the officer felt my driving waranted that I receive one.

Beckville, Texas
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1,256 posts
10 reviews
11 helpful votes
8. Re: Police Corruption
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we quit renting a car after Wilma after doing so for years.

one thing that would help would be the rental companies NOT putting their brand name and/or logo in huge letters on the side or rear of the vehicles. they become targets immediately. a small decal in the window would suffice. .it would be harder to see anyway. nothing at all would be even better.

9. Re: Police Corruption

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Removed on: 8:47 am, May 02, 2010
10. Re: Police Corruption

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Removed on: 8:48 am, May 02, 2010
Edited: 10 years ago
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