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[QUOTE=Pablo for Fun]You know I have been to TJ many time since the warnings advising not to get dropped off at Sentri, but my experience has been different. There have been no pigs there when I get dropped off.
.[/QUOTE]
I've almost always see these TJ pigs at the sentri drop-off many times shaking down other people. they always leave me alone cuz i look "clean-cut" and a "nice" guy. But, i'ma afraid it's just a matter of time their is a brawl.
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No Consensus
Well, it looks as if there's certainly no consensus on where to get dropped off by the taxi. That being the case, here's another question:
Is it more hassle/less convenient for the cabbie to drop you off at the taxi stand? Will he be reluctant to do this?
Thanks,
Max
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Pigs
[QUOTE=Blue Nose]...First he asked me if I had drugs, then he got specific and started asking about marijuana, coke, ecstacy and meth...
They asked for ID, which I produced - my CA driver's license. Then one cop took my wallet while the other patted me down. They took everything from my pockets - keys, wallet, condoms, even a pack of gum.[/QUOTE]
This sounds like the typical routine for these *pigs.* I was stopped on two separate but consecutive trips (I know, how lucky am I) by pigs and the script was almost similar.
[QUOTE]After a thorough pat down, the guy started going through my wallet, asking me if I had drugs. [/QUOTE]One of my big concerns is, if they take your money in the process of searching your pockets or wallet. Typically, your face is against the wall and they are behind you "searching." They could easily take a few $20's out and then hand you the wallet, only to realize later that you were ripped off.
Post-search elation would be so great that you probably would not mind this inconvience considering the alternatives, in addition, they could have slipped some drugs in your pocket and taken you to jail.
I used to wonder around in TJ in hopes of finding new places, but these scenarios are too probable and costly, so I will have to alter future trip agendas - perhaps an "in-&-out" strategy is the safest.
Last thing - there are so many cameras out in the alley (HK and MB) and by AB (x3) and probably CC, so dress accordingly and be becareful.
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Anyone know the proper spanish translation for the taxi driver to drop you off at the taxi stand? I have tried to communicate this to Taxi Libre drivers & they did not understand.
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Apache,
I have been telling the taxi libre driver to drop me off by the yellow taxi stand by telling them "McDonald next to the Linea" or "McDonald next to the yellow taxi" using English. I have no problem so far and I believe that it is actually easier for them to do so. I hope this helps.
CCube
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According to Babelfish, "Please take me to the taxi stand at the border" translates as "Lléveme por favor a la parada de taxis en la frontera." No doubt somebody could provide something less formal (I notice that "la linea" seems to be used more than "la frontera"), but this would probably work.
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Mordida
I always drive across. I never mess up while driving. Today was different. Passed a cop car shaking down a gringo. Checked out the female officer and smiled, she smiled back. Down a block at the detour, I didn't do a double stop at the sign. I looked back and the cop and the female were behind me flashing their lights. Pulls me over. Asks have I ever been stopped - Drugs? Guns? Knives? Weapons? No NO No NO - did you say knives? Oh-huh. Pocket knife in center console. It's was a gift from work and I never removed it. Female is going thru my car and brings out the knife. The guy cop basically says I will have to go to the station for violating 245, weapons law in Mexico. The knife would be ok if it were in the trunk, but not in the car. He said if I have no previous violations in TJ I will pay the fine and go, about $26. Otherwise if this is a 2nd offense, it's 20 days in jail and $50 per day fine. I said ok, I'll follow you, he's like no we'll tow the car. I said I've never been arrested in TJ, Could I just pay the fine here (insert smile). He said sure $50. Now I let put the $50 in the trunk. He picked it up and then showed me that the knife can go into a bag in the trunk and it's legal. If you buy a knife in Mexico, keep the receipt and the knife in the trunk.
BTW: had a vial of Levitra in the center console. Prescipt with name, he said no problem and the female officer was smiling and giving me that shame on you look. I'd would have done her just because I like the umiform thing. I think I'll find her again for some sexo.
SDC
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I would like to go to TJ for some pay for play in the next few weeks and would like to know the best way to avoid trouble with the cops. I dont use drugs and wont carry any knives or anything like that. It sounds like taking taxis instead of driving my car will help, do cops just look for any reason to shake gringos up. I'm about the whitest looking guy on the planet so no chance of blending in. Anyways, if someone could give me some do's and dont's I would appreciate it.
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Cannon
Pretty basic advice is the following:
1) Don't drink to excess. They like to take advantage of drunks, especially if they are obnoxious.
2) Carry no weapons of any kind. I don't even take nail clippers. Don't want to give them any excuse.
3) No drugs, not even prescription. If you use Viagra or anything like that, take it before crossing the border and throw away the wrapper. If you have to buy it in TJ, take it as soon as you walk out of the pharmacy and throw away the wrapper.
4) If locals try to talk to you on the street (other than the chicas) shake your head and keep walking. If cops see you talking to street people they will think you are buying drugs. Be civil to the people who try and hit you up for money or to take you to whatever bar they are hawkers for but remain firm that you are not going to stand there and chat.
5) Don't walk more than a block on either side of Adelita's at night if you go to the Zona. At night, take a cab to and from the border
6) Always try to avoid fights although in the two and half years I've been going to the Zona I have never been bothered by anyone.
7) If you are stopped by the cops, be cooperative. Be civil but not subservient. You did not do anything wrong and they know it. Don't act scared because they will think they can rattle you by saying they have to take you to the judge. If they do, say " Okay, let's go". They're bluffing. 99 times out of 100 they will give you a walk
At most, the cops are a nuisance. They are not annoying enough to keep me from having fun and you should feel the same way.
Enjoy
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Cannon, El Juez has pretty much given you the important points. I would only add, by way of emphasis, that IMO muggings can be as big a problem as shakedowns by police. Typically, the rateros target gringos who are alone, as opposed to groups, and as many attacks seem to occur in broad daylight as late at night. So don't assume that just because it's noon you can let your guard down when you're walking in TJ.
I don't mean to suggest that you should be paranoid. I'd give you the same advice if you were visiting New York City or Beijing or Rio. TJ has very generous kind people but it also has its fair share of hooligans and thieves and scam artists. Just be aware and use common sense and courtesy and you'll be fine 99% of the time. There's nothing any of us can do to eliminate that other 1% risk except to stay at home. I know it's hard to be alert to your surroundings when so many beautiful chicas are trying to distract you, especially if you've been drinking excessively. That's why El Juez's list (and any good list of TJ do's and don'ts) starts with that recommendation. If you plan is to get totally smashed, stay at CC or Adelita's and when you're finished, have your waiter pour you into one of the many taxis that wait outside of those establishments and go straight back to the border. That will at least minimize your risk. Under no circumstances should you go strolling around the ZN when your plastered.
Regarding the cops, it's very important not to have anything that remotely looks like contraband on you at any time. If you speak a little Spanish, it probably helps to at least try to use it. Also, I try to avoid eye contact with police when I walk by them. In the U.S., that would be considered suspicious behavior and indicate you have something to hide. In Mexico (and other places in Latin America), staring at another guy can be interpreted as a kind of macho challenge. It seems to invite some kind of response, something we'd all prefer not to have from the TJ cops. So I always avoid eye contact when I walk by them and have never had a problem.
Bottom line is TJ is a big urban area with big urban problems and a police force that has a history of corruption. You can have a wonderful time in TJ (I've been going for 16 years and never had a serious problem). Just act like you're a guest (which you are) in their country and be respectful and courteous (this includes the chicas) and you'll leave TJ with a big, big smile on your face.
Matiz
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Cannon, the big problem with la policia is if you are carrying anything on you. If you don't have either weapons or drugs then even if they stop and search you, you should be fine, especially if you stay in the more well-travelled areas within la zona: the alley & Av. Constitucion. Besides the no weapons and drugs rule, a few rules to remember are: don't get too loaded, don't be obnoxious and don't pick any fights. Cops are mainly looking for troublemakers and easy marks (no shortage of these in TJ). If you follwo the advice given in the past few posts and keep your head down then you will be fine.
Remember not to venture off the beaten path too far (or at all), especially at night. Once you get into la zona, stay there until it is time to leave. Then take a taxi libre
You take a big risk by bringing that stuff with you into Mexico. The police in TJ are rats and they do not need probable cause to search you. They exercise their right to "gringo search" quite frequently. Rarely does a visit to the zone go by for me where I don't see somebody either being searched or led away in handcuffs. Best way to avoid this is to park at the border, smoke a joint in the parking lot, pop a few pills and then walk over. Leave your stuff in the car - if you need to use it, you can always return to the land of the Fourth Amendment and get it.
Blue Nose
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Stopped in TJ
I was taking a friend from Hong Kong to TJ for the his first time. As I was showing him the way I made a mistake and missed the last exit. The line back across the border was way long so I decided to park in TJ instead of turning around and parking at the border.
I used to do this all the time a few years ago. Very safe parking lot that you pay to park at close to the action.
Well I proceeded to get very drunk. We ended up in Madonna's, after some other activity in AB.
Upon leaving I was to drunk to drive, but my friend didn't drink hardly anything and said he would drive us back.
Well my friends eye sight is not so good and he ran through about three stop signs. The stop signs are only about three feet tall and easily missed.
Of course we were spotted and pulled over. They talked to my friend, kept his drivers licence and told him to follow them to the police station.
Well the police station was only about three blocks away and resembled a alley behind a building. There in this open air police station we were told $400.00 to go home. $200.00 a piece. Being that we did break the law it seemed reasonable to me and I was happy to be in my way.
Always park at the border and taxi to the zone if going to TJ is my advise.
FF
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Thanks for the advice guys, I will follow it to a tee. I do have a problem that I dont have anyone to go with, so I cant avoid walking by myself.
I do have another question, are there any safe hotels around Adelita's or Zona that would be safe to get to? I was thinking about maybe staying for a couple of days.
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Cannon,
I always have gone alone to the Zona and, knock on wood, have never had any trouble by following the advice I have heard on this board. Don't let flying solo spoil your fun.
Another thing I would like to add is that I always have a plan of action about where I am going to go as soon as I hit the Zona. I have at least two places I intend to start at. Whenever, I leave a bar, I make up my mind which place I am going to next and the route I will take before I even walk out the door. This avoids the walking around aimlessly with a goony bird stare that attracts predators. Give the impression that you have been there before. You should probably stick to Adelita and Chicago Club until you get your bearings. Some guys have stuck with just those places for years after first visiting TJ
In regard to hotels, I have never had the urge to stay overnight but two places I've heard are okay are Cascades, which is down the street from Adelita's and Hotel Leyva which is next to the Chicago Club. They run from around $25 to $35 a night. Cascades charges you for each girl you bring up after the first in a 24 hours period.
That would never be an issue for me but it's a pain in the ass for the younger studs.
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Article from SD Tribune
See below for an article from today's SD Tribune regarding cops in TJ. I personally doubt it will make much difference as it seems more like window dressing to me. However, there are some telephone numbers that you can call (listed at bottom of article) to complain if you have been unfairly hassled.
Blue Nose
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By Sandra Dibble
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
May 17, 2005
A dozen Tijuana police officers accused of extorting tourists have been removed from their force's tourism division, the city's secretary of public safety said yesterday during a visit to San Diego.
"They have been isolated in a certain location so that they can't harass people," Ernesto Santillana said at an event promoting a tourism trade show set for Saturday in Tijuana.
The police force is striving to make visitors to the city feel safe and welcome, Santillana said. The steps include assigning more bilingual officers, the addition of video security cameras, and the removal of dishonest police, he said.
Santillana and Alfonso Bustamante, the city's director of international relations, were at a restaurant in Old Town to promote Saturday's Tianguis Turistico Tijuana 2005. The event is to promote the state of Baja California to the Southern California travel industry.
City officials expect that nearly 300 will attend the events at the Grand Hotel, a local brewery and the Cultural Center.
"The purpose is to let everybody know the good things that Tijuana and the rest of the state have to offer," Bustamante said. "We have had some bad occurrences happening here, and we'd like to show the other face that we have."
A cornerstone of Mayor Jorge Hank Rhon's crime-fighting has been the installation of 300 high-definition video security cameras. So far, 15 are in the Avenida Revolución area, Santillana said, and the city expects to install 35 more this month. In two months, Tijuana plans to open a monitoring center for the videos.
Santillana invited tourists with complaints about Tijuana police to call the following numbers: From Mexico, 01-800-TIJUANA; from the United States: 1-800-TIJUANA. Bilingual staffers at the City Attorney's Office are available weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.