Crime, Safety, and the Police

[Phordphan]

I was joking I say better pay the Tijuana cop $20 or $30 than act like a hero and make things worse. Keep on playing tough guy in Tijuana and soon you be added to the missing abroad list. Don't expect the US government to get your ass out of jail it doesn't work. You will be waiting in a cell until you pay what they want. Tijuana is NOT the US you have NO rights I would avoid gettin in trouble with Tijuana finest. Pay the cop don't try to play law and order you were warned.

Terrible advice. You are under NO obligation to pay a bribe to the cops. And certainly not $20 or $30 or more. Being polite, standing your ground, knowing how the game is played, is not "playing the tough guy. " Magic Rancher did all the right things. He didn't cave, he called the cops' bluff. You most certainly do have rights in Tijuana, they're just not the same as in the USA.

The cops make up shit in order to frighten gringos. Prostitution is illegal, Viagra is illegal, didn't you see that No Left Turn sign (happened to me a few weeks ago, posted it on the "other" board). They're banking on your ignorance, plus the fact that many gringos have more money than time and they don't want to dick around in a police station. MR did the right thing. Had he appeared before the judge, and explained that he had not had a drink since the night before, was not drunk, and that the office had suggested that he "pay the fine on the spot," well, things would have looked very bad for Officer Fife.

Many situations are different, so what's been your experience with getting stopped by the cops?

[Member #4450]

No. Magic Rancher types all his posts with his cold, stiff fingers in a Tijuana morgue.

I was joking I say better pay the Tijuana cop $20 or $30 than act like a hero and make things worse. Keep on playing tough guy in Tijuana and soon you be added to the missing abroad list. Don't expect the US government to get your ass out of jail it doesn't work. You will be waiting in a cell until you pay what they want. Tijuana is NOT the US you have NO rights I would avoid gettin in trouble with Tijuana finest. Pay the cop don't try to play law and order you were warned.

[SaltShaker]

I believe the change took place around 1998. Radar / Lidar is the norm per the link below.

http://articles.latimes.com/1999/jun/17/news/hw-47209

Feel free to brake even when you see a cop. It's an urban myth that braking is reasonable suspicion to do a traffic stop.

[Captain Solo]

No. I would pretend I never knew he was racing behind me to catch up.

I would slow down innocently to legal speed without braking to make him feel guilty, that he was so stupid and evil to have targeted an innocent driver. Hehe.

If he was driving around legal speed and you passed him at much higher speed, then braking or no braking, you are fucked. He has proof that you definitely exceeded legal limit.

Feel free to brake even when you see a cop. It's an urban myth that braking is reasonable suspicion to do a traffic stop.

[Magic Rancher]

Are you still alive today did you make it back to the US please let us know?

Thanks for the concern. After the stop I made it back safely to the USA. I suppose I should mention it was not my first encounter with Tijuana police. I have paid a few mordidas in the past. The most recent was when I pulled a _U_ turn across the center line to access the Sentri lane on Calle Padre Keno. That time the cop brought out some printed up chart showing fines for various traffic infractions. Then I brought up the option of paying the cop instead of seeing the judge. He seemed hesitant but accepted the 1 mil pesos and I was on my way. Dealing with urban cops is part of the price of access to la Coahuila.

Anyway, that aside, I'll be in Tropical Bar tonight, Oct. 31, in a white polar bear costume. Toss me a fresh salmon and we can share stories of love and loss in zona norte.

[Jackie888]

My ticket was written with the patrol car unit as the measurement instrument, not the laser unit. So don't rely on radar / lidar detectors to drive fast on the freeways. Of course my attorney will put them through hell requiring all maintenance and calibration records of their clunky Phord Explorer.

In the past CHP would speed up aggressively from far behind, trying to catch up with my car. I would notice their aggressive maneuvering in the rear view mirror and slow down by letting off the accelerator without braking. By the time CHP caught up, I would be legal with the flow of traffic Got off scot free a few times. Hehehe. This scenario makes me believe CHP must be using spotters on the roads, who radio patrol units to catch up or intercept for enforcement.

Feel free to brake even when you see a cop. It's an urban myth that braking is reasonable suspicion to do a traffic stop.

[Captain Solo]

No. Magic Rancher types all his posts with his cold, stiff fingers in a Tijuana morgue.

Are you still alive today did you make it back to the US please let us know?

[Captain Solo]

My ticket was written with the patrol car unit as the measurement instrument, not the laser unit. So don't rely on radar / lidar detectors to drive fast on the freeways. Of course my attorney will put them through hell requiring all maintenance and calibration records of their clunky Phord Explorer.

In the past CHP would speed up aggressively from far behind, trying to catch up with my car. I would notice their aggressive maneuvering in the rear view mirror and slow down by letting off the accelerator without braking. By the time CHP caught up, I would be legal with the flow of traffic Got off scot free a few times. Hehehe. This scenario makes me believe CHP must be using spotters on the roads, who radio patrol units to catch up or intercept for enforcement.

However I have not seen CHP use any equipment on freeways. I am pretty sure they follow the suspects and determine the speeds with their own odometers, which in Ford Explorers, may be crap, accuracy and reliability may be disputed in court.

[Member #4450]

I partied a bit in Bar Tropical last night. Not that much to drink and was back in my room at Rizo de Oro by midnight. About 9 am this morning I exited Pepe's parking lot and noticed a Tijuana police car behind me. I drove carefully but the red lights came on. Tijuana's finest said that he could smell alcohol on my breath. I knew that was false since I slept all night after only a few drinks. He graciously gave me the option of paying him now or going to talk to the judge. Since I was not in the slightest impaired, I said: "Let's go see the judge. " The cop held on to my license and registration. I drove as directed a few blocks toward the police station. Then he called me over and explained that this time he was only giving me a warning and returned my license and registration. I paid nothing and the whole incident took about 10 or 15 minutes.

Are you still alive today did you make it back to the US please let us know?

[ScatManDoo]

I partied a bit in Bar Tropical last night. Not that much to drink and was back in my room at Rizo de Oro by midnight. About 9 am this morning I exited Pepe's parking lot and noticed a Tijuana police car behind me. I drove carefully but the red lights came on. Tijuana's finest said that he could smell alcohol on my breath. I knew that was false since I slept all night after only a few drinks. He graciously gave me the option of paying him now or going to talk to the judge. Since I was not in the slightest impaired, I said: "Let's go see the judge. " The cop held on to my license and registration. I drove as directed a few blocks toward the police station. Then he called me over to see the judge and explained that this time he was only giving me a warning and returned my license and registration. I paid nothing and the whole incident took about 10 or 15 minutes.

Excellent Magic Rancher.

The last thing that policia wanted to hear was your willingness to go through the process rather than hand him money due to his false charge.

[Captain Solo]

Yay! Good job!

I knew that was false since I slept all night after only a few drinks. He graciously gave me the option of paying him now or going to talk to the judge. Since I was not in the slightest impaired, I said: "Let's go see the judge. " The cop held on to my license and registration. I drove as directed a few blocks toward the police station. Then he called me over and explained that this time he was only giving me a warning and returned my license and registration. I paid nothing and the whole incident took about 10 or 15 minutes.

[LukeSkywalker]

You won!

We should all resist Tijuana policia bull shit.

You should have taken down his name, car number and email Sindicutura with details.

I partied a bit in Bar Tropical last night. Not that much to drink and was back in my room at Rizo de Oro by midnight. About 9 am this morning I exited Pepe's parking lot and noticed a Tijuana police car behind me. I drove carefully but the red lights came on. Tijuana's finest said that he could smell alcohol on my breath. I knew that was false since I slept all night after only a few drinks. He graciously gave me the option of paying him now or going to talk to the judge. Since I was not in the slightest impaired, I said: "Let's go see the judge. " The cop held on to my license and registration. I drove as directed a few blocks toward the police station. Then he called me over and explained that this time he was only giving me a warning and returned my license and registration. I paid nothing and the whole incident took about 10 or 15 minutes.

[Magic Rancher]

I partied a bit in Bar Tropical last night. Not that much to drink and was back in my room at Rizo de Oro by midnight. About 9 am this morning I exited Pepe's parking lot and noticed a Tijuana police car behind me. I drove carefully but the red lights came on. Tijuana's finest said that he could smell alcohol on my breath. I knew that was false since I slept all night after only a few drinks. He graciously gave me the option of paying him now or going to talk to the judge. Since I was not in the slightest impaired, I said: "Let's go see the judge. " The cop held on to my license and registration. I drove as directed a few blocks toward the police station. Then he called me over and explained that this time he was only giving me a warning and returned my license and registration. I paid nothing and the whole incident took about 10 or 15 minutes.

[Captain Solo]

Of course there are quite a few crazy drivers on the freeway. Some would drive way over 100 MPH.

Late night a few weeks ago a BMW and an AUDI passed me so fast on the right lane. They were weaving in traffic, probably 120 MPH. Some motorcycles would pass me at about 100 MPH. A little Prius see was doing about 110 MPH.

Weaving at high speed can get the cars' suspension in oscillation which may roll the car over, or spinning off the road. I have seen it happen right in front of me at 60 MPH.

Hyundai had to stop making the Tiburon due to that oscillation and roll over problem. The sports coups Nissan 350 Z and infinity Z35 both can spin easily, even at low speed. I had a few before. I saw 1 spin at 50 MPH in light rain on straight freeway. WTF? They cannot keep the car going straight.

Both Porsche 911's and MBZ S500/ S600's have stiff but oscillating and unpredictable damping of the front suspension. Minor bumps on I5 could send them flying off the road. Paul Walker most likely hit a bump on the street in the Porsche Carrera GT, sending the front end out of the street. Japanese high-performance cars like the Acura NSX, or even the Lexus LS460, damp out these bumps more controllable.

I really hate this driving. Driving is boring and dangerous. I'd rather spend the time in bed, holding onto a soft, sweet, fragrant, sexy female body. Hehe.

What part of the I-5 are you talking about? What you say is true, if you're in San Diego or some other significant town.

But until I moved to San Diego, I used to commute to Tijuana twice a month, from LOS Angeles, and there are plenty of stretches where people do 90 in the fast lane, without a lot of weaving.

[Jackie888]

Hey tell me more about Hotel above Tropical? How are the rooms do they have confy rooms Air and how much $.

I remembered that it was slightly cheaper than Cascadas, as in about $4 cheaper. The rooms were not as pretty but quiet until the early morning hours when the girls finished their shift. I got it because Cascadas ran out of rooms. The Air Con worked well. I would prefer a HK room on the upper floors. But the ones belonging to Tropicals was sufficient.