Crime, Safety, and the Police

[Jackie888]

One can always park closer to the border in one of the paying garages, and walk two blocks to the Zona and back.

[Captain Solo]

I left hotel Cascada at 9:11 in the morning, taking a new route via F Martinez then calle 2, to get to the border.

Traffic on Calle 2 to the few Ready Lanes backed up to Via Rapida, probably 2 to 3 hours wait.

Traffic on 9 Sentri lanes backed up to big ad TV and cross over foot bridge. My total time from hotel to CBP was 27 minutes.

The pedestrian line backed up to the park near the foot bridge. CBP was letting groups of 10 to go through the turn stile gate, probably 1 hour wait.

[MikeyOC]

At the end of the day, it all comes down to what kind of car you drive. Policia is not going to pull over 2001 Corolla because they know they would be wasting time.

The whole LZ is swarming with policia on weekend nights and if you were able to drive out of there unscathed, I think it is your luck more than anything else regardless of which routes you took.

I am seriously thinking about buying a clunker exclusively reserved for driving to Tijuana. My 2011 BMW with tinted windows definitely seems to have a bulls eye on it.

[Captain Solo]

Constitucion is usually blocked off at night by moto cop at bar Malquerida, cannot get to Calle 1.

I tried a new route today. It looks good:

Ninos South to Calle 1 (avoid the swap meet on F Martinez daytime weekends, but street is open at night).

Turn right on Calle 1 go West 1 block.

Turn left on F Martinez go South 1 block.

Turn left on Calle 2 go East towards I 5 at the border.

This route has a lot of stores and local traffic. If you get stopped by policias, they are less likely to rob you.

Captain: The next north-south street west of Nino Heroes is named "Martinez". However auto traffic is limited on weekends on Martinez because of a large outdoor swap-meet on that street.

I was thinking of using good-old Constitution Avenue on my next driving exit from La Zona. In the past that couldn't be done, but now that Constitution handles traffic in both directions, it may be my next path to 2nd street out of LZ.

It would be nice to waive 'adios' to the paraditas as QW & I head north after the weekend.

[Jackie888]

How about first going West towards la playas before finding an exit route?

[Captain Solo]

From Coahuila go South on Nino 1 block.

Turn right at Calle 1.

Turn left on F Martinez.

Turn left on calle 2 to the border.

This area has local shops and enough traffic that you can blend in and are less likely targeted. Even if they stop me, I can mange not to let them steal my money.

Well, in order to get to Constitution, you still need to drive on Calle Coahuila? The Tijuana's finest got all the routes covered. As far as I can see there is really no easy route out of LZ, especially at night on weekends.

Do not drive on weekends at night in LZ unless your car is a clunker. I used to drive on the street Baja California which is right behind hotel Leyva towards east and then make a left to take Highway 1 then exit at Avenida Negrete towards Calle Juarez, bypassing all the trap points. But even this route is now patrolled by policia. They got it all covered.

Tijuana policia is supposedly the best paid police force in Mexico but these incompetent guys spend more time harassing their own people and tourists than solving the crimes.

[MikeyOC]

Captain: The next north-south street west of Nino Heroes is named "Martinez". However auto traffic is limited on weekends on Martinez because of a large outdoor swap-meet on that street.

I was thinking of using good-old Constitution Avenue on my next driving exit from La Zona. In the past that couldn't be done, but now that Constitution handles traffic in both directions, it may be my next path to 2nd street out of LZ.

It would be nice to waive 'adios' to the paraditas as QW & I head north after the weekend.

Well, in order to get to Constitution, you still need to drive on Calle Coahuila? The Tijuana's finest got all the routes covered. As far as I can see there is really no easy route out of LZ, especially at night on weekends.

Do not drive on weekends at night in LZ unless your car is a clunker. I used to drive on the street Baja California which is right behind hotel Leyva towards east and then make a left to take Highway 1 then exit at Avenida Negrete towards Calle Juarez, bypassing all the trap points. But even this route is now patrolled by policia. They got it all covered.

Tijuana policia is supposedly the best paid police force in Mexico but these incompetent guys spend more time harassing their own people and tourists than solving the crimes.

[Baxter Slade]

I will file charge with Sindicatura, then will write to Police chief and the Mayor.

Thanks for bringing up the previous incident. Need details in post #11456, but it's not in this thread. Where was it posted? IHave to remember this cop Benito Canesa.

Its in the general report thread. From around late Sept.

Please keep us informed on how it goes with Sinducatura. Just be prepared for the, "so did you actually see him take the money?" question.

[ScatManDoo]

Captain: The next north-south street west of Nino Heroes is named "Martinez". However auto traffic is limited on weekends on Martinez because of a large outdoor swap-meet on that street.

I was thinking of using good-old Constitution Avenue on my next driving exit from La Zona. In the past that couldn't be done, but now that Constitution handles traffic in both directions, it may be my next path to 2nd street out of LZ.

It would be nice to waive 'adios' to the paraditas as QW & I head north after the weekend.

[Captain Solo]

Was looking for dates in Craigslist. Ran across this warning. This girl Sinthia or Danna is seriously attractive. Would be very nice dating and fucking her, but not implicated by her husband in drugs smuggling:

http://tijuana.craigslist.com.mx/w4m/5537460648.html

Warning to men to be careful with this girl named Sinthia or Danna.

She claims to be a college nursing student and single without children, but this is a lie. She never graduated from high school and she is married with children.

She is looking for men with luxury cars Sentry Lane Ready Pass or the United States. Her husband will hide drugs in his car while in the hotel or restaurant with her or she will borrow your car for a day to show her friends, and her husband will hide more drugs in his car. Her husband follows her home in the United States to recover the Narcotics your car while you are at work or sleeping.

It is a scam that has been doing this for a while or do not trust Sinthia Danna. If you need help with it send me a message here.

[Captain Solo]

I would recommend the bros to avoid driving East on Coahuila then South on Madero to get on Calle 2 or Benito Juarez back to the border. That area seems to be a fertile hunting ground for shake downs by Tijuana policias assholes.

1 safer route may be taking Cohuila West 1 block West of Ninos, turn South on that unnamed street to get to Calle 2 (Benito Juarez), or go West 1 more block then turn South on Mutualisimo to get to Calle 2. Damn. That area is also very dark, but is less likely staked out by policias assholes.

I will file charge with Sindicatura, then will write to Police chief and the Mayor.

Thanks for bringing up the previous incident. Need details in post #11456, but it's not in this thread. Where was it posted? IHave to remember this cop Benito Canesa.

Captain, please review post #11456 that incident also involved car #P0419. Not sure if the cops are usually assigned to the same car or not. But if you really do follow through with a complaint, and you found out the cop from your incident is Benito Canesa there is a good chance they will be able to look up the 066 recording regarding " HELP IV BEEN ROBBED BY THE POLICE" it may help to show old Beneto is one crooked cop. Date and time of the incident was Sept. 24th aprox. 6:43 am.

After going to Sindicatura I did not feel a complaint was going to help things. I think the best course of action would be to try to arrange a meeting with the new police chief or someone in the mayor's office. And then try to organize a bunch of us with stories on the behavior of some of these bandits they employee. That may bring about some action to correct the situation.

On a side note after my incident and Beneto was called back to the scene the other cops started teasing him taking off his velcro name tag and putting it on him upside down. As if to say stupid next time you want to rob tourists take your damn name tag off. So I guess Beneto learned something that night.

[Phordphan]

Captain, please review post #11456 that incident also involved car #P0419. Not sure if the cops are usually assigned to the same car or not. But if you really do follow through with a complaint, and you found out the cop from your incident is Benito Canesa there is a good chance they will be able to look up the 066 recording regarding " HELP IV BEEN ROBBED BY THE POLICE" it may help to show old Beneto is one crooked cop. Date and time of the incident was Sept. 24th aprox. 6:43 am.

After going to Sindicatura I did not feel a complaint was going to help things. I think the best course of action would be to try to arrange a meeting with the new police chief or someone in the mayor's office. And then try to organize a bunch of us with stories on the behavior of some of these bandits they employee. That may bring about some action to correct the situation.

On a side note after my incident and Beneto was called back to the scene the other cops started teasing him taking off his velcro name tag and putting it on him upside down. As if to say stupid next time you want to rob tourists take your damn name tag off. So I guess Beneto learned something that night.

Anybody with experience knows that the cops like that area. I was jacked up in that spot when in a taxi years ago, although they didn't rob me. Actually, all I had was $5. But that's not the point.

At one time you could go up Ninos Heroes to avoid Madero, but that's not really a good option since the advent of the pedestrian mall. Now you're almost forced to take Madero south, out of the Zona, in order to get back to the border. The cops love to jack up gringo drivers in the Zona (DUI, drugs, bribes, it's fertile ground). There's only one good way out of the Zona. You do the math.

The best course of action, short of getting one's Tijuana fix elsewhere, is to park in another location, say Ticuan for instance, walk up Constitucion to Primera and taxi / Uber to your car from there. Much better than driving through LZN at night.

Insider tip #2, don't carry money in your wallet.

[Baxter Slade]

Captain, please review post #11456 that incident also involved car #P0419. Not sure if the cops are usually assigned to the same car or not. But if you really do follow through with a complaint, and you found out the cop from your incident is Benito Canesa there is a good chance they will be able to look up the 066 recording regarding " HELP IV BEEN ROBBED BY THE POLICE" it may help to show old Beneto is one crooked cop. Date and time of the incident was Sept. 24th aprox. 6:43 am.

After going to Sindicatura I did not feel a complaint was going to help things. I think the best course of action would be to try to arrange a meeting with the new police chief or someone in the mayor's office. And then try to organize a bunch of us with stories on the behavior of some of these bandits they employee. That may bring about some action to correct the situation.

On a side note after my incident and Beneto was called back to the scene the other cops started teasing him taking off his velcro name tag and putting it on him upside down. As if to say stupid next time you want to rob tourists take your damn name tag off. So I guess Beneto learned something that night.

[Captain Solo]

Good advice from an experienced hand.

I've been driving to Tijuana about once or twice a month for many many years. It was really bad around mid 2000 and then they slowed down the last several years and now it seems that it's getting really bad again.

My last three trips, I got pulled over at the exact same spot, Coahuila and Madero. The reason? For having tinted windows. We know it's bullshit.

It looks as though those Tijuana cops who can speak good English set up shop there. I did get out of the jam unscathed but still it's not exactly a pleasant experience to see red blinking lights in your rearview mirror. Here is my two cents when you are pulled over in Tijuana.

1. If your car is above average looking (BMW, Benz, cars with nice wheels, dark tinted windows etc) then try not to drive on Calle Coahuila at night, especially on weekends..

[MikeyOC]

I've been driving to Tijuana about once or twice a month for many many years. It was really bad around mid 2000 and then they slowed down the last several years and now it seems that it's getting really bad again.

My last three trips, I got pulled over at the exact same spot, Coahuila and Madero. The reason? For having tinted windows. We know it's bullshit.

It looks as though those Tijuana cops who can speak good English set up shop there. I did get out of the jam unscathed but still it's not exactly a pleasant experience to see red blinking lights in your rearview mirror. Here is my two cents when you are pulled over in Tijuana.

1. If your car is above average looking (BMW, Benz, cars with nice wheels, dark tinted windows etc) then try not to drive on Calle Coahuila at night, especially on weekends.

2. Try to stop your car where there are people around and it's well lit.

3. Before you start your car, place all your money, maybe except $20 bill, in your shoes. If you have nothing on you, they may be suspicious and search your body.

4. Stay calm but be firm with your answers (I am assuming you have done nothing wrong, such as being drunk, possessing illegal drugs, or traffic violations).

5. Usually one guy will ask you questions while the other guy searches your car. Make sure you watch them both. Let the guy know you are watching closely.

6. Usually when I look to see the number on the police car, I could notice that their attitude changes. It's a sign that you are not the one to mess with.

7. Lastly, do report to Tijuana Sindicatura if you got your money stolen or treated unfairly. Believe me, it really helps us all.

Friday night I drove a wingman to Tijuana, his first time in la Zona. We left HK about midnight.

When I turned right from Coahuila to Madero, there was a cop car. He followed us on Madero and flashed his beacon on that dark stretch of road. I pulled over in front of the hotel with bright light out front.

A young cop with no name tag or badge number approached my car. I asked him what was wrong. He accused me of failure to stop before turning on right on Madero, typical lying asshole. I insisted that I did not break any laws. I was speaking Spanish to him, which seemed to surprise him. He was asking me a lot of bullshit questions, where I work, if I had drugs, had drinks etc. Lots of bullshit questions. He warned me to cooperate or he would arrest me. Without seeing his badge, I looked carefully at his car number, P0419. He looked scared.

He asked me to put my hands on his hood for a search. I took my wallet and some cash out out and held them in both hands on the hood, he briefly searched my legs then took everything out of my pockets, including mobile phone and condoms and laid them out on the hood. He took my wallet and searched through it with me looking on...