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[QUOTE=Hargow20;2202244]Have the police been stepping up their random search and shakedowns in the Zona. ? Personally I have only been searched only about 3 times in Tijuana. The odd thing is that one time I went to report a robbery the cops stopped and searched me on the pedestrian street portion of Callle Cohuilla. ?[/QUOTE]It would be nice if Mexico had a 4th Amendment. Hell, the US doesn't even have one anymore.
My own belief that police enforcement levels largely depend orders from superiors at some higher levels of government. There is also a certain need to stop violence and ratero activity in the Zona as well. The police do shakedowns when they have the opportunity to do so. Part of the problem is that there is disorganized stratified law enforcement in Mexico. They have the military and the Federale, Then there is state police and municipal police. Each of these have their own supervisors and some say they have separate police radio bands as well. The important thing for us is know when crime and police shake downs are on the rise. The only good thing is that there does not appear to be a significant increase in ratero muggings int eh Zona recently. My guess however is that they increasing in local vicinity of the area however.
[QUOTE=Dcrist0527;2202753]Agree, that does seem rosy. But I also do think that the well-being of tourists is at the front of many minds. Consider how much money just us perverts on this board put into the Mexican economy. It is significant. These establishments (HK down to the local tienda) would absolutely call the godfather to maintain their well-being, which is fairly high by Mexican standards.[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=TheTallMan;2202764]So true, it will never stop as it is in the DNA of every person with any level of power in Mexico. This IS part of their culture, this is why Mexico will never be a part of the current world, they are and will always be a shit hole of a country.
Some will take offense to this but pull off the blinders and see it for what it is.
Sad but true.
TTM.[/QUOTE]Absolutely. Mexicans when they get to know you can have big hearts. But their society has little regard for civility on how they treat strangers that they'll never see again. Theft is built into their way of life. Even amongst "friends. " All one needs to observe is a typical 4-stop sign intersection. In the USA, motorists at an intersection will allow the vehicle that arrived first to proceed first 90% of the time. In Tijuana, 90% of the time the first vehicle to arrive will not the the first to pass. Another motorist will perform a rolling stop and quickly zip in front of others cars that arrived before. This is the typical "me first" mentality that is prevalent here. Mexico will never progress as a society until they learn to put society above self. I'm not holding my breath.
Once you have crossed the border do you need to have your passport on you at all times?
[QUOTE=CountryMan54;2203022]Once you have crossed the border do you need to have your passport on you at all times?[/QUOTE]Not specifically your passport but you are required by law to carry government issued identification at all times so carry at least your drivers license. If you are stopped and searched and don't have an ID on you you're definitely going to get threatened with jail unless you can pay a cash fine on the spot.
[QUOTE=CountryMan54;2203022]Once you have crossed the border do you need to have your passport on you at all times?[/QUOTE]Not necessarily a passport but you must carry ID.
[QUOTE=BaxterSlade;2203087]Not necessarily a passport but you must carry ID.[/QUOTE]Us drivers license or passport card count as ID in Mexico?
[QUOTE=BaxterSlade;2203087]Not necessarily a passport but you must carry ID.[/QUOTE]Agree! And, this is a great reason to get the passport CARD. I never carry my passport into Mexico. I just got stopped while walking last night; more to follow.
[QUOTE=Tomjackin;2203146]Agree! And, this is a great reason to get the passport CARD. I never carry my passport into Mexico. I just got stopped while walking last night; more to follow.[/QUOTE]You guys are a lot of help on this board thank you!
[QUOTE=CountryMan54;2203110]Us drivers license or passport card count as ID in Mexico?[/QUOTE]Yes either one should be good. I have heard stories of corrupt cops trying to hold on to your ID as a form of ransom. So once I'm settled in I keep my passport card in the safe and carry an expired DL as ID.
It was Wednesday night, the weather was nice, and I decided to walk back to Hotel Ticuan and check out the action on Rev.
I was walking up on Constitucion while headed to Primera. There were plenty of other men walking the same sidewalk, but I was the only Gringo.
A monkey car passed me going the opposite direction and I thought to myself, "Fuck me!" Sure as shit, the monkey car stopped. I heard the first monkey yelling, "Sir, sir, sir. " I continued walking.
Then the second monkey starting yelling for me to stop, which I did. This was the conversation:
Monkey: Show me your ID.
Me: Why?
Monkey: Give me your ID now.
Me: OK, but why did you stop me?
Monkey: While looking at my passport card, "What are you doing here?
Me: I'm a tourist and spending money here to support your economy.
Second monkey: Come over to the car, we need to search you.
Me: Why, what did I do wrong?
Second monkey: We need to check you for drugs.
Me: I'm a tourist, old, and don't use or buy drugs.
Second monkey: (Again) Come over to the car, we need to search you.
Me: I'm sorry, I am still confused why you stopped me.
At that point, both of the monkeys and I were frustrated. That is when I pulled out my phone and started dialing 078.
Second monkey: What are you doing?
Me: I'm calling 078 for tourist assistance.
Second monkey: You need to respect my job!
Me: I do respect you and your job, but you also need to respect me.
Second monkey: OK, you can go, but be careful because this area is dangerous.
Me: Thank you sir.
All of the conversation was in English and I was polite the entire time.
These banners are all over Rev.
Great story on how to handle a shakedown. Did they ever get there clammy hands into your pockets?
[QUOTE=BaxterSlade;2203440]Great story on how to handle a shakedown. Did they ever get there clammy hands into your pockets?[/QUOTE]No, I was standing on the sidewalk that had an extra high curb. I never stepped down and they never stepped up.
Interesting. I wonder what dialing that number to complain about police harassment would actually do.
[QUOTE=Tomjackin;2203412]It was Wednesday night, the weather was nice, and I decided to walk back to Hotel Ticuan and check out the action on Rev.
At that point, both of the monkeys and I were frustrated. That is when I pulled out my phone and started dialing 078.
Second monkey: What are you doing?
Me: I'm calling 078 for tourist assistance.[/QUOTE]
I've heard some people use their smartphones to photograph their passport cards and passport so as to keep the real ones safe back in your room and just use the passport photo on the smartphone. Once a passport photocopy worked for me at the border. The border agent typed in my passport number from the photocopy in the computer and let me through when I forgot my passport.
For those into Mexican doom porn, see [URL]http://mexicovacationawareness.com/mexicostory.html[/URL] Stories from tourists to Cancun and other Mexican vacation sights with every type of ripoff and shakedown story you can imagine. Standard scam in Cancun apparently is a 5 star all-inclusive hotel, drinks spiked with GHB, then the female tourist is raped by the bartender and the male tourist is robbed of his wallet while unconscious. When they wake up, they then taken to the local Cancun hospital for treatment, which then imprisons them at $5 k per day, watched by armed security, until they pay their hospital bill. With accusations that the hotel gets kickbacks from the hospital. Worth reading because you learn to avoid Mexican hospitals because they will not accept your American health insurance, cash only, which you will not have because you lost your wallet to the local policia, muggers or bartenders with GHB, so you are completely doomed with no way to pay the hospital bill and no way to leave.
[QUOTE=BaxterSlade;2203299]Yes either one should be good. I have heard stories of corrupt cops trying to hold on to your ID as a form of ransom. So once I'm settled in I keep my passport card in the safe and carry an expired DL as ID.[/QUOTE]