General Reports

Last time I was here a Gringo got his belongings searched by the police. Today a Gringo in front of Hotel Cascada got put in handcuffs and was led into the hotel to I presume collect his belongings. I promptly went back to my room, using the back door of Cascada, and am now laying low for awhile. As usual always staying low key and not wandering about everywhere is a good policy. You can only fight the odds for so long. Don't listen to anyone that says Tijuana is totally safe. Poverty will always drive people to do things they otherwise with good conscience would not.

[QUOTE=Bluat;1687902]Last time I was here a Gringo got his belongings searched by the police. Today a Gringo in front of Hotel Cascada got put in handcuffs and was led into the hotel to I presume collect his belongings. I promptly went back to my room, using the back door of Cascada, and am now laying low for awhile. As usual always staying low key and not wandering about everywhere is a good policy. You can only fight the odds for so long. Don't listen to anyone that says Tijuana is totally safe. Poverty will always drive people to do things they otherwise with good conscience would not.[/QUOTE]I had a big disagreement with other "amigos" over this very thing. The POLICIA are the Rateros. I try to steer clear of them. But it is almost impossible seeing there are so many of them! They can detain you for NO reason. Just walking down the street. I have had NO problem with anyone in Mexico EXCEPT the police! To protect and serve. Bullshit!

[QUOTE=GolfSexRroll;1687921]I had a big disagreement with other "amigos" over this very thing. The POLICIA are the Rateros. I try to steer clear of them. But it is almost impossible seeing there are so many of them! They can detain you for NO reason. Just walking down the street. I have had NO problem with anyone in Mexico EXCEPT the police! To protect and serve. Bullshit![/QUOTE]Pretty sad. I have not seen it this nuts in a long time and I have been going for 25 years. Even though I live 20 miles from and I find the thrill of Tijuana and its women to be alluring, I just book my first flight to Panama. I'm pretty sick and tired of the crooked cops in Tijuana and I guess I am naive to hope that cops in Panama are any better. We shall see. Peace-OUT! H1.

[QUOTE=Bluat;1687902]Last time I was here a Gringo got his belongings searched by the police. Today a Gringo in front of Hotel Cascada got put in handcuffs and was led into the hotel to I presume collect his belongings. I promptly went back to my room, using the back door of Cascada, and am now laying low for awhile. As usual always staying low key and not wandering about everywhere is a good policy. You can only fight the odds for so long. Don't listen to anyone that says Tijuana is totally safe. Poverty will always drive people to do things they otherwise with good conscience would not.[/QUOTE]As rotten as the cops in Tijuana truly are, there are two sides to situations like this.

The zona attracts loads of human debris, as well as a lot of attractive ladies. When they actually used to deport people, did you ever see the riff-raff that used to be unloaded from the buses and sent across the border at San Ysidro? A lot of those guys wind up in the zona. Other threads here have guys singing the praises of various gringa heroin addicts and their BJ skills <shudder> . Drugs are sold openly in the alley. Drive-by shootings happen. A waiter was killed in HK not that long ago.

My point is that this gringo may have been into some gnarly shit. Maybe he stiffed a girl. Maybe he beat up a girl. We'll never know. I have no love for the cops, but they tend to try to scare you, extract money from you, then let you go. BTW, they do that to the locals, too, just usually for less money. But when the cuffs come out and they start frog-marching you around, methinks it's more than just a simple shakedown. This guy probably did something really bad or really stupid.

I have to agree. The cops take money from everyone. When I was 14 years old my cousin and I were driving in Guadalajara and we were pulled over for no reason. A $10 spot came out and the cop said drive safely have a good day. I am now 37 and Unfortunately this has been going on foreverrrrr

[QUOTE=Phordphan;1688470]As rotten as the cops in Tijuana truly are, there are two sides to situations like this.

The zona attracts loads of human debris, as well as a lot of attractive ladies. When they actually used to deport people, did you ever see the riff-raff that used to be unloaded from the buses and sent across the border at San Ysidro? A lot of those guys wind up in the zona. Other threads here have guys singing the praises of various gringa heroin addicts and their BJ skills <shudder> . Drugs are sold openly in the alley. Drive-by shootings happen. A waiter was killed in HK not that long ago.

My point is that this gringo may have been into some gnarly shit. Maybe he stiffed a girl. Maybe he beat up a girl. We'll never know. I have no love for the cops, but they tend to try to scare you, extract money from you, then let you go. BTW, they do that to the locals, too, just usually for less money. But when the cuffs come out and they start frog-marching you around, methinks it's more than just a simple shakedown. This guy probably did something really bad or really stupid.[/QUOTE].

[QUOTE=Phordphan;1688470]As rotten as the cops in Tijuana truly are, there are two sides to situations like this.

The zona attracts loads of human debris, as well as a lot of attractive ladies. When they actually used to deport people, did you ever see the riff-raff that used to be unloaded from the buses and sent across the border at San Ysidro? A lot of those guys wind up in the zona. Other threads here have guys singing the praises of various gringa heroin addicts and their BJ skills <shudder> . Drugs are sold openly in the alley. Drive-by shootings happen. A waiter was killed in HK not that long ago.

My point is that this gringo may have been into some gnarly shit. Maybe he stiffed a girl. Maybe he beat up a girl. We'll never know. I have no love for the cops, but they tend to try to scare you, extract money from you, then let you go. BTW, they do that to the locals, too, just usually for less money. But when the cuffs come out and they start frog-marching you around, methinks it's more than just a simple shakedown. This guy probably did something really bad or really stupid.[/QUOTE]Well as usual I can not keep quiet when "amigos" spew out the bullshit about the Tijuana cops. Just doing their job protecting us from the RATERO Mexican scum who are on the street in broad daylight at 12 noon to prey on hapless gringo mongers in the zona. Yes these same scumbags ("Amigos" are the very ones who get sucked off by the "Herion, needle marked gringas and (photograph their cum drenched faces!) who frequent the zona. But they say that I "DESERVE" to be detained and searched and relieved of my cash" because I was WALKING on a public street. Of course when I questioned these "fine AMIGOS" I was deemed not a good fit in their circles. So be it.

The cops are in it for themselves. I do not talk to anyone except the chicas. I have seen a marked difference in the past year. When the new administration in city government came into power. I agree that when a gringo gets cuffed (especially in front of Cascada) it may have been a problem with a chica or with Cascada? But who knows.

[QUOTE=Phordphan;1688470]As rotten as the cops in Tijuana truly are, there are two sides to situations like this.

The zona attracts loads of human debris, as well as a lot of attractive ladies. When they actually used to deport people, did you ever see the riff-raff that used to be unloaded from the buses and sent across the border at San Ysidro? A lot of those guys wind up in the zona. Other threads here have guys singing the praises of various gringa heroin addicts and their BJ skills <shudder> . Drugs are sold openly in the alley. Drive-by shootings happen. A waiter was killed in HK not that long ago.

My point is that this gringo may have been into some gnarly shit. Maybe he stiffed a girl. Maybe he beat up a girl. We'll never know. I have no love for the cops, but they tend to try to scare you, extract money from you, then let you go. BTW, they do that to the locals, too, just usually for less money. But when the cuffs come out and they start frog-marching you around, methinks it's more than just a simple shakedown. This guy probably did something really bad or really stupid.[/QUOTE]PP. I'm not sure if you read my post from around 2/14 but I was cuffed and did NOTHING!

[QUOTE=GolfSexRroll;1688679]Well as usual I can not keep quiet when "amigos" spew out the bullshit about the Tijuana cops. Just doing their job protecting us from the RATERO Mexican scum who are on the street in broad daylight at 12 noon to prey on hapless gringo mongers in the zona. Yes these same scumbags ("Amigos" are the very ones who get sucked off by the "Herion, needle marked gringas and (photograph their cum drenched faces!) who frequent the zona. But they say that I "DESERVE" to be detained and searched and relieved of my cash" because I was WALKING on a public street. Of course when I questioned these "fine AMIGOS" I was deemed not a good fit in their circles. So be it.

The cops are in it for themselves. I do not talk to anyone except the chicas. I have seen a marked difference in the past year. When the new administration in city government came into power. I agree that when a gringo gets cuffed (especially in front of Cascada) it may have been a problem with a chica or with Cascada? But who knows.[/QUOTE]I saw him earlier in the day maybe maybe 30 minutes or so. He seemed normal enough. I'm not sure what he could have done in the little time that I didn't see him. It's possible he could have done something, but I didn't see a disgruntled Chica or a drug dealer getting busted as well so if someone else was involved in this transaction I didn't see it. I will say this though there were a lot of policia to arrest just this one guy. I don't remember exactly how many but it was definitely more then 4 cops at the scene. That doesn't sound very normal for a shakedown.

Whenever there is more than 2 cops making an arrest, its generally pursuant to an outstanding arrest warrant. Shakedowns normally take place with less witnesses, in less visible areas, and with less partners to share the booty with.

[QUOTE=Hobbiest1;1688695]PP. I'm not sure if you read my post from around 2/14 but I was cuffed and did NOTHING![/QUOTE]Yes, I did. And that was why I wondered whether or not your friend was "known" by the cops, or if he said something, or what. I truly hope we're not regressing into the "Jorge Hank-style" bad old days. Shakedowns are a fact of life in Mexico, but handcuffs and detention are an entirely different level. IMHO, it seems the zona cops are more "aggressive" than their counterparts in other parts of the city. Perhaps part of it is that they have to deal with such scum on a frequent basis, but the other part is simply greed (maybe mixed with a bit of sadism), and the ability to get away with it. I, too, avoid them like the plague.

[QUOTE=Jackie888;1688718]Whenever there is more than 2 cops making an arrest, its generally pursuant to an outstanding arrest warrant. Shakedowns normally take place with less witnesses, in less visible areas, and with less partners to share the booty with.[/QUOTE]This has been my experience, too. Every shakedown has been by 2 "officers" (I use the term very loosely), and in a secluded area. The scariest one was several years ago. I was leaving the zona, and I had accidentally spent every dime I had, so I had nothing for a taxi. It was probably around midnight-ish, maybe a bit earler. But it was during the heart of the recession, when Tijuana was a ghost town after dark. I was walking as quickly as I could. (I'm usually not scared of desolated areas, because I figure if there are few people there, there will be few robbers). Anyway, on the pedestrian bridge I encountered a "gang" of 4 or 5 cops decked out in their flak jackets, military boots, sidearms, etc. They jacked me up, made me produce I'd, patted me down, looked suspiciously at my glasses case in my front pocket. As I had absolutely $0, there was nothing to steal so they let me go. IIRC, that was the last time I walked across the bridge at night. Pinches rateros.

[QUOTE=Phordphan;1688763]Yes, I did. And that was why I wondered whether or not your friend was "known" by the cops, or if he said something, or what. I truly hope we're not regressing into the "Jorge Hank-style" bad old days. Shakedowns are a fact of life in Mexico, but handcuffs and detention are an entirely different level. IMHO, it seems the zona cops are more "aggressive" than their counterparts in other parts of the city. Perhaps part of it is that they have to deal with such scum on a frequent basis, but the other part is simply greed (maybe mixed with a bit of sadism), and the ability to get away with it. I, too, avoid them like the plague.

This has been my experience, too. Every shakedown has been by 2 "officers" (I use the term very loosely), and in a secluded area. The scariest one was several years ago. I was leaving the zona, and I had accidentally spent every dime I had, so I had nothing for a taxi. It was probably around midnight-ish, maybe a bit earler. But it was during the heart of the recession, when Tijuana was a ghost town after dark. I was walking as quickly as I could. (I'm usually not scared of desolated areas, because I figure if there are few people there, there will be few robbers). Anyway, on the pedestrian bridge I encountered a "gang" of 4 or 5 cops decked out in their flak jackets, military boots, sidearms, etc. They jacked me up, made me produce I'd, patted me down, looked suspiciously at my glasses case in my front pocket. As I had absolutely $0, there was nothing to steal so they let me go. IIRC, that was the last time I walked across the bridge at night. Pinches rateros.[/QUOTE]Brave soul. The last time I ran out of money, I found a booth in the corner of HK and took a nap. Woke up at 9 am and walked home rather than brave the night across that notorious bridge. Got to credit the waiters, those petty thieves do leave you alone rather than boot you out when they see you asleep. Just don't break any bottles or disrespectfully put your feet on the furniture and you're ok.

As far as I know, there is little if any shakedowns away from the Zona, because people aren't as likely to carry large amounts of cash.

Hi Guys.

I will finally be coming back to Tijuana tomorrow evening. Staying for a week at Cascadas. If anyone wants to get together, PM me.

So I'll be in San Diego in just 2 weeks, and would love to stop by Tijuana, by my passport is expired by about 10 years. Is there anyway to get in? I don't care about having to be hassled by some border guard for a little, I have no misdemeanors or felonies in the USA. This is for walking over, is it any easier if I drive over? Whats the best way to go about this, because passports generally take a lot longer than 2 weeks to get through.

[QUOTE=ThrowAway3602;1691679]So I'll be in San Diego in just 2 weeks, and would love to stop by Tijuana, by my passport is expired by about 10 years. Is there anyway to get in? I don't care about having to be hassled by some border guard for a little, I have no misdemeanors or felonies in the USA. This is for walking over, is it any easier if I drive over? Whats the best way to go about this, because passports generally take a lot longer than 2 weeks to get through.[/QUOTE]That should not be a problem. I have came back numerous times with some Americans without any kind ID what so ever. May be slightly delayed due to secondary inspection. Need to provide your full name and perhaps social security number when requested.

[QUOTE=ThrowAway3602;1691679]So I'll be in San Diego in just 2 weeks, and would love to stop by Tijuana, by my passport is expired by about 10 years. Is there anyway to get in? I don't care about having to be hassled by some border guard for a little, I have no misdemeanors or felonies in the USA. This is for walking over, is it any easier if I drive over? Whats the best way to go about this, because passports generally take a lot longer than 2 weeks to get through.[/QUOTE]Bring your expired PP with you. Bring a Drivers License. If you have a Birth Certificate on you. Bring it. You will have NO problem. I see it every week. Those without passports.