Crime, Safety, and the Police

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.

You won!

We should all resist Tijuana policia bull shit.

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

[QUOTE=MagicRancher;1955127]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.[/QUOTE]

Yay! Good job!

[QUOTE=MagicRancher;1955127]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.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=MagicRancher;1955127]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.[/QUOTE]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.

[QUOTE=MagicRancher;1955127]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.[/QUOTE]Are you still alive today did you make it back to the US please let us know?

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.

[QUOTE=CaptainSolo;1953841]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.[/QUOTE]

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

[QUOTE=HornyTraveler;1955722]Are you still alive today did you make it back to the US please let us know?[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=CaptainSolo;1955934]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.[/QUOTE]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.

[QUOTE=HornyTraveler;1955722]Are you still alive today did you make it back to the US please let us know?[/QUOTE]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.

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.

[QUOTE=Jackie888;1956169]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.[/QUOTE]

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

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

[QUOTE=Jackie888;1956169]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.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=CaptainSolo;1956085]No. Magic Rancher types all his posts with his cold, stiff fingers in a Tijuana morgue.[/QUOTE]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.

[QUOTE=HornyTraveler;1956308]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.[/QUOTE]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?

[QUOTE=Phordphan;1956313]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?[/QUOTE]Youre right you're NOT obligated but is a life saver why go to all the trouble so I don't see It a terrible advice. Those are the risk when you enter Tijuana. I don't give the cops a reason to stop me and I know Tijuana since 1990's.

Look it is common sense what part of corrupted cop you don't get? I don't think its a bad advise because not every cop in Tijuana is honest and he can even put shit in your pockets and make things worse.

I say You must aproach with caution.

I will only ask to see the Judge if something much worse had happened not for lousy $20 or $30 bucks.

Let me informe you That prostitution is ILLEGAL in Tijuana except in zona Norte The "Tolerance Zone" saying this it means that if you get a hooker to the Mansion or any outside zona hotel is illegal for you and her to exchange money for sex but no one cares.

I hate to bring the bad news but Viagra Cialis vicodin and other drugs you must get a prescription by a Tijuana doctor first but no one does but the cop can use this as an excuse to get your spare cash. Also you supposed to buy Mexican insurance when driving in Tijuana so yes my friends they can take your car if you get involve in an accident and you got no money.