Interesting article on dirving in Q. Roo
- Thread starter Augustus
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The author's first mistake was trying to bargain with a corrupt cop. When the cops issue a ticket they take your license in collateral that you will pay the ticket. THERE IS NO POINT SYSTEM in Mexico. Then you go, pay your ticket which is often far less than what the cop is demanding you give him (that is if he even bothers giving you the ticket as he failed to get the bribe he wanted), they look through a stack of papers and give you your license back. Another good thing to do in any country is ask the rental agency what your rights are if/when pulled over by a cop.
Stop perpetuating this cycle of police corruption. If tourists keep bribing police, police will keep targeting tourists.
I have been driving in Mexico for nearly 25 years now, and I have never bribed a cop.
If you are the victim police harassment, extorsion, corruption or any other form of crime, report it to your embassy or consulate and they will tell you what to do.
Bribing a police officer is a crime. The cop who takes the bribe and the person who offers the bribe are both guilty,so dont do it. You have a smartphone? Keep it handy and if you see a cop on your rearview discreetly record the whole incident for evidence should he/she try to extort you.
Not all cops are bad. Unfortunately a lot are.
Stop perpetuating this cycle of police corruption. If tourists keep bribing police, police will keep targeting tourists.
I have been driving in Mexico for nearly 25 years now, and I have never bribed a cop.
If you are the victim police harassment, extorsion, corruption or any other form of crime, report it to your embassy or consulate and they will tell you what to do.
Bribing a police officer is a crime. The cop who takes the bribe and the person who offers the bribe are both guilty,so dont do it. You have a smartphone? Keep it handy and if you see a cop on your rearview discreetly record the whole incident for evidence should he/she try to extort you.
Not all cops are bad. Unfortunately a lot are.
drrich2
Contributor
Beyond Diving:
I see your point, but a foreign visitor in town briefly, knowing no one and largely ignorant of the system, on a busy vacation, vs. a police officer likely raised locally, in the system with a network of contacts and knowledgable about that system. Who's going to tend to win conflicts?
Richard.
I see your point, but a foreign visitor in town briefly, knowing no one and largely ignorant of the system, on a busy vacation, vs. a police officer likely raised locally, in the system with a network of contacts and knowledgable about that system. Who's going to tend to win conflicts?
Richard.
mikeycanuk
Contributor
First off a bit of research on Logogringo would have a) got a good deal directly with one of the car rental agencies such as Easyway and tips on how to make sure you don't end up with a different agency and b) $360???? $20-40 more like it. They failed to mention the Pemex scams such as no zeroing the pump and the ol' 200-20 peso switcharoo! There have also been reports of locals targeting gringos by running a scooter with mom and kids into their rental car. The gringo now by law cannot leave the country! Can you say shakedown?
A fellow Canadian tourist wasn't at ALL helpful on our morning drive from the resort to the Cancun airport for the very first time. The coppers know you are on the way to CUN and don't have time to waste and target accordingly on Sat and Sun mornings. She thought it would be helpful to mention this fact and how she knew of people pulled over and shook down. Wasn't a fun 2hr drive, I found another rental car and followed closely. Later trips we would spend our last 2-3days in Cancun.
I rented 4 times for 2 weeks each over 3 years in Q.Roo and thankfully never got pulled over for any shakedown. I also tended to drive like the locals too, but you do have a special tourist rental plate color though. Went to the RM 3 times and Mahuhual once. The scariest was in Cancun getting back to the Westin from Wall-mart. It had gotten dark, and I was sort of lost. There was crazy traffic, lanes just seemed to blend into one another and I ran a red and saw flashing lights. Turned out not to be a cop but was so thankful to see the road to the hotel strip. We had spent the 10 days prior in Mahahual so I wasn't used to the traffic and chaos.
A fellow Canadian tourist wasn't at ALL helpful on our morning drive from the resort to the Cancun airport for the very first time. The coppers know you are on the way to CUN and don't have time to waste and target accordingly on Sat and Sun mornings. She thought it would be helpful to mention this fact and how she knew of people pulled over and shook down. Wasn't a fun 2hr drive, I found another rental car and followed closely. Later trips we would spend our last 2-3days in Cancun.
I rented 4 times for 2 weeks each over 3 years in Q.Roo and thankfully never got pulled over for any shakedown. I also tended to drive like the locals too, but you do have a special tourist rental plate color though. Went to the RM 3 times and Mahuhual once. The scariest was in Cancun getting back to the Westin from Wall-mart. It had gotten dark, and I was sort of lost. There was crazy traffic, lanes just seemed to blend into one another and I ran a red and saw flashing lights. Turned out not to be a cop but was so thankful to see the road to the hotel strip. We had spent the 10 days prior in Mahahual so I wasn't used to the traffic and chaos.
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I have talked my husband out of two tickets now. I honestly don't know if either stop was deserved, but by being extremely polite and insisting on following the officer to the station to pay our fine, we have eventually had them give up and give us our license back. It helps to speak some Spanish.
I've actually never been pulled over, but maybe they don't target women.
I've actually never been pulled over, but maybe they don't target women.
