Traffic violation courtesy ticket?

[mediumone]

That's disturbing on several levels. First, it's a ridiculous amount for just "driving a little too fast". Second, it's sad that any amount is enough for serious offenses like drunk driving. (And I'm not directing the blame at you.)

Ridiculous is pretty kind.

Poster needs to get with the program. Few countries are as tolerant of drinking and driving as the US is - and rightly so imho.

 

[ggunn]

To say the answer is simply not to break any traffic laws is highly naive... We were not drinking, we were not speeding, we had not broken any traffic laws. We were simply in a rental car and not local.

If you had been in a taxi, it wouldn't have mattered if you had been drinking or how fast you were going. A few weeks ago we hired a taxi for the day to take us around the island. The driver charged us US$20 per person. He picked us up at the hotel at 9:30AM and delivered us back at about 6PM. He stopped everywhere we wanted and never rushed us to move on. He even stopped at the point on the new road where "Tree" (the largest cieba I have ever seen and arguably the largest tree on the island) is on the old road so that we could hike through the bush to get to it. I drank several beers and a bloody mary over the course of the day with no worries about getting stopped and/or extorted. It would have been cheap at twice the price.

 

[kixy1]

We get it Gunn. You take taxis. Everywhere. All the time. That's great for you, it's what works for you, but some of us need to drive... If I could take a taxi everywhere I needed, more to the point, if I could AFFORD to take a taxi everywhere I needed, I probably would.

 

[ggunn]

We get it Gunn. You take taxis. Everywhere. All the time. That's great for you, it's what works for you, but some of us need to drive... If I could take a taxi everywhere I needed, more to the point, if I could AFFORD to take a taxi everywhere I needed, I probably would.

My point is that IMNSHO no one needs to drive around the island. There is an easy, cheap, and much safer alternative.

 

[ReefHound]

My point is that IMNSHO no one needs to drive around the island.

Really? You're drawing that conclusion for everyone?

No one "needs" to go scuba diving, in fact no one "needs" to go to Cozumel at all. People go on vacation and do things on vacation that they "want" to do. And some want a rental car to have the freedom and flexibility to go anywhere they want at any time they want, without waiting and without having to always have proper small peso notes.

I'm assuming you were in a group of 4 so that was $80 for the taxi. That cost will be the same for just a couple so twice as expensive. Also, I've never seen such a low cost. The usual quote in Coz4U forum is around $120 for the day. I've asked a taxi before and was quoted $140. Can one call the taxi company and book this $80/day taxi? Not everyone wants to haggle with a taxi driver.

All that said, I'll agree it's best to get a taxi if you want to go barhopping and drinking because driving drunk should not be on the list of options.

 

[sefuchs]

@ggunn - how do you know the “needs”of everybody? You push your opinion as facts way too often!

 

[ggunn]

@ggunn - how do you know the “needs”of everybody? You push your opinion as facts way too often!

Sorry if I ruffled your feathers. It's my opinion (clearly stated as such: IMNSHO = in my not so humble opinion) that no one needs to drive themselves around the island. If someone wants to, that's another thing entirely.

 

[ggunn]

Really? You're drawing that conclusion for everyone?

No one "needs" to go scuba diving, in fact no one "needs" to go to Cozumel at all. People go on vacation and do things on vacation that they "want" to do. And some want a rental car to have the freedom and flexibility to go anywhere they want at any time they want, without waiting and without having to always have proper small peso notes.

I'm assuming you were in a group of 4 so that was $80 for the taxi. That cost will be the same for just a couple so twice as expensive. Also, I've never seen such a low cost. The usual quote in Coz4U forum is around $120 for the day. I've asked a taxi before and was quoted $140. Can one call the taxi company and book this $80/day taxi? Not everyone wants to haggle with a taxi driver.

All that said, I'll agree it's best to get a taxi if you want to go barhopping and drinking because driving drunk should not be on the list of options.

But I agree. As I stated in an earlier post, deciding whether or not to drive on Cozumel is a question of risk management, just like diving. For what I do there, all things considered (where I stay, where I want to eat, how often I want to go to town, the around the island trek, etc.), the equation comes down solidly on the side of taking taxis everywhere. DSFDF and YMMV.

 

[cvchief]

1. Locals will be angered if you pay too much. It ruins it for them by driving up the price. 100US? You are going to bankrupt the locals.

2. You don't absolutely have to be speeding. Rental stickers on the back can add around 10-20 km/h to your speed.....

 

[Asheron]

Just insist that he has already taken a $300 bribe from you and you would like to talk to his superior about it