HELLO FOLKS: I’m back again. Hope all is going well. I
don’t know about you, but this was the roughest winter I had probably in 19
years and the weather had nothing to do with it. But I’m still here—This time I
was sidelined with personal issues that unfortunately closed some old chapters
and opened new ones over the past preceding weeks. For those of you who know
what I’m talking about, thank you for sympathy, support, and understanding. For those of you following me
on Twitter, I will continue posting interesting news
articles that are somehow related to my posts, so I suggest you click here
to follow so you can get interesting stories related to
traffic, transportation, vehicles, the police, the law, and crime. Keep
on re-pinning and following me on Pinterest with my unusual and
interesting photos, and if you by chance find me using one of your photos to
your praise or objection please let me know. If you have any questions to ask
me, don’t be shy: use the form below or leave me a message after each post.
Here’s another interesting question that someone asked me recently over dinner
I’d thought I’d share with you so here I go:
Watch it this video has strong language.
DEAR SERGEANT AL: Recently I went on vacation to Mexico
and the police stopped and ticketed me for speeding. Right before I was stopped
in my rental car I was lost, so I decided to circle around to retrace my steps.
When the officer asked me in Spanish if I knew why I was being stopped by him, I said I
didn’t know. When he told me he was stopping me for speeding I told him I
wasn’t speeding, that in fact I couldn’t have been. I then tried to explain to
the officer that the road where he said was the enforcement area had speed
bumps that would have made speeding impossible. Even though I noticed several taxicabs
flying past me during the enforcement period the cop says during which I was
speeding, the officer told me my car or
the car nearest to me was in fact speeding. He then started telling me I
had a choice to either pay a fine right on the side of the road or take a
ticket and appear in court later to pay a fine. I found out later that the fine
in court is much lower than the one I paid on the side of the road. Did I give
the officer a bribe without knowing it? Was I scammed? –SPEEDY GONZALEZ
DEAR
SPEEDY GONZALEZ: Oh my goodness you were bamboozled. I wouldn’t
say you were unknowingly bribing the officer in that it knowingly takes two to
tango when it comes to soliciting, offering, and accepting a bribe, at least
here in the United States, but this was probably a more clever way for the
Mexican officer to get out of you exactly what he wanted without the fuss and
muss of exacting a bribe. But that’s okay. You were on vacation in Mexico. You got out of this
situation alive and well, and probably better for it though you may not realize
it. When traveling abroad I think you have to factor things like this in when
visiting exotic places to expect that mishaps, inconveniences, and outright
crime or scams might occur, as such places are notorious for such
circumstances, that every tourist should go on an exotic get-away with their eyes
wide open. In spite of this I hope you had a good time. When traveling to foreign
countries you have to be absolutely as careful as possible. But you also must remember that there is
only so much you can do under these circumstances to be as careful as you can.
I would have handled this situation a bit more differently, and I’ll explain
how later below.
First
of all you have to remember that wherever you are in the world, that is NOT the
United States, that that part of the world is NOT America, even if it’s adjacent to it. On the other hand, we
also have to remember that our way isn’t
always the right way of doing things, so that we will respect other people’s culture to
understand these differences are what make living on Earth unique, if not an
adventure. Just because you are an American does not give you elsewhere in the world the entire range
of constitutional and civil rights you are guaranteed here in the States. Mexico
is a classic example. Mexico is our neighbor, friend, and trading partner. As we all know Mexico lately has been a shooting gallery
for the major drug cartels, they say up to 70,000 people have died over that
last few recent years, but as I tell people, the problem there is not necessarily the cartels, as it is more with
the police.
It’s
easy for me as an American to state the following that I love all parts of the
world, but if the rest of the world wants to catch up with the same standard of
living and quality of life as we have here in the West if not just America alone, then those parts
of the world where crime runs rampant have to do something not just about their
criminals, but also about their police. If Mexico wants to stop their problem
with the cartels, they need to first take a look at what they are doing in establishing ethics and discipline with
their police culture. A big part of the cartel problem is that they have corrupt
officers (not all) minding the cartels. The bad Mexican police need to be weeded out. Corruption is a big problem in Latin
America as it is with most underdeveloped and emerging nations that some countries
are starting to see the correlation between corruption and quality of life to start doing something about it by cracking
down on police corruption.
 |
| Yes, a real dead person: From http://www.bvbl.net. Cartel drug violence from Mexico. |
SO,
given these circumstances, what is a foreign tourist like you to do when
stopped by foreign police for a traffic infraction or any matter? Here are six
steps you need to consider when being stopped by police in a foreign country to
walk away with your body and wallet at least relatively intact:
1.
Blend in. “When
in Rome . . . “ Part of your problem is that you got lost, and in doing
so you became a target in the worse way. Thank God it was the police doing the
scam and not the criminals, as I think you might have fared worse: Circle once, shame on you, circle twice,
shame on me . . . Next time if you get lost, act like you know where you’re
going and what you’re doing ANYWAY, and for God’s sakes next time: DON’T LISTEN
TO YOUR WIFE OR GIRLFRIEND, AND DO NOT ASK FOR DIRECTIONS RIGHT ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD
FOR EVERYBODY TO SEE. If you must, do so discreetly as possible. Go get gas at
a busy station whether you need some or not. Buy something inside casually then
go ask. Pull into a crowded place and then go in to ask directions. This might also
be a good time to introduce you to GPS technology, even in a foreign country;
you do know that satellites do work elsewhere other than America even if you have to pay expensive digital rates on your phone to get a GPS signal . . .
2.
Hire a Sole
Driver from the Host Country for Your Entire Trip. Yes I know
this might be a more expensive proposition here in America, but remember you
are hiring a driver in a foreign country, not here. You open yourself up to
more scams if you take a different cab to anywhere you need to go, but by
hiring a sole driver you stand a more reasonable chance of not being ripped off
if you are generous with the gratuity to let him know you’ll take care of him
to form mutual trust. By doing this you also may gain a guide to find out where
the hot spots, bargains, and bad places are to head toward or steer clear from.
Ask your travel agent or tour guide or front desk or concierge for tips for
finding a good driver that can map your entire trip. Just make sure you pay
your driver in increments over the course of the trip and not one lump sum.
3.
Be Careful
with what You Rent: I know we all like to once in a while go up to that rental
counter at the airport and grab the keys to that Cadillac or Lincoln, maybe
even a Rolls Royce or a Bentley, especially when we are on vacation, but that
may not be the right thing to do in a foreign country, especially in a
developing or an emerging nation. Under such circumstances renting cheap and
frugal might be the right way to go so that you don’t stand out.
4.
Obey the
Law:
You know how the speed signs here in America say the limit is so much that
everyone goes over the speed limit anyway for only a few to get caught? Well
don’t do that in a foreign country, even if all the natives are doing it, and
yes, actually drive a bit slower than the speed limit allows. Make sure you are
going KPH verses MPH where applicable, and when the light turns yellow SLOW
DOWN TO STOP instead of SPEEDING UP to fly by. But also don’t forget step one
about blending in as well.
5.
Don’t Argue
with the Police: It’s one thing to do this here in America that even then I
think it’s a VERY BAD IDEA, EVEN WORSE WHEN YOU DO IT IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY: NEVER NEVER EVER EVER ARGUE WITH A POLICE
OFFICER DURING A CAR STOP. EVER. By having a traffic trial at the side of
the road as a curbside lawyer with a foreign police officer, you are opening up
the situation to make matters worse, if not dangerous. Even if the cop is
acting like a prick, as I often say, if
the officer is not going to mind his behavior to take control of the car stop,
then someone else is going to have to, and that person has to be you for your
sake. Calm down, don’t get upset, don’t argue or debate, be polite, and be
nice. When asked “do you know why you are being stopped?” or “how fast you were
going?” in any language, INCLUDING ENGLISH, your
stock answer to the officer to appease the situation without admitting guilt
should be: “Officer if I was stopped
for speeding I apologize: I did not intend to put either of us in danger.” And
leave it at that.
Strong language on this one too.
6.
When in
Doubt, Take the Ticket Option: I can’t tell you for sure what might
have been the best way for you to get out of this tricky situation, SPEEDY GONZALEZ, that it might have taken a coin toss to
decide which was best, but if you follow this rule of thumb, the next time
might be easier if you can negotiate yourself through any language barrier to
determine what option you have: READ CAREFULLY: If you can pay a ticket without going to jail or posting bail BY MAIL /AND/OR taking
it to court, as opposed to paying a fine on the side of the road, then take a
ticket instead. The worse that might happen is that you’ll have to hire a
lawyer to handle the ticket. If this was an attempt at a bribe or a scam, you
neutralize the situation by taking the traffic stop to court. As in your case SPEEDY GONZALEZ the court fine was lower than the roadside
‘fine.” If
you feel you have been wronged, then you will have a greater chance (however
great that might be) at true justice in a courtroom as opposed to at the side
of the road. By taking the ticket option you eliminate the officer from being a
judge in any part of the equation. Taking a ticket may also buy you more time
to assess the situation and determine later what to do if you’re not sure what
to do right there and then. On the other hand, however expensive it might be,
by paying the roadside “fine” you immediately resolve the issue to let the
problem go away and not let it linger after the trip is over. The choice,
depending on the circumstances, is yours . . . Oh, and by the way, make sure you have enough of the foreign cash on hand, just in case . . .
Regardless of where you are in the
world, justice, like life, can be a complicated thing, including when we are on
an exotic vacation and get stopped by the police. In many cases being smart for yourself verses being smart for the
law might be the right way to go! I hope this incident doesn’t stop you from
your next trip. Safe driving!
Humbly Yours,
SERGEANT AL
CONFIDENTIAL TO WILLIAM: You were a big source of the questions I
published here in this blog, so I dedicate this site to you. Wherever you are
looking over us, I shall never forget your inspiration and help you’ve given me
over the past three years. You delivered me to my promised land here in
California; little did I know my job coming here was to deliver you to yours .
. . Thank you for being more than a great friend, and I wish you happiness and peace on
your journeys hereafter . . .
Faithfully Yours,
SERGEANT AL
Suggested
Reading:
What is a CARMAGEDDON and when will
it happen?
Am I allowed to walk on a highway?
Suggested Reading:
The
definition of a “Concours” car and event
Suggested Reading:
Suggested Reading:
What is the new national terror alert warning?
Taking photographs at off-limits tourist landmarks .
What happens during a high-speed hot
police pursuit across state lines or into Mexico or Canada?
Why do the cops need a warrant to search my house but nothing to
search my car?
