Happens all the time. They should have demanded to go to the police station.

Sign up, and CougarBoard will remember which categories you want to view. Sign up

Report problem with this ad

Feb 20, 2024
7:58:40am

volleyjiver All-American

Happens all the time. They should have demanded to go to the police station.

They only do it because scared Americans usually just pay them off.

It's not worth their time to waste to take them to the station so they'll just let you go. They'd rather let you go, stop the next tourist and shake them down.

Those guys are all "bark, no bite" rent a cops.

Report problem with this ad

volleyjiver

Bio page: volleyjiver
Joined: Aug 13, 2011
Last login: Sep 7, 2024
Total posts: 8,975 (397 FO)

Report problem with this ad

Messages

Author

Time

My co-worker was in Tulum with his wife and got shook down by police

RockyBalboa

Feb 20, 7:54am

I knew a mission president in Mexico that had this happen.

Mister P

Feb 20, 7:57am

Has anyone ever recognized any of the cops in church? tic

Ripliancum

Feb 20, 9:22am

<< Deleted >>

SoValleyCOUG

Feb 20, 11:04am

Yes. Happened to us twice on family vacation 25 years ago.

AggieWeekendCougar

Feb 20, 7:58am

Happens all the time. They should have demanded to go to the police station.

volleyjiver

Feb 20, 7:58am

Pay the bribe and move on--especially if you're with wife/kids. There's no

Mjolnir

Feb 20, 10:05am

I ran into trouble with a border guard on the Belize border at Chetumal.

Choke

Feb 20, 10:10am

Generally, but not always. Know someone that was locked up for something similar

NYC and Japan

Feb 20, 12:01pm

The issue is that police are some of the lowest paid professionals in Mexico. The only way they can get to a decent

airwolf

Feb 20, 7:58am

different part of Mexico, but that happened on my mission, cops love the bribe

Avery

Feb 20, 7:59am

Coima was one of the first words I learned in Argentina.

ochobeeguy

Feb 20, 9:08am

The traperos were the ones that killed me.

Feb 20, 11:09am

It's 'mordida' in Mexico

mobicurious

Feb 20, 9:55am

Yeah. Happened to me as a missionary.

TexanY

Feb 20, 8:01am

I had a buddy who was driving down to rocky point

Feb 20, 8:02am

This happens to tourists daily in Mexico

chismoso

Feb 20, 8:03am

I want to post the bribe scene from We're The Millers. but can't. IYKYK

crimedog

Feb 20, 8:04am

RE: I want to post the bribe scene from We're The Millers. but can't. IYKYK

Feb 20, 8:06am

Near Tijuana. I don't think it was even a real cop though and he didn't have anybody with him so I just drove off

mokelembembe

Feb 20, 8:05am

5k pesos are $293

RSL

Feb 20, 8:05am

I just have zero desire to ever go to Mexico.

jxncoog

Feb 20, 8:07am

That's fine i guess. There are places in Mexico where I would love to retire that are perfectly safe.

RSL

Feb 20, 8:08am

I know it's really close minded of me

jxncoog

Feb 20, 8:10am

Nah, I don't think it's close-minded. It has to do with familiarity, certainly.

RSL

Feb 20, 8:13am

THIS - it is all about your comfort level. There are many places in the world I would not go or live. Yet many people

airwolf

Feb 20, 8:15am

We have friends who retired there. Been there for 7 years and love it.

Supercoug

Feb 20, 8:53am

What part? San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato City, Oaxaca, or even parts of Mexico City would be amazing.

RSL

Feb 20, 8:58am

Lake Chapala. Tons of Americans and Canadians there.

Supercoug

Feb 20, 8:59am

I was all in until you said Canadians were there. I have standards.

RSL

Feb 20, 9:02am

A bigger question: Does anyone from Orem live there?

The Farm

Feb 20, 10:51am

Nowhere in Mexico is perfectly safe

mobicurious

Feb 20, 10:06am

never call the cops no matter the crime? Yikes, that doesn't seem safe at all.

runnincoug

Feb 20, 12:56pm

That instruction used to be part of the formal training for all missionaries

mobicurious

Feb 20, 12:59pm

So who do you call if there really is a problem?

runnincoug

Feb 20, 1:00pm

Pray, flee...

mobicurious

Feb 20, 1:56pm

My son called the cops when he was in Juarez (las Casas Grandes)

jxncoog

Feb 20, 1:55pm

Plenty feel like you, but this is the real truth:

mvtoro

Feb 20, 8:24am

Crazy that there are still members down in Colonia Juarez &

gopman

Feb 20, 9:07am

Yes, it happened to me once. I pulled a bold move and asked the cop for his

Yucatan

Feb 20, 8:07am

User name checks out.

sethj250

Feb 20, 8:24am

Do they even have amendments down there that you can cite?

Q-grr

Feb 20, 8:48am

No idea, and I doubt the cops know the law that well either. Haha

Yucatan

Feb 20, 9:12am

No, and if they did, it still wouldn't matter.

Mjolnir

Feb 20, 10:06am

I got stopped in playa del Carmen. Didn't pay a dime.

rad dawg

Feb 20, 8:10am

Exactly this. If you speak Spanish and tell them that you know they can't do

volleyjiver

Feb 20, 8:15am

Yeah bro.

-C9-

Feb 20, 8:17am

Happened in Tijuana when we made some wrong turns. Drove us to 3-4 different

cougaman

Feb 20, 8:19am

Happened to me. Exactly the same M.O.

RugbyCoug

Feb 20, 8:25am

I have rented a car three times in Playa/Tulum and never had a problem.

El Careeb

Feb 20, 8:26am

Tulum is over priced slum

byukarl

Feb 20, 8:30am

If you want a safe vacation spot go to Oaxaca. Beautiful beaches if you go to the coast and wonderful colonial city

airwolf

Feb 20, 8:45am

Nowhere is immune now - poverty and corruption is everywhere

mobicurious

Feb 20, 9:59am

Brother in law was shaken down for $5,000 in the airport at Cancun

Greg Kite's 'stache

Feb 20, 8:32am

Why on Earth was he carrying that much cash to begin with?

gopman

Feb 20, 9:05am

So much of this story sounds shady. And not from the Mexican side.

Feb 20, 9:52am

That guy is lucky they didn't ask for all of it

mobicurious

Feb 20, 10:30am

You'd get busted for coming into the US with $30k in cash and not declaring it.

Japan Coug

Feb 20, 11:50am

He's lucky the Chinese authorities didn't bust him! Over $5k needs a declaration

morningcalmcougar

Feb 20, 9:44pm

If you do some googling on driving in Mexico, this is pretty common

justAnotherCoug

Feb 20, 8:40am

2x. Once with a van of 10 brand new American Elders on the way to get Visas

LCcoug

Feb 20, 8:48am

RE: My co-worker was in Tulum with his wife and got shook down by police

arizonacougarfan

Feb 20, 8:51am

Notice how Campeche and Yucatán are at the bottom of the list. Mérida is safer

Yucatan

Feb 20, 8:54am

I would love to get lost for a couple of weeks in Oaxaca, too.

RSL

Feb 20, 9:04am

Same. I have been to 8 states, but not to Oaxaca yet. I'll get there eventually.

Yucatan

Feb 20, 9:08am

I lived in Mexico for a few years, and was stopped twice by traffic cops. Both

Japan Coug

Feb 20, 8:58am

I went to visit my wife's family in Mexico a couple of years ago. My wife's aunt

25mphman

Feb 20, 9:04am

Exactly.

Japan Coug

Feb 20, 11:44am

Spend much time anywhere in Mexico and it would be unusual to not have experienced it.

Byron McNertney

Feb 20, 9:06am

On his mission in Argentina, my brother was pulled from the train by the police.

mccledg

Feb 20, 9:20am

Family member in Cancun

Choke

Feb 20, 9:27am

My sister got arrested a few years ago at the border of Mexico.

ldssdl

Feb 20, 9:32am

That is super strange. Were they in an RV or something?

rad dawg

Feb 20, 9:41am

I'm pretty sure it was just a sedan. Probably just a random inspection.

ldssdl

Feb 20, 9:55am

<< Deleted >>

SoValleyCOUG

Feb 20, 12:11pm

Happened to me on my mission multiple times. Got to a point where I just wouldnt

EDthoracotomy

Feb 20, 9:41am

That’s crazy, Mexican cops are traditionally well known for being honest and never shaking down tourists for money

JohnnyComeLately

Feb 20, 9:47am

Who drives in those places?? That’s a terrible idea

pink22

Feb 20, 9:55am

Happens all the time

Real Men Wear Blue

Feb 20, 10:06am

I've been approached for shake-downs hundreds of times while in Mexico

mobicurious

Feb 20, 10:13am

Tulum was once a quiet safe place. Last year a shootout in the Starbucks

pspcres

Feb 20, 11:02am

Hundreds of times? I've spent a ton of time in Mexico: lived there for 3+ years

Japan Coug

Feb 20, 11:57am

On my mission - probably 50+ just in 2 years

mobicurious

Feb 20, 12:45pm

And I should add, I'm 6'4 and the whitest-looking gringo you'll see in Mexico

mobicurious

Feb 20, 12:48pm

Read that as "shot down" and still wasn't surprised…

ochobeeguy

Feb 20, 10:25am

that pretty much happened to me in Montana

LHA

Feb 20, 10:28am

My companion and I got shaken down by a cop in Germany.

cheezedawg

Feb 20, 10:46am

This story costs 5 BYU students $6,000 EACH

SoValleyCOUG

Feb 20, 11:06am

Your daughter and my sister might be friends.

ldssdl

Feb 20, 11:46am

Probably so. I thought it was $6,000 each. So you paid $12,000?

SoValleyCOUG

Feb 20, 12:12pm

The parents of the kid who drove the car paid for everyone.

ldssdl

Feb 20, 1:58pm

Yeah that

SoValleyCOUG

Feb 20, 2:03pm

Yeah that's lame they are not paying the other parent back who bailed their

SoValleyCOUG

Feb 20, 2:04pm

This is Mexico. Notice the colors.

KCFan85

Feb 20, 11:37am

Happens all the time there. Make sure you have the right amount in your wallet.

Hill4Heisman

Feb 20, 11:47am

I was in Cozumel last year our last day my buddy and I rented scooters to drive

Sircumference

Feb 20, 12:57pm

Report problem with this ad

Posting on CougarBoard

In order to post, you will need to either sign up or log in.

Report problem with this ad