In the D.F., I’ve been stopped three times as a motorist. The first for making an illegal turn down a one-way street in Roma. Unfortunately the infraction occurred a few days before Christmas so I was to pay dearly, making a donation for the cops’ kids presents and forking over MX$200.

The second time I was waiting for the green arrow at Baja California (Eje 3) and Tepic I believe very close to the Chilpancingo metro and where Tepic merges onto Baja California. (It’s a weird intersection.) Invariably a cop was there to stop me (a gringo) as myself and another gringo drove a windowless white Econoline. The tamarindo, as they are known because of their brown uniforms, maintained I had run a red light and said something about “infraccion equis parrafo cuatro equis equis quien sabe que” while shoving the big black traffic-infraction book in my face. In reality I hadn’t run any light but it was still too late. When he asked me for my driver’s license I had to admit I didn’t have it on me, so another MX$200 “fee” after an obligatory visit to the ATM. What shame! The irony of the story is that the friend and I were on our way to return the van after helping another gringo friend move back to the States. We had driven from Mexico City to the border and back without a problem until being unfairly stopped and I might say “profiled” by an abusive cop.

The third time, a friend and I were driving a U.S.-plate truck and were pulled over for no reason whatsoever by a patrulla. The weird thing about this stop was that the cops were almost waiting in ambush. As I approached the four-way stop, I saw that the patrulla was also at the stop. Since they obviously had arrived at the intersection first, I waited for them to go through it. Finally after maybe 30 seconds in which they didn’t make a move or approach me, I ventured out making a right-hand turn. Suddenly I saw the “flashing blue lights” and the cop car behind me, so I pulled over. The two cops then forced their way into the car, splitting myself and the passenger up (he went in the backseat) and then directing me (the driver) to drive as commanded. One cop “interrogated” my friend while I was told to drive deeper into an unknown neighborhood. I assumed that it was all part of an act to extract a bribe, but then got scared that we were being kidnapped. So I suddenly stopped the car and told the bossy cop I wouldn’t follow his orders. This flustered them and they got out of the car and after a few more motions got fed up and left. Felt really good that we didn’t offer a bribe.

I should probably also point out that in Anderson, Indiana back in the late 70′s/ early 80′s, I paid a court clerk on 2 separate occasions to remove traffic violations from the court and ‘lose’ them.

I don’t think Mexico has a monopoly on the culture of bribery.