My paranoia about the corrupt cops on Ruta 14 finally came to fruition last week. I hadn´t been stopped yet, but that afternoon I cam to the infamous roadblock at km 341. I knew it was coming up and so VERY carefully followed the rules. I slowed to 80 at the 80 sign and 60 at the 60 sign. They pulled me over anyway. First told me I was speeding and they had me on radar. I said (politely) BULLSHIT! I told the cop that I knew that they were there, that I knew that this section was very ¨vigilantly¨ patrolled, and that I wasn´t speeding. I also showed my badge (I used to be a cop).

Then the cop asked me for my insurance papers. I had the copy of my Panama car insurance, appropriately doctored to include my bike (thank you PhotoShop) and include an ¨international coverage endorsement¨, and an appropriate Panama document stamp to make it look official, so he accepted that. Then he told me he could fine me because I wouldn´t have stopped if he hadn´t pulled me over. So I guess now they are mind readers! I told him that wasn´t true, that I had every intent
ion of stopping, and I did stop. There wasn´t much more he could say so he let me go, and didn´t look very happy doing it.

The next day (a few hundred km south if Iguasu) I got stopped by the cops again. This time it was totally my fault. While I hadn´t seen anybody passing over a double yellow line further south, up here they do it all the time. Of course when I did it there was a cop right in back of me. It took a LOT of talking to get out of this one. It was Saturday, and they told me I would have to follow them to the station where they would lock up my bike until I paid the fine on Monday. I know that is complete bullshit. They don't lock up vehicles for two days for a minor traffic violation, but they were hoping I would ask what I could do to avoid it. I finally talked my way out of it by a combination of ¨fellow cop¨ routine (which wasn't working too well) and telling them that the slow truck that I passed had kept motioning for me to pass and I thought he had a problem. I just kept repeating that I wouldn't have passed over the line except that the truck in front kept motioning me to do so. Every time they said something else I repeated the same story. When they finally told me they would have to fine me or their chief would get mad I said ¨I understand. Take me to your chief and I´ll talk to him too¨. They didn´t like that idea too much and finally let me go. Phew!

I'm now in Brazil where I understand the cops are a bit more honest (although there are a LOT of them).

__________________
Steve Barnett
Panama City, Panama

Very interesting!
I don't know what will happen with this situation, but it's caotic of course.

Well,
Where are you in Brazil? Will you visit me?

__________________
----------------------------------------
Robson Giovanni Parisoto.
Fortaleza dos Bruxos Moto Grupo
Visite: http://fortalezadosbruxos.blogspot.com
-----------------------------------------
Jaborá, SC - Brasil
Fone: +55 (49) 9104-5536
GPS: 27° 10.445' S 51° 44.107' W

From a Chilean forum (sorry for the Spanish):

Así es amigos. Es el colmo !!!!!!!!!!.

Sorry a mis amigos argentinos por lo que viene, pero no tiene nada que ver con la gente, que se portó EXCELENTE !!!!!.

El día lunes 5 de enero íbamos saliendo al medio día rumbo a Colonia (Uruguay) y nos fiscalizaron 2 veces en menos de 2 horas la policía Argentina. La primera vez en Buenos Aires, y la segunda ya en carretera. En ambas ocasiones la opción era "pagar la multa en el lugar"......
Nos buscaban cualquier cosa, si hasta nos pidieron botiquín y EXTINTOR !!!!!!....
Que la póliza de seguro no servía, PERO COMO, SI INGRESAMOS POR LIBERTADORES CON ESA PÓLIZA Y NADIE NOS DIJO NADA !!!!!!.

En realidad es el colmo. GASTAMOS MÁS DE 300 pesos argentinos en COIMAS entre ambos controles.Y todo en menos de 2 horas !!!!!!!.
Para que saquen las cuentas, un peso argentino son $ 200.- pesos chilenos........ SI ....... $ 60.000.- PESOS CHILENOS EN 2 CONTROLES !!!!!!!!!!!.

Luego de eso decidimos volver de inmediato, ya que en el control de carretera (el primero que nos encontrábamos ) tenían una fila de vehículos detenidos como si fuera una fila de supermercado...... todos listos a pasar por caja.

Literalmente nos asaltaron !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Y peor aún, era imposible evitar el asalto. Si hasta tuvieron el descaro de preguntarnos "cuanto tenés ???":

En Buenos Aires:

Policía : "la multa sale $ 500 pesos, si pagás ahora te puede salir por $ 200 "....
Yo : "tengo $ 70 pesos, nada más.......!!!! no hemos podido cambiar ".
Policía : " Eso es muy poco. Tenés pesos chilenos ???".
Yo : " como 20 mil......"
Policía : " esta bien, con los 70 pesos y los 20 mil alcanza..... mirá que si te paso la multa son como 500 pesos y no podés salir del pais."

En carretera:

Policía : "Documentos de la moto, botiquín y extintor......".
Yo: "QUE ?!?!?!".
Policía : "Sha le dije, Documentos de la moto, botiquín y extintor !!!!! ".
Yo : " no tengo extintor ni botiquín, en chile no es necesario ....... "
Policía : " en Chile podrá ser, pero acá es necesario y debe portarlo. Le voy a tener que sacar una multa......además este no es el papel del seguro..... debe ser una hoja verde del seguro del tratado del Mercosur....."
Yo: "Con ese papel pasé la aduana de Los libertadores, en Orcones. y nadie me puso problemas !?!?!?!".
Policía : "Este papel no es y además esta mal extendido..... voy a tener que pasarle otra multa. Además en cualquier control que le hagan se lo van a rechazar."
Yo: "Pero como si con ese papel ingresé a Argentina hace una semana y no me pusieron problemas !?!?!?!!......... Nadie me dijo nada sobre una hoja verde....".
Policía : "acompañemé a la oficina y lo arreglamos....".
En la oficina:
Policía : "Podés pagar la multa acá. Cuanto tenés ??? ".
Yo: "(otra vez no !!!!) Ya no tengo plata , nos controlaron en Buenos Aires y ya no me queda plata. Tenemos lo justo para ira a Colonia y volver......"
Policía : "No van a poder pasar a Uruguay sin el papel verde. Los van a multar en cada control carretero...... preguntále a tu señora y vean cuanto tienen para pagar la multa acá. Andá.... "

PUTA QUE RABIA WN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Al final otro tanto entre pesos argentinos que teníamos para bencina y pesos chilenos.

En ese mismo instante decidimos volver. A la 1:30 de la tarde y a 40 Km de Uruguay.

Este es un pequeño resumen del por qué volvimos 4 dias antes de Argentina. La verdad...... YA NO NOS QUEDABA MAS PLATA PARA ESTAR ALIMENTANDO A ESOS DESGRACIADOS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

__________________
Ya verás como quieren en Chile al amigo cuando es forastero (traditional song)

Jose Pedro Espinosa
Santiago, Chile

Dude, I feel your pain.

Hombres sin Honor y sin Verguenza !!

Estimado Dias de Playa:

Si consideras que tenes todo en regla, solo tenes que decirles que hagan la multa, acto seguido te negas a firmarla y a seguir viaje, no pasa nada con eso y como saben que la multa no la pueden hacer porque lo que te estan pidiendo (matafuegos-botiquin) no es exigible por ley de transito, no la hacen nunca.
Lamentablemente la policia caminera es asi, tratan de sacar plata a culaquiera, pero cuando se encuentran con alguien que no les de cabida y tiene todo en orden, no les queda mas remedio que dejarte seguir.
Saludos
Fabio

Stbarnett, You posted:

"I had the copy of my Panama car insurance, appropriately doctored to include my bike (thank you PhotoShop) and include an ¨international coverage endorsement¨, and an appropriate Panama document stamp to make it look official, so he accepted that."

In Mexico, I worked for 3 years part time for the International Red Cross, (Cruz Roja) one of my duties was to visit citizens of the United States being held in Mexican jails.

I base what I write here upon heart wrenching personal observations of how quickly, even a well respected motor vehicle insurance company, can find a legality (illegal title transfer for example) to abandon and avoid paying the liabilities of their "clients."

In the event of an accident with substantial property damage and/or personal injury, in most Latin American countries, all persons involved (especially foreign tourists) go directly to jail. The reason being the police on the streets are not authorized to determine fault. Foreign tourists stay in jail until bailed out by their insurance agent or after a judge verifies their insurance coverage.

I visited many foreign tourists, at fault and not at fault in motor vehicle accidents, month after month as they waited in horrid conditions, for their turn on the impossibly over burdened Mexican court docket, for their sentencing or release from jail by a judge.

Most foreign tourists with valid vehicle insurance were released immediately or within a few days.

You might be able to avoid more contact with corrupt police if you purchase a valid motorcycle insurance policy. In Argentina a basic liability policy for motorcycles costs about $25.00 USD per month.

Eat, Drink and Be Careful xfiltrate

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Motorcycle Parking Buenos Aires, Argentina
www.xfiltrate.com

Hi
I would just compare this situation to any other EU country.Why not?
Imagine to enter from a non EU into it with no valid insurance,they would put your vehicle on a truck and secure it into parking lot untill you pay the fine and show a valid insurance.
I know its tempting to travel as cheap as posible.....but reality show up once you have some problem.I don´t even risk to go to any mercosur country without the "green" extention.If someone does i would say he is just stupid.And dirty cops know that.That is why the stupid guy must pay and feed the vultures!Untill he learns his lessons.
My experience shows that having at least a minimum on legality pays out.
As said its tempting to ride as cheap as posible.....just calculate insurance into the budget.
Karl

__________________
http://vientoderipio.blogspot.com/
America is a nice continent,not a country.All people who lives in this continent are americans.Discover it in peace!

For the most part, I agree. I'll buy a week's worth or a month's worth of insurance for the countries in which I travel voluntarily, because it seems like a good idea just in case. However....

At the moment I'm in Peru, where insurance is available from just one agency nationwide (SOAT), which apparently will insure only for a yearlong period, at a cost of 600 soles, which is over US$200. That's too much money, so I'm taking my chances. In transiting Serbia I was forced to buy minimal coverage for, AFAIR, 90 euros; in that case, too, I would've gone without had I any choice.

In other countries I've been unable to even find insurance for sale: Ukraine comes to mind, where no one I asked would insure and American rider on an American bike. In Albania I didn't find insurance until I was on the verge of leaving the country....and it cost an unacceptable amount of money anyway. It's not always as simple as "buy insurance just in case."

The age when I routinely drove uninsured (and sometimes unregistered, unlicensed and unsafely) is long past me, thank god. This is part of what "older and wiser" is supposed to signify.

Mark

(departing Huaraz, Peru)

Mark
I know,some times by crossing borders there is no chance to get any insurance at all! We are still to far away to say just buy cheap reliable insurance at the border!!!!!!
It would make things a bit safer and easier what?
Take care and avoid corrupt cops in Peru.......
Karl

__________________
http://vientoderipio.blogspot.com/
America is a nice continent,not a country.All people who lives in this continent are americans.Discover it in peace!

Hi there

I just entered Peru this arvo from Ecuador and used the Huaqillas entry port. It was a confusing entry but that apart, I asled specifically about insurance and was told that is was not needed?

I had read this thread before I entered and was prepared with dollars to do the deed, but it seems it is not needed?

I was also pulled up at the customs control point prior to Mancora and although they checked my VIP and vehicle sticker, that is all they wanted to see.

I have no idea whether I am in a bad situation, but we shall see, only another 2000km to go

Cheers
TS

__________________
www.travellingstrom.com

TS, Thanks for your report that border officials have stated proof of insurance is not required to enter Peru. If you have read this thread, you may have realized that what some South American "authorities" say might or might not be true. And, an official not asking to see proof of insurance, cannot be interpreted as insurance is not required. How good is your spanish, something may have been "lost in translation" here.

Officially, insurance may or may not be required, but it is needed/required if you are involved in an accident with substantial property damage, or personal injury, otherwise you will go to jail and remain there until the courts sort out if will be charged with the accident or not. This could take months. If you are charged, you may well be held in jail until the civil courts render a judgement, this could take years.

If you have insurance, your insurance agent might be able to bail you out, or you might not have to go to jail at all. And, most importantly, your insurance company will provide you with a qualified attorney. Fees to hire your own attorney in the event of a serious accident might be many thousand dollars.

My points are:
1. without insurance foreign tourists are held in jail until fault is determined by a judge, and you will be responsible for finding and paying a Peruvian attorney to represent you!

2. A valid insurance policy issued by a reputable insurance company is your "get out of jail card." Proof of insurance might not be mandatory in Peru, but it is required to insure your freedom in the event of a serious accident.

Check with other experienced foreign tourist over landers, get their opinion too. I have no dog in this fight, just too many years and too many tears remembering the plight of foreign tourists without insurance, involved in accidents in Mexico, Central and South America.

My advice is to buy motorcycle insurance even if it is not required by law.

Eat, Drink, and Be Careful xfiltrate

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Motorcycle Parking Buenos Aires, Argentina
www.xfiltrate.com

Hey Travelling Storm - we did the same entry as you.. was a bit confusing thru Huaquilles but otherwise Peru side was a breeze... We are now in central Argentina after travelling thru Peru and Chile and no problem with cops at all even though we were told not to stop for cops along the coast road from Sullana all the way through to Lima.. told its dangerous.. All we saw were cops waving at us and the odd one now and then stopped to say hallo and where are you heading and showed no papers at all. Never been asked for insurance anywhere.. Not to say it wont be required but so far we have had a total breeze all the way through central and Southern america. Maybe travelling 2 up has something to do with it.

Take care and hope you are having fun.

Julie Bunny

Having fun, should be at Lake Tiitcaca for Xmas on the beach(a bit like home except 4000m in the air)

Cheers
TS

__________________
www.travellingstrom.com

Just passed along Ruta 14 a few days ago, but passed KM 341 at about half past 10 at night, sneaking in behind a truck. Two cops were busy chatting, didn't see me, the third did, and I swear his jaw dropped, he just had a shocked look on his face. I gave him a quick nod and sped off. Think he saw his christmas bonus go with me!
Don't think they're used to gringos at that hour. Element of surprise is the key...

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We're here for a good time, not a long time...
Mini-on-Tour

OK, I have been in Argentina for over week now and am confused, in fact I have been through many borders to get into this country from Chile, then into Ushuaia and back etc etc , I am now on the east coast heading north.


Nowhere at any stage of my travels has insurance been asked for nor been sold, there are no signs, and no inofrmation at any of the crossings, so once again I guess it is a hoax situation? I know Mark was down south with me and so is Juliebunny, so maybe they can shed light on the insurance angle>

I will try and give the 341km point a miss

Cheers
TS

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www.travellingstrom.com