Report police corruption and extorsion in Mexico City and Mexico State

[MikeMike]

The latest online blurb from 400 magazine (Mexican bike mag) has the details on reporting corruption by police or authorities that is directed against motorcyclists. Don't pay bribes!

[Two Moto Kiwis]

Great to see that, hopefully it will make a difference.

Having said that the Police went out of their way to help us time and again and not once did we ever got pulled up, I guess we were lucky

[markharf]

Three extended trips throughout Mexico and no hassles whatsoever from police. That's not luck; that's the norm.

[Tim Cullis]

Maybe the flier in post 1 should be printed out and kept with your driving licence. LOL

In fact, maybe we should translate it to various languages and do a mock up for each country.

[MikeMike]

Tim, for now, I am just hoping it will catch on state by state here in Mexico!

[Peter Bodtke]

May 22, 2013, my last full riding in Mexico, I got my first flat tire in 8 months and the first attempted shake down/bribe in 21 counties.

I was a little distracted going into Tampico as we got a little confused getting through this town in 2009 and I didn't have a GPS this time. Add to the above mix, I had lost 2 hours to a tire change and really wanted to get as close to the Texas border as possible. Dunno know exactly if it was changing lanes without signaling riding too close behind a truck, either way, Trafico cops pulled me over. Polite as can be I present passport and drivers license, offer to pull out my importation papers, the cops decline. Stating I was distracted as I just lost a few hours to a tire change, I ask if they can make this a warning and promise to drive more carefully. The cops shift the conversation into the difficulties they face filling out a ticket for me because I don't have an address in Mexico. My motorcycle is legal in Mexico, I have all the papers, I calmly reply. You will have to come to the office, which is closed at this time. So, you will have to spend the night in Tampico, the cop explain. Ok, I reply.

It is late in the afternoon and it could be the case that what ever office the cops are talking about might actually be closed. For once I could stop early instead of riding deep onto the night. Spending the night in Tampico is not the worst thing that could happen. But escorting me to a hotel, picking me up in the morning, then taking me to some office is not what these cops really want to do.

The cop asked, "Do you have $100 dollars?"

Really? That is way too much to ask for at best a minor lapse in good driving form. I had advice from another rider that never paid a bribe. How did he do it? He just said no. I was calm and not in a rush, two key states.

"Sorry, I just don't take care of thing like this on the side of the road". I replied.

The cop knew he didn't have an easy bribe coming his way. He gazed off into the horizon for a moment, a small smile crossed his face and he handed me my drivers license back. I mumbled something about riding carefully as I put on my helmet and rode away.

Final thought - always have your paperwork organized. I use a presentation book that has plastic sleeves to keep my importation papers, copies and original documents sorted out. I wish I had a copy of the anti-bribe advertisement in my paperwork, displayed on the page next to my importation documents! I would recommend making this ad casually visible in your paperwork to customs or law enforcement officer anyway in Latin America.