Border Militia

jerry

Guest
I'm big fan of the Indian people but the bottom line is they are hunting down their down on his luck brother-in-law who makes 5 grand a trip using the same skill set. You just can't beat guys paying that kind of money.
 
C

cactusamigo

Guest
Getting Back To The Initial Subject:

The fact of life is that the drug cartels have the money, and money is power. The police are told at every level to either accept payment, or be executed. The choice is to either live a good life, or be dead. That is what the current border Aduana issue is all about.

Be VERY carefull about abiding by the speed limit when driving through Sonoyta. The local police are very serious about enforcing traffic laws. Should you be unfortunate to be stopped for violating traffic laws, insist on paying your fine at police headquarters. Paying or bribing the officer on the spot only makes it worse for other tourists.
 

JimMcG

Guest
Getting Back To The Initial Subject:

Be VERY carefull about abiding by the speed limit when driving through Sonoyta. The local police are very serious about enforcing traffic laws. Should you be unfortunate to be stopped for violating traffic laws, insist on paying your fine at police headquarters. Paying or bribing the officer on the spot only makes it worse for other tourists.

That is easy to say but highly impractical and dangerous in the current climate of death and corrupt law enforcement, which clearly goes all the way to the top. Who would risk being a martyr to help clean up petty corrupt police officers in Mexico?.
 
Getting Back To The Initial Subject:

The fact of life is that the drug cartels have the money, and money is power. The police are told at every level to either accept payment, or be executed. The choice is to either live a good life, or be dead. That is what the current border Aduana issue is all about.

Be VERY carefull about abiding by the speed limit when driving through Sonoyta. The local police are very serious about enforcing traffic laws. Should you be unfortunate to be stopped for violating traffic laws, insist on paying your fine at police headquarters. Paying or bribing the officer on the spot only makes it worse for other tourists.

I'm very careful driving thru Sonoyta...to the point that I'm afraid one of those Mexican cowboys is going to pull out a gun, you know, the gun that Mexicans are not allowed to own, and shoot me for driving so slow! But if I'm going to be stopped....I will pay the mordida....and that is what it is...a bribe....rather then spend an hour going over to the police station, hope that there is a magistrate available, and pay 3-4 times the amount of the mordida in a fine. I'm not going to fix the corruption in Mexico by making a statement....

Mordida....bribes....whatever you want to call it....is not uncommon in much of the world....it may be against American principles....but I'm not in the USA! I'm in Mexico! And before someone goes off on me....bribery exists in the US too...greasing the palms, loans to relatives, a stay in someone's mountain cabin, a game of golf on a course that you would never be able to access....you name it...it goes on...just never filters down to the common folk like it does in Mexico!
 

clayb

Guest
Rockyptjoe,

I agree with you. I usually carry a $20 in my shirt pocket when driving through Sonoyta. I have only needed to use it once, but that made the ordeal last about 1 minute, instead of taking it to the police station. I was stopped for speeding, and probably was, but as you said, we are in Mexico, not the US. It's the way it's done.
 

cmuchm

Guest
got cault by Sonoyta speed trap

About three weeks ago we got stop by one of those speed traps in Sonoyta were the Police stands in the middle of the street when you enter Sonoyta from Rocky Point. My husband was really speeding. The Police Officer was very upset and asks him if we saw the speeding signs and gave us a lecture on Km/h vs Mph in broken English. He also ask him if he every got a speeding ticket in Mexico. My husband told him no and we usually don’t speed when driving though Sonoyta. He did not ask for a bribe or to pay the ticket on the spot. He did tell us that we have to pay the ticket at the Police Station but, it was closed on Sunday and he was going to give this first ticket for free. If he catch us speeding again we will have to pay the ticket at the Police Station for $40 dollars. From my experience, it sounds like the Policy is getting the message not to ask for bribes or to pay the ticket on the spot. They are also learning English. I think the days of giving them $20 to get out of a ticket maybe over.
 

Terry C

Guest
IMO, you should obey the speeds as posted in Mexico as well as in the US and then you won't have a problem. It may be Mexico but, why chance it....

What is 15-20 minutes faster added to your trip for your time in RP
 

Kenny

Guest
I'm like Joe... I piss of both the local Mexicans, and the ugly Americans in Sonoyta by going just a tad over. I never take the "short cut", and I've never been stopped. But after getting out of town on the open road, doing the speed limit is dangerous in my opinion, and again, never been stopped.
 
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IMO, you should obey the speeds as posted in Mexico as well as in the US and then you won't have a problem. It may be Mexico but, why chance it....

What is 15-20 minutes faster added to your trip for your time in RP
Have you ever tried going the speed limit on the road to Penasco....it's 90 kph (54 mph). You take your life in your hands from both the gringos and the Mexicans driving that stretch at that speed!
 
M

mexmac

Guest
A week after the treasurer in Sonoyta took off with the towns money, I was pulled over 3 times before getting out of the city. Once the officers found out that I live in Mexico and that I wasn't going to pay them on the street, they let me go. The cops play on fear but once they find out that you are not going to play the game, they usually let you go. Side note......be nice and respectful....it goes a long way.
 

Kenny

Guest
A week after the treasurer in Sonoyta took off with the towns money, I was pulled over 3 times before getting out of the city. Once the officers found out that I live in Mexico and that I wasn't going to pay them on the street, they let me go. The cops play on fear but once they find out that you are not going to play the game, they usually let you go. Side note......be nice and respectful....it goes a long way.
Man I'm starting to feel left out here. How in the hell can you get stopped three times in Sonoyta is quite beyond me. Could it be it's because I drive a Chili pepper red Jeep, and they think I'm just a moving ristras?... I know that in PP they think I'm just helping out a local by towing his cab :cool: and that's why they don't bother me there.

Kenny
 
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cheatka

Guest
Even if you watch your speed you get pulled over. I was the lead car going about 10mph and the bas----- pulled all of us over. I kept insisting I wasn't speeding and they let me go after showing my liscense and giving her a bottle of water. Its a joke!
 

tyler

I like pie.
Staff member
Where the hell is Sonoyta?

There's the small town right after you pass the border, I always follow the speed limit, but once you hit the highway again, I go 70-75, is that safe?

Then when I hit RP again, always use the speed limit.

Trying to keep my money safe...
 

JimMcG

Guest
Where the hell is Sonoyta?

There's the small town right after you pass the border, I always follow the speed limit, but once you hit the highway again, I go 70-75, is that safe?

Then when I hit RP again, always use the speed limit.

Trying to keep my money safe...
It is probably physically safe but not financially so, if the federales are parked under their favorite trees along the way.
 

tyler

I like pie.
Staff member
I've never seen one. Is that what they are doing now days?

What speed should I stay around?
 
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