Hassle at Border coming back at midnight.

[MayDay Parade (3]

The only way know to avoid cop's problems is to take the MexicanCoach which leaves from the last parking in the Us and takes you to Revolucion. Of course you still have to go to the other side of Revolucion to reach the Zona, 3$ taxi or 5 min walk. Coach cost *8$ return, and on the way back bypasses the line at the border, and takes you then bstraight back to the parking lot. Only one ( BIG) problem; last coach leaves back for the US at 8.30. I always use it during my day trips..

 

[Sparky G]

I also had the same experience 2 nights in a row (feb. 11th and 12th). I got dropped off the same place around 4:00 am and both times a group of about 5 cops did the inspection. Luckily, nothing happened but it did freak me out the first time because I did have a Viagra pill (didn't know you needed a prescription for that in TJ!!). They let me go on both occasions but they did keep the Viagra from the first night. What they did with it is beyond me.

The second night they did the inspection I was much more confident as I had gone through it the night before One tip when talking to any Mexican is if you talk about girls at Adelita's they lighten up. They smile and laugh if you talk about how hard the girls fuck you and that you need Viagra to keep up with them! I found that to be the case the second night (didn't have it on me though). Plus I told them how lucky they were that they had beautiful women who you can have sex without any problems. They seemed to like that a lot.

Anyway, while I was walking back I talked to 3 different Americans who said they all got the inspection as well. The cops let all of them go.

The TJ cops don't seem to bother groups of men...only solo men, so if you can, always go with a wingman.

I probably won't be going back to TJ for a long time. Even though nothing happened there is always that risk of them planting something or throwing you in jail for whatever reason to bribe / extort you.

I think I will stick to Costa Rica and south america for awhile. Besides, the sex in Adelita's is a very far second from the above mentioned areas.

If someone knows of a way to get past that drop off point all of this can probably be avoided. Any ideas on what to tell the cab driver to pass that point?

 

[USS Mikey D]

they are trained to look at DRL, pretty only on Cal. DRL...

once i got stoped at 3 AM , had 6 beers before hitting the boarder, i got stopped, no big deal..

i told him, take the car since it was rental and i tossed the american passport at the official same time.

my attitude was take me to judge if your going to scam me...

they had me inside the patrol car, doing the paper breathizer test and basic scare tatics, they wanted $2K and 5 minutes later i settle on $10 per cop for total of $20.

all they care about is to scare the tourest enough to scam the money, all in doubt and you have time to burn, stick it out and until they let you go...

 

[jramy.kiki]

Thing to do is stay clean. Don't give the cops anything to catch you on.. Unless like Balls say if your black stay away.....

 

[drumm3r1]

Burt, Thanks for taking time to write in detail, much appreciated by the rest of the community like me. This was a very well written info with specifics do and donts. And Thanks to Fireballs for continuing contribution !

 

[gman]

Thanks alot guys.

 

[amtserg]

Yes this is one area where the TJ cops seem to stop more people then any other. However it's nothing to worry about if you did nothing wrong. People get extorted by the TJ Cops all the time, but they usually are GUILTY of something, even if it's a MINOR thing like not carryiing their drivers license, carrying illegal pills, being DRUNK, or PISSING on the street! Carrying around Viagra, well the JURY is still out on that one, many experieced Mongers who live in Tijuana, say FLAT out NO, that's it's not ILLEGAL to carry around Viagra in Tijuana for personal use, and there is not one case where a MONGER actually paid a fine for having Viagra on him. However we are all in agreement the TJ Cops will try to extort money from you if you are carrying around a Viagra or other ED medicine.

What I do when the cab drops me off is get out of the cab FAST, and start walking fast like I'm in New York with the same attitude of a New Yorker as I don't even acknowlege those ASSHOLE cops. It works for me as I never been stopped here. But really it's not a BIG DEAL, at worst you get stopped and the cop asked you if you have DRUGS on you, and what are you doing in Tijuana? If you did nothing wrong, chances are you'll be on your way in one minute.

 

[Ms Take]

Contrary to urban myth, tourists only rarely get locked up in Tijuana. When it happens they usually deserve it. However, people get extorted by the cops all the time.

(The cops almost always release somebody who demands to see a judge and refuses to pay a bribe. In Tijuana a cop can't take you directly to jail. Judges are on duty 24/7 and the cops need an order from the judge to put somebody in jail. Which is why they let people go who haven't done anything wrong who demand to see a judge. However, the cops know most tourists don't know how the system works and they know most toursits are scared and think they'll end it in jail if they don't pay a bribe. So the cops use a tourist's fear and ignorance to extort money when they catch a tourist breaking the law.)

What the cops love is to catch people breaking the law, no matter how petty the violation. Then the system allows them to extort money "fair and square."

Mexican Rx laws are different from those in the U.S. In the U.S. a pharmacist must see a Rx to sell medication. In Mexico the consumer needs a Rx to buy (category IV) medication, like Viagra but isn't required to show it to the pharmacist.

(The reason for this practice is that many Mexicans are too poor to see a doctor. So in Mexico, like many third world countries, the pharmacist ends up being the health care giver. The law is designed with this in mind.)

Obviously this is a case of selective enforcement. The cops never enforce the Rx law against locals. (So much so that pharmacists and locals say you don’t need a Rx to buy things like Viagra. However, if you doubt my understanding of the law then read this http://www.salud.gob.mx/unidades/cdi/nom/072ssa13.html.)

Of course, it is illegal for a cop to take a bribe, but Mexican culture tolerates “clean graft” while condemning “dirty graft.” In the U.S. when the cops catch you committing a victimless crime you are taken before a judge who fines you. That’s supposed to teach you not to do it again. In Mexico when the cops catch you committing a minor crime you pay a bribe and go about your business. That is supposed to teach you not to do it again.

(In the U.S. we have high taxes to pay big salaries for the cops, but the taxpayers grumble about paying high taxes. In Mexico the cops don’t get paid much by the taxpayers; the cops earns their living by catching people breaking the law and collecting bribes. Mexican taxpayers are happy, they see it as the criminals paying the cost of maintaining a police force. If a cop plants drugs on you to get a bride that’s considered “dirty graft” and isn’t socially acceptable—which doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen. Fortunately it doesn’t happen very often.)

Mexico is divided into two groups: those happy with the “old ways” and those who want a first-world system without graft. The reformers are winning, but they have a long way to go before they completely eliminate corruption.

As somebody posted, when tourists have problems with the cops it is usually in one of two places: the Zona Norte or the line returning to the border. Usually the problems involves a traffic violation or behavior such as public drunkenness or possession of drugs/medication without a Rx.

When driving in Tijuana I park outside the Zona Norte and take an alternate route back to the border. (There are lots around 7th and 9th street I use. I use 10th Street to return to the border.) I also get and carry a Rx from a Mexican physician for the Levitra I use. (On another board I posted about Dr. Ramero. He and others will write a Rx for anything you say your U.S. physician has prescribed.) These practices give me peace of mind. (I almost never get stopped by the cops, so I can’t say they’ve saved me from paying any bribes.)

Now you know why the cops searched you hoping to find Viagra. Also why they let you go when they didn’t find it. And what you can do to prevent future problems.

 

[mimi momo]

I've been stopped a few times, on foot and while driving. From what I can gather from my personal experiences, there are two different types of cops that are stopping you. One is crooked ones that want to get some cash from you by intimidation and the other is just random search by cops who are merely doing their duty. Most guys are stopped at two locations. Guys on foot are stopped at the Sentri taxi drop near the border and guys who are driving get the red light in the rearview mirror in the center of Zona Norte, especially near and around CC. Last time I was stopped the cop told me I didn't give a right turn signal and said I had to go to the court to pay the fine. I almost laughed out loud at this bullshit but I didn't have energy to fight him. So I just gave him 20 bucks and sent him away. Maybe it's their way of sticking to the American gringos who came to fuck their women and consider their country a third world.

 

[Leanne]

I was suprised they didn't ask for money? Whats up with that?

 

[sarah p]

The TJ cops, (some of which are TJ transit police) post themselves at the sidewalk leading to the US border at the taxi drop off point. Most of them are looking for innocent prey they can extort money from.

Your best bet is to avoid eye contact with the cops as you are leaving your taxi, and walk briskly past them. It helps if you are among a group. Since there are usually only two or three TJ cops, they can't stop you all at once.

The last time I was down there, the TJ cops were two pretty good looking Mexican ladies. They were smiling as the Americans walked past them, nor did they stop anyone while I was there. One cop was cute enough that I was almost ready to ask her if she was available for a "privado" after her shift was over.

 

[Black orchid]

We got out of the taxi at midnight to walk thru customs and they stopped us, asked about where we were and if we had Viagra, then searched us, looking at the Buffrin and not knowing what the hell that was.

We are two 40 year old non drunk guys.


I thought people get locked up all the time?

 

[morbidlybeautiful]

Let's say it isn't uncommon.

Probable cause in Mexico isn't what it is in the US. Basicly the cops have the right to stop and search people whenever they want. That "freaks out" many Americans. (However, unlike in the US, the cops in TJ can't take you to jail without first taking you before a judge. Judges in TJ are on duty 24/7.)

You didn't mention the cops stealing anything during the serach. If they didnt' steal something then they were acting within the boundries of Mexican law.

Often--not always, just often--there's a reason guys get stopped. Had you been drinking? Was there a reason (age, attitude, etc.) to think you do drugs? Etc. (Knowing where you stopped could also help in knowing why you were stopped.)

 

[Matt hardy Brand]

We were stopped by TJ cops and searched. We handed them our passports and they wanted California drivers Licences, but we are New Yorkers. Is this common?