Speed Trap in Sonoita!

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itsbobagain

Guest
I would caution everyone to obey the speed laws coming into Sonoita. They seem to have set up a new radar speed trap that caught me going over the limit yesterday 6/29. They refused to let me off with a warning and charged me $30 on the spot for the violation. I only had 2 $20, and they did not have change, (they said), so I had to surrender that, or I presume would not be allowed to continue back to the states. Not sure what would have happened if I had no cash. Perhaps the police force could try being a little more lenient to help foster a better friendship with tourists to the North, and encourage travel to the South. Thanks for letting me vent a little.
 
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GringoZona

Guest
How fast were you going (in MPH) and where about were you in Sonoyta? Like, if you can't think of business, was it before the bridge, after, just coming into town...
 
Stuart

Stuart

Aye carumba!!!
Staff member
This is hardly news; they've been doing this forever. We call it the "Sonoita Revenue Enhancement Project." They usually set up just at the edge of town (coming from Penasco) where the speed drops to 40 km as you come over the hill. They are sitting by the Beinvenidos sign and just wave you right over to collect your "fee". Or, they also like to sit along the stretch just before the border by the old Wendy's on the hill. Did they get you in one of these spots, or somewhere else?

I've never gotten pulled over for this because I know it's often there and make certain I'm only doing 40 km exactly at the 40 km sign. I do know lots of people who have unwillingly donated to this fund, so your post certainly doesn't hurt as a friendly reminder to everyone!
 
rockyptjoe

rockyptjoe

Guest
They sometimes also run the hand held radar just after you come out of the shortcut (AZ Market), and pull onto the road to Penasco. That strip from the turn off to the top of the hill has you go thru a couple of speed changes...40kmh...20kmh...40kmh. I just run 20kmh and drive the locals nuts for that half mile stretch.
 
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GringoZona

Guest
Yeah, once I come over that hill, coming into Sonoyta after leaving Penasco, I slam on the brakes and drive super-slow, especially by that tiny Police station building on the left (coming into town). Just before Wendy's (the hill before the border crossing) I like to pull over and make sure there's no stray bottles rolling around the car, so I'm pretty aware of the speed limit...It's SOOO tempting when you first cross into Mexico to rush through Sonoyta, but a speeding fine is the worst way to start a trip.

ALSO, if someone in the back seat is asking about cracking a cool one just after hitting up one of the distributors or the AZ Market in Sonoyta, better tell 'em to hold off until you've cleared the city limits, because there's nothing they love better at those mini checkpoints than to catch you with an open beer/cooler and they KNOW you just picked some up.
 
jerry

jerry

Guest
On the brighter side(I know I know) they have raised the speeds through town...60kh when you clear the border..down to 40...a 20 (the real trouble spot) then back up...It is way better than it was bouncing from 40-20 all the time..I received a ticket going 18mph once (in a 12 mph zone) i think it cost me more than that because the guy saw a bunch of cash .....the 3 pocket rule for traveling in the 3rdish world: 16 rumply bucks in back right pocket for small problems,40 bucks (back left) to raise the ante for a bigger offense,a hundred dollar bill (in left front) for accidents.......beyond that run for it!!!!
 
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Stuart

Stuart

Aye carumba!!!
Staff member
Well yeah, but not for that. Certain parts of me still work just fine! Other parts are falling apart at the seams. Got to be having my gout medicine on a daily basis or the shrimp and beer tend to make me swell up and explode like the Goodyear blimp!! Cosmo knows me well in that regard and so does San Martin when I've come limping in the door on balloon feet. San Martin was the farmacia that introduced me to Ritradol for gout. It's a combo of several things, including a mild steroid, that is only sold in Mexico.

But, I digress. We now return you to your regularly scheduled thread on the Sonoita Revenue Enhancement Project.
 
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azbeachboy

Guest
Kenny said:
View attachment 1238
My accident was only 25 bucks, and it left me wth memories that will last a lifetime.:sunny:
Edit... Dog gone, I don't know why, but I can't get it bigger.
Click to expand...
Me too, I was with you. It was my first and only car accident in Mx. If I hadn't screamed STOP you would of rear ended that truck at 60 mph. The Mexico part was easy. It was when we got home home and Kenny called me to say "I told the insurance company we had the accident in Tucson, Oh and I gave them your name and phone number" I'm sure glad I never got "that" call.
 
jerry

jerry

Guest
Both you knuckleheads were looking to the right trying to figure where the hell Santo Tomas was but we all make mistakes!!!!!
 
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azbeachboy

Guest
Yeah, I was looking at the ass end of a truck almost stopped on a curve as Kenny was...talking! We were lucky and drove off the road and just barely hit the truck.
 
Kenny

Kenny

Guest
It didn't even come close to going down like that Chuck, not even close to sixty for starters, (that's why the truck I hit had just passed me?) and we were not on a curve! And If you would have screamed stop, instead of calmly saying topes, and then no brake lights, it never would have happened!. It was MY FAULT, and I fixed it myself... Ric helped me by getting me "shop" prices on the parts. He ordered them through his Auto body and paint shop, and I picked them up at his place on one of our fishing trips soon after.
Deal was I was thinking about saying it happened down in Tucson, and called Chuck to see what he thought, and if there was a dirt road, kind of a shortcut deal, we could say we were driving on when it happened. He gave me some street names that he thought would fit the bill... So I called my insurance agent and told them it happened in Tucson when I was a taking a shortcut to my friends house at dusk on this dirt road, and gave them the cross streets that Chuck had given me. She said fine, but you'll loose your safe driver discount, plus it will cost you the $500 deductible, and I'll send the adjuster out in the morning... So why did I fix it myself you may ask?... Well I sat back down and starting thinking that I just don't do that kind of stuff, and it's going to mess up my Karma for sure. So I called State Farm back and told the lady "I lied, I didn't crash my car in Tucson, I was in Mexico, so please don't send out the adjuster". There was a long long silence over the phone, and I think she just said, OK, I won't send him out then, thank you, goodbye. I never heard a peep out of them about it, but I had more than one person tell me I was stupid for not going through with it. Me, I have no regrets. I had a estimate for a little over 3 grand, but I fixed it myself for about what the deductible was, $500. Oh! and my $25 fine.:-D
 
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jerry

jerry

Guest
The part of the story neither of you know is i almost ran into the back of kenny's car because jay and i were looking to the east at the narco ranch
 
InkaRoads

InkaRoads

cronopiador
Kenny said:
View attachment 1238
As you know Jerry; My accident was only 25 bucks, and it left me wth memories that will last a lifetime.:sunny:
Edit... Dog gone, I don't know why, but I can't get it bigger.
Click to expand...
So the moral of the story is, if you want to pay $40 at the speed trap is your call or go to the "jefatura" and pay $10 and take a bit longer also your call. CHOICES!!

However as "itsbobagain" says:

"Perhaps the police force could try being a little more lenient to help foster a better friendship with tourists to the North, and encourage travel to the South"

If I were you, next time you are in Rocky Point pay a little more attention to the "things" some of the tourist to the North do in town, specially this coming 4th of July, then you probably pay the $40 mordida you just did with out saying much about their liniency and be a happy go lucky tourist!! as Jerry says it is a 3rdish world country but still has law we need to go by no matter where we come from!! :eek3:

PS: Dammit!! Jerry took the juicer to away from me!!
 
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Bob Brown

Guest
W the speed traps are there so just slow down grin and bear it. I hold traffic up all the time as I go thru but have only been stopped for a seat belt check {my motorhome only has lap belts} and no problems. I tell everybody I know about the speed traps so that they wont have issues.
 
azfish

azfish

Guest
All you need are some skull tatoo's and they will think your with the cartel.... That was dumb, J/K LOL
 
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