I know this has been talked about for a long time and this is from a member from Playa Encanto. I did explain to them all the comments on here but 5 miles out of town is a little different....
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I am writing to let you know about something that has happened to two different groups of people who are Playa Encanto homeowners while traveling between Sonoita and Rocky Point.
Both parties, traveling a few days apart near the end of September, were stopped about 5 miles south of Sonoita by Sonoita police officers. They were told they were speeding. Both parties are certain they were going the legal limit or less. The officers took their drivers’ licenses and asked questions about the occupation and employment status of the drivers and how often they visited Mexico. They were then told they would have to go back to the Sonoita Police Station to reclaim the license and pay a fine. In the first case, it was $40; in the second case it was $50.
When the driver of the second car said he did not know where the station was, he was told he could just pay the officers instead. The first driver also was offered the chance to pay the officers instead. In both cases, the “fines” were paid to the officers.
This is obviously a scam being perpetrated on tourists by those officers. It should be stopped by their supervisors. The office in charge of tourism needs to be alerted to this practice, as it is not going to be long before it starts to impact the number of people who are willing to go to Rocky Point. (Especially in addition to the restrictions on taking food items into Mexico).
If you know who would be able to stop this practice, please forward this information to them. We are planning to go to Rocky Point later this week, and if you have any suggestions, please let us know how to avoid these problems, or what steps to take.
I got bit yesterday evening on the way back to San Diego about an hour or so from San Luis Rio Colorado. Same exact thing, they said I was doing 108 KMH and showed me the radar. I was going nowhere near that fast and had slowed way down because they would not turn their brights off as they were coming towards me. Took license and registration asked a bunch of out of place questions and demanded $150.00, I asked if he could read English when he was looking at my registration and he laughed and said no. 20 minutes later they each get $25.00 and I am back on the road. It was flat out extortion and highly irritating. :mad:
I normally use my radar detector but was charging my phone and using an adaptor to play music from the phone through the stereo. Lesson learned, if you have a radar detector use it in Mexico.
Same law applies in Mexico, get their name and badge number and always insist in paying at the police station, in most cases they will let you go, make sure you put your foot down and DO NOT let them intimidate you, they DO back down very fast when you ask them to pay at the comisaria!! however if in mexico do like the mexicans, speak spanish!!! and 95% of your problems will go away!!!!!
Estero, just out of curiosity, you said you were an hour or so so from San Luis Rio Colorado. Where were you exactly, on the toll highway that runs south from San Luis, the non-toll highway that runs south, or ? Just asking because I travel that way all the time also.
This is definitely the new popular game in Sonoita. In two separate incidents over the last month, friends who have accompanied us to Rocky Point for about 20 years (and therefore know about and practice the Sonoita Crawl) were stopped. One was encouraged to pay up on the spot (and unfortunately did). The other was not encouraged, but ended up doing so. Of course those -- like they -- who play that game make it worse for everyone. That said, both admitted they were a little lax . . . were going about 4 mph over the limit. And Sonoita is often teaming with pedestrians -- a good reason for the strict speed limits. So a good practice would be to take the speed limitations seriously, and at least not encourage an encounter.
Estero, just out of curiosity, you said you were an hour or so so from San Luis Rio Colorado. Where were you exactly, on the toll highway that runs south from San Luis, the non-toll highway that runs south, or ? Just asking because I travel that way all the time also.
I take the 3 not the toll road. It was in Riito the small town where you have to cross over the train tracks.
I am a religious practitioner of the Sonoyta Crawl. I have anticipated how I would react if pulled over and encouraged to pay on the spot. Not only would I argue that I was speeding, because I know I'm not, I wouldn't pay on the spot. I'd ask for the name and badge number and then tell the officer he and I have just made a date at the station. BUT, 5 miles outside of Sonoyta - if that means after the speed trap where it rapidly drops to 40 kmh, that's another story. That would suck. Not sure what I'd do.
There is nothing new about this scam but it does seem to come and go. Keep you phone and or camera handy and snap some photos or videos whenever stopped. That puts them off quickly. They often refuse to give their names. Get a photo of your speedo when they hit the lights if you can. I have a GPS mounted and told one guy it recorded my speed continuously, he let me go quickly. Penasco cops will immediately take your phone when playing this game. I'm looking into a dash cam set up.
On another forum people use these forms if pulled over and ask officer to fill out as they will go to station to pay..usually they end up with warning. Some also only hand over copy of DL that they carry with them. Not sure how that would work.
Thanks Estero. That sucks, I've driven both the toll and non-toll highways from San Luis to El Golfo/Rocky Point a million times and till today have never seen a cop with radar on em. Ya I got nailed once while travelling through Riito years ago with my wife and kids. Didn't stop at the stop sign in front of the cop shop (one of the first times I'd driven through there, totally didn't see it). Hauled back to the cop shop, paid a few bucks, done deal. Still chuckle about it every time I drive through there, especially since there's no cross road where the stop signs are and therefore absolutely no reason to stop, except to give the cops a reason to make a few bucks.
On a side note, have to admit, I much prefer the Mexico system of paying for tickets. I've been nailed a few times in Mexico for speeding, not stopping, most of the time I admit I was wrong. In the States the fine would've been much more, gone against my insurance, etc, in Mexico I hand the cops a few bucks and I'm on my way. I does suck if you're not doing anything wrong and get stopped, though. And paying off cops ain't right, but what the hell, for little crap like speeding tickets I prefer their system!
The Sonoyta Plaza boss has controled city government for ever. It is pretty much a criminal enterprise but RCQ is slowly gaining control much as he has in Rp.Our world is a better place thanks to the guy who single handedly has stopped the war in our hood.Heads that allow this speed trap scam may soon roll but no one will know a thing...not his style
The Sonatya Plaza boss has controled city government for ever. It is pretty much a criinal enterprise but RCQ is slowly gaining control much as he has in Rp.Our world is a better place thanks to the guy who single handedly has stopped the war in our hood.Heads that allow this speed trap scam may soon roll but no one will no a thing...not his style
Who is RCQ? And when we were driving through Sonoita last week, we gave $ to DIF, the guy said, "Be careful of the police, they've been "dicks" lately"! We laughed about that but maybe they have.
Who is RCQ? And when we were driving through Sonoita last week, we gave $ to DIF, the guy said, "Be careful of the police, they've been "dicks" lately"! We laughed about that but maybe they have.
Rafael is the Geritol poster boy of the Mexican Mafiosio's.