Getting out of a ticket

Submitted for your approval on September 18th, 2006 by Tortuga.
Categories: Transportation tips.

Speeding in Mexico

Driving in Mexico has its advantages. Wouuldn’t it be nice to not have to go to court and simply take care of the situation on the road for a nominal fee?

The good news is that rarely does an officer give you a ticket on the Riviera Maya for anything else but a speeding ticket. As the saying goes around here, “Stop signs are optional.” In case you do get pulled over by a Mexican police officer, don’t panic. Most of the police officers here are helpful and friendly, letting tourists continue on their way with just a warning.

How to get out of a traffic ticket in Mexico

Stop signs are optional but pay attention to the posted speed limits. Stay under the speed limits and you probably will never have to deal with a police officer while driving on Highway 307.

If you are stopped for a speeding or a traffic violation, some officers will ask for your driver’s license or passport to be held at the local police station until you pay your fine. Here is where you have a choice. Rather than handing over your license only to go through the hassle at the police station, politely ask the officer if you can take care of the ticket now. Some people would refer to this as a bribe, or in Spanish, mordida.

Don’t think of it like a bribe in the States

Usually these officers are only looking for a small privately financed pay raise and it is up to you whether or not you want to oblige them. You must understand, these officers make about $200 per month. $20 in his pocket is enough for you to get out of a ticket that will cost the same $20 and most importantly save valuable vacation time. He may begin negotiations by asking for more money, but generally he is willing to take the 200 pesos you have kept in the glove box just for this occasion.

Editor’s Disclaimer: Akumal Tips in no way endorses or encourages anyone to break the law, especially when in a foreign country. This tip is provided for entertainment purposes only. Everyone should be responsible when driving behind the wheel of a vehicle in any country.

Consider the type of officer

If you decide to attempt this type of negotiation, it helps to know the different types of police officers you might encounter:

1. The officers in the white patrol cars that you encounter in towns such as Playa del Carmen are usually easier to negotiate with. You will find them patrolling Highway 307 with speed traps but only within the town’s “city limits”.
2. The officers dressed in dark uniforms and driving dark patrol cars are the Federales. The Federales patrol the Federal Highway 307, generally between the municipalities. The Federales can be a little more difficult to negotiate with, if for no other reason than they appear more intimidating. They may be less likely to accept a mordida compared to the municipal police.

Your all-important bargaining chip

If you start a “negotiating procedure”, there is one most important step that you must do to make sure you retain leverage:

• Never hand over your driver’s license.

Federales patrol Highway 307 looking for speeders. Be kind, respect his authority, play dumb, speak little Spanish and maybe he will let you on your way.

The officer will insist that you hand over your driver’s license. What you can do is pull it out and show it to him but refuse to give it to him. Your reasoning you may say is that you were told not to hand over your driver’s license in Mexico, or that the State of (fill in the blank) told you that your driver’s license was the property of that State and that you must not turn it over to any other official. Of course, playing dumb always helps. If you are uncomfortable with refusing him entirely, you could have a photocopy of your driver’s license in the glove compartment just for this situation, so that you can at least physically hand over all your official information, while still retaining your original and insisting that you will not turn your actual license over.

The officer is trying to gain leverage on you. If you turn over your driver’s license, you have given up your negotiating power.

Editor’s Disclaimer: Akumal Tips in no way endorses or encourages anyone to break the law, especially when in a foreign country. This tip is provided for entertainment purposes only. Everyone should be responsible when driving behind the wheel of a vehicle in any country.

There are two important things to remember when negotiating with a Mexican police officer:

1. Be polite at all times respecting his authority.
2. Speak as little Spanish as possible, even if you speak it fluently. With a little luck, he might get frustrated with trying to communicate and let you go!

Paying a mordida to a Mexican police officer can be a little unnerving when one knows that offering such a payment to an officer in the States for even a minor infraction would bring about terrible consequences. As always, use your best judgement when dealing with police officers in any country. The best solution to keep from paying a ticket in Mexico is to drive well under the speed limit so that you are not pulled over in the first place.

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