Bound to Happen

Many of you probably assume that the police force throughout Mexico is not exactly the most honest police force in world. However, I have been in Mexico City for about 5 months now and have yet to have an encounter with the Mexican police. I was beginning to wonder what everyone was complaining about. Until today . . .

I was driving home from work and offered to give my friend Vander a ride to the metro thinking it would be faster for him than walking. As we are driving there is a police car behind me and I start telling Vander that I am afraid of the police because I have US plates and they are bound to try to pull me over for something. Then I also mention that Tuesday just miiiiiiight be the day that I am not supposed to be driving in Mexico City because of my license plate number. Before I could finish that sentence, the police car behind us pulls me over. There were two policemen in the car, an older guy who was clearly the jefe and a young policeman who is the only one that got out of the car to talk to me. I played dumb gringa saying I didn't know I wasn't allowed to drive my car on Tuesdays and that I couldn't understand everything he was saying. So Vander took over at that point. After Vander explained that I am a doctora gringa working at UNAM, which seems to carry a lot of weight in this town, and live in the neighborhood, the policeman told Vander that they would follow me to my house and decide what they wanted to do. Before Vander started talking to him, the policeman was threatening to obey the law and impound my car for 24 hrs and fine me $100+. Once I got home, the young policeman approached us and he had apparently explained to his jefe my situation and they had decided to let me off. Some words were exchanged with Vander who then pulled me aside and said you need to give them 300 pesos (about $30). Vander returned to the policeman and slipped him the 300 pesos. The police went on their way and Vander lost a good hour in his already 2-hour commute to his house. I felt pretty bad for Vander but I was also so glad he was there to help me. I am not sure which policeman will end up with the bribe money, but yes bribing works here and you definitely can't be the one to initiate it, the police have to. And yes, I will obey the law and not drive on Tuesdays anymore. My first encounter with the police, although I was breaking the law, supported the general assumption that the police force in Mexico is less than honest.