Im Fucking DONE with TJ, and the country of fucking Mexico! I know I know, you hear about this shit all the fucking time, but I have put enough money into their goddamn economy over the years and surely put plenty of chicas kids thru college by now, and this was my first experience getting ripped off.
Just before I hit the border, where the taxi's drop you off, walking to the US side a group of cops grabbed me, up against the wall and started searching me asking if I had knives, guns or something else. Kept telling them no, not sure what the one thing was, when he showed me a little baggies of pills, obviously letting me know that that is what they will "find" in my fucking pocket if I give them shit. Of course, after 5 minutes they let me go and handed me back my money clip. I stood there right in fron to them and counted it and the cocksuckers took $100 from me. I called them all a bunch of mother fucking cocksuckers and walked away.
I know You will say I was lucky, better than being thrown into a mexican jail, but fuck that shit. I am never setting foot in that fucking country again. The fucking cops are thieves, everyones trying to rip you off, fuck it. Goddamn jackals. Yeah Im pissed. Been fuming about it since Saturday night. Never again in that fucking country. MOTHER FUCKING PIECES OF SHIT!
I know my little boycott wont mean shit, and I highly doubt that no matter how bad things get down there with that shit, the people will always come flowing in so why stop being a piece of shit excuse for a police officer (ie criminal thief motherless fuck)? Not like there is anyone to complain about it to.
Same place, around 2am, group of 6 "cops" stopped me right after I got out of the taxi and asked to search me. Said they were looking for drugs. Went through my pockets, wallet, checked my cell phone?, real pains. I didn't have much cash in my wallet, told them I had not been drinking, and I was polite. After a few minutes of constant interogation and searching they let me go, and did not take anything... but there wasn't much there to take.
I'm sure that if I had more money in my wallet, some of it would have been missing. This is the first time in about 20 trips I've ever been stopped, let alone searched. It's just corrupt cops giving TJ a really bad name. Any ideas what we can do about it?
What can we do about it? Stop going. Cock Sucking Motherless Fuckers.
Report the problem. Inform Sindacutura, papers, etc. etc. etc.
These things go in cycles. When the cops start getting "heat" they back off for awhile. Then the cycle starts again.
-- Modified on 5/12/2007 9:56:57 AM
Sorry to hear of your problems guys - I hear this all the time, I have seen it personally and have commented extensively on it before.
Even Robert Pelton ("Worlds Most Dangerous Places" book) calls Mexico and TJ the most corrupt cops in the world. And that's coming from a guy who interviewed UBL.
The cops hang out by the "Sentri" drop off point next to the stairs. They may also hit you on the bridge over the traffic lines - OR on the bridge across the TJ River.
The better answers are to go in groups, take ONLY what money you expect to spend - DO NOT take credit cards. Do not stay late at night. DO NOT GET DRUNK. Don't take your cell - they will steal it and sell it locally.
I know a lot of you guys like the cheap prices and thrills (the TJ jail isn't so thrilling with a hangover) and some like the street scene. BUT guys really - if you stick with well reviewed professional girls on this side of the border you won't run into problems.
PS - It might be fun to set these corrupt cops up. If some of you tough young guys get together and send in a decoy. Then video tape it from a couple of different angles and put it up on YouTube! It will probably make CNN. I've got a camera and will join you!
Giggle,
TS Jamie
-- Modified on 5/8/2007 12:49:35 PM
I went down to see Juanitas girls april 30. Well they are still trying to get back up and things did not work as planned and started back across the bridge over the river. A group of 5 cops stopped me and asked if i had any pills. I said no and they searched me and only came up with my car keys and cell phone. Glad they did not take anything. They let me go after some questioning but i am re thinking going there again. Might take a cab right to la mansion now from the border. I saw Juanitas girls 8 times last year and back in january. Kinda scary stuff now.
Yes, it's a problem. Carrying a Sindicatura business card often scares them off. Always report problems to Sindicatura (internal affairs). Mongers who've done that report postivite experiences.
If stopped, be sure to hold you money and wallet in your hand while being searched. It helps most of the time.
Most of these problems occur late at night near the border. Some alternatives are:
--Drive
--Spend the night and return in the morning
--Return earlier
--Use the Mexicoach bus
As to sticking to US providers: where in the US are you going to get a gfe session for $60.00?
-- Modified on 5/12/2007 9:56:30 AM
Please take Burt's advice, I've been going to TJ for 15 years, Always take my car, Leave after 11 pm. or before 6 am. and you all be safe.. And Burt said 60.00?? How about 35.00 GFE, GREEK etc? That's what I get with my regulars....
only people that get ripped off in Tijuana by the police are the people that let them rip them off.
i've had a lot of encounters with the police and the only time i've EVER let them get away with takin my money is when i'm actually doin something wrong. (running red lights, stop signs, going 90mph on Paseo De Los Heroes and doing donuts in the traffic circles)
i had one cop one time grab me and search me. then he's talking to me about all kinda bullshit and he puts his hand on his gun.
[all the below took place in Spanish]
i said "why you got your hand on your gun for?"
"well it's for my safety"
"tell you what. you better A: take your hand off that gun right now, or B: pull it out and start using it. because if you keep standing there with your hand on your gun, this conversation is over. i'm not talkin to anyone with their hand on their gun trying to scare me while i'm talkin."
he took his hand off his gun.
"why do you have to talk to me like that? i didn't do anything to you."
i said "i already told you. we're gonna have a civil conversation without your hand on your gun, or you can cuff me right now, book me, and we'll go talk to the "juez calificador" (don't know how to translate that in english).
he let me go.
you have to stand up to those punks when they get out of line. now, don't cuss them out or call them names. it is against the law to threaten or disrespect a police officer in Tijuana, but that also doesn't mean they can do whatever the hell they want to.
they have rules and regs, and they have an internal affairs department. i tell em all the time "go ahead. take me to jail. we'll see what happens."
they never have in all these years. they bluff you and look for weak people. if they look in your eyes and see that you're weak and scared, they'll take you for whatever you have.
if they look in your eyes and see you're not afraid of them, and you're not going to tolerate any bullshit, then they won't even think twice about messing with you.
That's one tough guy!!!
I'll post the tough guys bail. The T.J. jailhouse is no place to be. Be smart.
it's called the Ministerio Publico. i've been there 3 times. it's like kindergarten in there.
that same mentality of "oh, that's no place to be" is the same reason those cops get your money. they can probably tell you're afraid to go to jail.
now the place you don't want to go is the penn in La Mesa. but that's after a felony conviction etc. if the cops take you in, the farthest you're going is the Ministerio Publico on the corner of Rio Tijuana and Sanchez Taboada.
I have had my issues with tj cops too. The last time I did was when I was driving outta town at night and got pulled over for absolutely nothing. My recollection is that the conversation, in spanish, went like this:
Do you know why i pulled you over?
I know i did nothing wrong - absolutely nothing - and i will not pay you a cent for this.
Calm down. Why are you saying you won't pay me?
Because i did nothing wrong and you had no reason to pull me over like this. And i will not allow anyone to steal from me and if you want we can go to the station right now.
Calm down, calm down, no one is trying to take money from you.
Then why did you stop me. I did nothing wrong. Absolutely nothing.
We are looking for someone who committed a crime and I was checking to make sure it was not you.
It was not me, so can I go now?
Relax, relax, no one is trying to take anything from you.
Thank you. I'm glad. Can I go please?
There were probably a few more unimportant things said, but that was about it.
The night i was there and this happened i was alone and did not need to be at work the next day and no one was waiting for me anywhere and i just decided i did not care if they took me to the jail and i had to go through some nonsense because i knew i had done nothing wrong and i was not going to pay a bribe.
In my case, i did not feel i was "tough" like Tpark, I just felt i wasn't gonna take any crap and i didn't care what it took to prove it and if they wanted to mess with me someone was gonna get in trouble for it somehow.
He let me go.
I think Tpark is right about most of what he wrote. There are limits to what you can say of course, but my experience is the same: letting them know you refuse to bribe them can work.
Another time I made a turn that was a little bad because the highway out of town suddenly went from 3 lanes to 2 and i cut over into the 2nd lane so as not to be forced to exit a place i didn't know where it went. A cop saw me and pulled me over. Altho i didn't think what i did there was illegal or a serious violation of anything, i figured there was a chance i was wrong. So when the cop tole me i cut the lane and was gonaa issue me a tcket i asked him how much it was and if i could pay him the penalty so i could leave and get home. He said ok. He told me, I think, $30 and I pulled out my wallet and took out the cash and he said, "No, no, no. Not like that." And he got kinda nervous and pulled out some ticket booklet and told me to put the money between some pages in the booklet. I did. He took the booklet back, went through it quickly and felt the cash, said thank you and let me go.
That was before the first thing i mentioned here. But after that experience i realized the tj cops are afraid og getting caught taking bribes and realized that someone had to be watching over them for this stuff. I also read on here about some agency that watches over them and that the US State dept is concerned about this at some office there in tj. So I decided I was not gonna put up with their bullshit anymore and when i got pulled over the next time and knew i had done nothing wrong, i decided i was gonna test this out. It worked for me that time. So that's why i think Tpark is right.
another good example.
i'm not a "tough guy" like someone sarcastically said. it's sad in today's world where if you're not a sissy and you're assertive, then people think you're trying to be a badass or be a "tough guy". not the case at all.
i show respect, i don't use bad language to the police, but i certainly won't tolerate rudeness or unprofessionalism. in my story, the cop putting his hand on his gun is being rude and it's an intimidation tactic. i simply won't tolerate it. not me trying to be a badass, it's me being assertive.
i do the exact same thing in the States. "sir, we're going to search your vehicle."
"oh no, you're not."
"look, we can do this the easy way, or the hard way."
"well, i prefer the legal way myself."
that was about 3-4 years ago in the States. there's never any excuse for law enforcement to try and force anything on you that is not to the letter of the law, and there's absolutely no reason for them to show any disrespect, or intimidation. bottom line.
take it how you will.
Its just not worth it unless your planning a day trip.
I always go during the day.
That, or just get a hotel in TJ for the night.
But above all, just stand up to the cops and don't let them intimidate you into giving them money. If they stop you while you're in town and ask you to "put your hands on the wall" or on a vehicle, your first move should be to take your wad of money out of your pocket and hold it in your hand while you put your hands where they tell you.
First, this ensures that they won't be able to take your money out of your pocket; they'll have to take it from your hand if they want to count it or anything. But they're unlikely to do so, since this is a move that shows you KNOW that they will mess with your money if given the chance, and they will be less likely to do so.
I can't agree with that advice about your first move being to take your wallet out of your pocket. That sounds very, very risky to me!! A cop doesn't know what's in your pocket and can be legitimately concerned about what the heck you're getting in there! Scaring cops is how people doing nothing wrong can end up dead. If the cop really wants to steal from you, do you think he's gonna be afraid of taking it from your hand instead of your pocket?! If he's that crooked, he ain't gonna care. I don't think most are that bad...some are, no doubt but i get the feeling that there are usually limits and ingrained ideas about how far to go and that pushing for a bribe from a gringo is considered ok by many or even most but actually putting a hand in a pocket is the kind of thing a street punk does and not a cop and i think there is a real distinction to most of them...but the ones who are this crooked and low likely aren't gonna care what part of your body or clothing they need to steal from.
-- Modified on 6/29/2007 5:30:19 PM