For those in town, you know that Cancun is trying to step up it's efforts in combating driving under the influence... They are advertising check stops, and fines, etc... I have to admit years ago you'd never have seen a check-stop, and if you did all it took was $10 to get you out of it. Drunk or not.
Now, this is a touchy subject, and NO I do not tolerate, nor promote driving drunk. Everyone knows that it's wrong, but I do know most of us have driven after having a drink or two. I'm really not sure what the legal limit here is to be honest, but I had to share this experience.
On Saturday night hubby and I were driving home around 3am from a friends house, we both had been having a few drinks throughout the evening, and were stopped in a check stop on the way home. This was our experience. All vehicles are asked to pull over. The police officer then asks the driver to blow in his hand, and then he smells his own hand, and decides whether or not you are drunk?? YES, I said you blow your breath in his hand, and that's it, and we were on our way. LIKE really???
Now I'm all for keeping the drunks off the road, but how the hell do they expect that to work?? I mean, I guess you'll really know when you see the person or speak to them, but is that seriously all they have? It can't be....
Oh, and while we are on the subject. Cancun also has a new police force that is supposed to be "better", and supposedly are not taking any bribes, etc... Well just the other night my friend told me he was driving home, and had a few drinks, no drivers licence on him, and he was stopped at a check stop to. What did he have to do? Pay $100 pesos, and be on his way. Glad to know things are changing..... I mean I know he wasn't drunk, but he said he didn't want to give them shit because he didnt' have a licence and didnt' want to get in trouble later.
This is supposed to be the NEW and IMPROVED police force.... Is this happening in your area(s) of Mexico?? I'm curious....
11 comments:
haha.. how funny! Although, I guess you can catch an extremely intoxicated individual that way?
My friends get pulled over all the time when leaving the Hotel Zone late at night, especially weekends. Totally understandable. I've seen the "blow here" test a few times. However, usually they just tell you if you're drunk or not.
Once, a friend got pulled over on Avenida Chichen Itza for not wearing a seatbelt. The officer saw me in the backseat and asked the driver to see my ID, since apparently it's illegal to have a foreigner in the car with you. Was he trying to protect me (a foreigner in a car with 3 Mexican guys), or trying to get free money? I'll never know.
Mama - I think you are dead on. I think that is the only way they are giong to catch anyone with that method!! Makes you feel safe, doesn't it! LOL!
Gringation - Yes, I'm happy they are putting checkstops at both entrances/exits to the hotel zone! Years ago...never would have happened!! Just makes me mad that with $100mxp you are off the hook!
So what did you do? Give your ID? Did he get money from you guys?
Blow in his HAND?? AAHAHAHAHAH Mexico, Mexico. (GROSS btw, I mean, eewwww!) As for the bribes I don't think they've tried to fix that here. Chino's been pulled over 7 times in the past 11 months and has magicialy never got a ticket. A little lighter in the wallet, but no, no tickets here either.
I showed him my student ID from a local university. My fiance scolded him a bit, and that was the end of that. My driver friend got a ticket! (hurray for justice! he wasn't wearing a seatbelt and didn't have his license with him)
"Blow in my Hand" has to be one of the greatest methods of fighting Drunk Driving ever created. What if you just at a hard boiled egg? Do you get a ticket for the bad smell? Good luck with that.
Ha! "Blow in my hand". That's hilarious. Pull out a 100 pesos and be on your way. soooo Mexico.
Hahahaha, no freaking way!, Here in Guadalajara they use the "alcoholimetro", but the results are as fake as the "blow in my hand" method, because it doesn't matter if your drunk or not, the only thing that matters is if the policeman want a bribe at the time.
It's really unfortunate that American people get to see this ugly side of Mexico, but policeman here is a job you don't look up to, you rather get stick with it.
Classic. Thanks for sharing!
Tulum has a very high tech method of checking if you are drunk or have been drinking. They use a sealed envelope, in which bothe ends have been cut off and you blow in one end and the office smells the other. Works every time.
This story gosh does it ever hit home! My husband had this happen to him but he had to pay a lot more and this ended up making him denied to enter the US to live, he is a danger to my country, my family and me! HA LOL now it may be funny but he is banned for this reason! Oh shit if the US only knew this was how they did it! HA HA
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