Yesterday i had some bad news form one of my friends...shes a mexican here. Her brother who is 26, geeky looking and wouldnt hurt a fly...was walking his dog... (again, the dog is such a softy) on bonampac near to where the new construction is going on late lastnight (sunday). Anyway...he came across a plant he likes...and like i do, and maybe some of you do, he took a small....and i mean a small...maybe an inch of a cutting from the plant. The security guard saw this....and started screaming..."THEAF!!! stop!! your stealling!!" and proceeded to call the police...meanwhile, he was saying calmly to the gaurd, look, its just a cutting, i will put down and be on my way...."no!! its too late" so he got scared and began walking up towards tulum...anyway, check this, 8...yes thats right 8!! police trucks turned up, and about 10-15 police got out....didt say a thing,just that they spoke to the security guard....they threw him and his dog into the truck and began to beat him up....he was trying to save his dog and hugged hiim, and they beat him some more wiht sticks...a guy was walking by and saw this, and said that he didnt do anything, let him go....and he gave him the number to his house, and cried "call my mother or sister" the police head this and beat him harder saying "you want your mommy!!??" after several hard beatings, leaving him with sore brusing all over his body they threw him out....and took his dog to the dog pound. Being sunday it was closed, so they just dumped him in the jungle next to it....luckyly they found the dog alter on, shaken...but ok. Hows about that for a bit of injustice!! what the hell can we do? they cannot get away with this as they so often do.
That's a nasty story, glad to hear there were no serious injuries. I'm not sure there is anything you can do, but I agree that they shouldnt be allowed to get away with it. Those "jobsworth" security guards annoy the hell out of me.
If you need the cops they won't come. When you don't need them they will beat you up... This country is nearly lawless which is part of what makes it a nice place to live (because we are more free) and it's part of what we hate about living here (because there's no such thing as justice).
Whenever I hear stories like this, it angers me that people just accept it as a fact of life.... assuming it is true, there are agencies to report such assaults to, and if he was beaten as you say, he should have viable signs of the beating that can be documented, further, even if he didnt get any of the truck numbers he can still identify the security guard and put pressure on him. It wouldn't hurt to go there and see if there are any security cameras anywhere around that may have caught a bit of it. If there is video the authorities will be forced to take some action. You would think with all of the money the police have here they could afford cameras in the patrol cars.. no? :roll:
Life is right. One of the major reasons that corruption here persists is because of the "cultural habit" of not reporting anything and accepting everything. My understanding of the way bureaucracy works here is if you do file a complaint they are required to follow up on it.
Unless people start taking a stand it will continue til the end of time. Like others said most people accept it as a way of life. Sad thing that happen. I can't even imange the stories that go on day to day down there that no one ever hears about. Poor pay leads down to an easier path of corruption. Tourist seem to be almost at there mercy of the polica. It took the U.S. many many years to overcome mass corruption of Police departments in many cities (still exists today on a smaller level). Citizens have to be the ones to fight back. Though I'm sure in Mexico they don't give you a leg to stand on. Nick and Renee
