Are you prepared for this? Those who rent/drive in Mexico live with this as a possibility. It's not the worst that can happen, but it could leave you with a bad taste in your mouth. The demand is for 6,200 pesos. Easiest way to avoid it is to not drive.
There was a post over on TUG a few years back that offered some good tips about renting a car in Mexico. I still have never rented and not sure I would, but some of these tips offer a way to avoid la mordida. Timeshare Users Group Forums - View Single Post - Cancun Bus Service
The point of the link, aside from the author's claim never to have been pulled over by the police in 19 years, is to never break the traffic laws of Mexico. Difficult enough, it seems, because he also advises, just in case, that you, "#6 Move all of your money to a money belt. Keep little/none in your wallet. This goes for your passengers also." The advice contained in the link, while perfectly good, ignores the random stops by all levels of police in Mexico which can affect you no matter how carefully and accurately you observe the traffic laws of Mexico. The police use the power of their office to coerce, in subtle and sometimes not so subtle ways, money from whomever falls into their hands. Various forms of intimidation, well practiced over the years, are employed to put you in a position in which you feel threatened enough, or confused enough, to fall victim. A friend of mine hit a speed bump (tope) at night, on a dark road- unfortunate enough, but then was pulled over; the charge, "speeding," and the explanation, "You must have been speeding or you wouldn't have hit the speed bump." Fearing further trouble she coughed up 200 pesos, even though she wasn't speeding, nor was she breaking any other traffic law of Mexico. That was here in Cancun. People say that the worst are in Playa del Carmen. Perhaps it's so but someone else will have to fill us in.
Item #10 covers those certain situations where, when following traffic laws, you are unfortunate enough to get pulled over. Don't pay the bribe, ask for the ticket or offer to follow the officer to the station to pay the ticket. Do not pay the officer. Take a look at Post #37 of this TripAdvisor thread as it relates to Articulo 152 also discussed in item #10. Show it to the officer when pulled over. In most cases the officer will move on to weaker targets. I thought that was what was going to happen in the video you posted given that the person was aware enough to tape the thing. I am not saying police aren't a problem in Mexico, they are and some do attempt to use intimidation and their position to get people to pay them bribes.
I appreciate you sticking with this topic, Dioxide, and I've now looked at post 37 that you linked. It seems to refer to Articulo 146 which speaks of "courtesy" tickets (apparently similar to a "warning" ticket in the U.S.) for tourists in the Municipality of Solidaridad (Playa del Carmen). Interesting that they singled out Playa for this relief: this fits the pattern I've heard spoken of in which Playa police have been said to be the worst. Playa also happens to be where I had a run in with the law and encountered some shady practices. Do you know where to find Articulo 152 that was spoken of elsewhere? It may do me more good as I'm not a tourist, and I live in Cancun.
Okay. I know this is a long time since my post, but I found this over on the CancunMap site. Is this card included with every rental car you rent in Cancun/Riviera Maya? Cancun car rental: Traffic tickets, article 152
Very useful information, dioxide45, and interesting reading for tourists who drive. Everyone should take a look at this.
This has to be the one thing that it is almost impossible to find any information on. I read a post on TripAdvisor that someone called their rental car company back in 2013 and they indicated that Article 152 program was suspended. But there were mentions that they were going to restart the program. No official word anywhere that I can find.