Traffic Offenses

I'm going to have my first experience dealing with a traffic offense in which I was the offender now, thanks to making a dumb move in front of the cops.

The policeman was courteous, and gave me a ticket in an absolutely normal manner by U.S. standards. I didn't engage him in any small talk.

I'll find out in the next few days how much the official fine was.

The process was similar to what I've encountered in other countries outside the U.S.: they take your license, which you get back when you go to pay the fine. The paper they give you, in which you are cited, acts as a replacement for it until you get yours back, after paying the fine.

 

Thanks, Steve. I'll do that just as soon as possible.

Actually, the policeman told me the same thing. I believe he said pay within the first 15 days, but I'm going to go on Thursday. I expect a line, and a wait, but we'll see.

I'll be curious to see if there is a table of offenses, and the appropriate fine that I can access there: I'll feel better about it if there is.

 

Did I not read earlier this week that the director of police of Cancun just resigned after being exposed for fraud, if that's the case then I would have thought that any police officer at all levels will be watching there backs for a while and your "fine" will be to the peso of the law.

 

The process of paying the fine and getting my license back was fairly straight forward.

I had to go to the police headquarters and get in a line to have the amount of the fine determined (this is done by a clerk, by consulting a table of fines for given offenses); then, to the cashier to pay the fine; then to the window where you submit your paid receipt and get your license back.

I was in the office about 20 minutes.

 

Is the offense and fine a private matter or do you wish to give us some idea of what one might expect?

I would not imagine that there was a posted list of fines per offenses.

Did you get an official receipt?

 

T.J, it was a moving violation, but not something atypical here. It´s just my timing was bad, and there was a cop right there to see it. Me and a million other Mexicans do it, routinely, at intersections, and I´ve just grown accustomed to driving in a Mexican way, here.

From start to finish the whole thing was handled in a professional manner, and I have no complaints.

As for the fine, it was a fraction of what it would have been in the U.S. and I got a 50% discount for prompt payment, just as the policeman said I would.

 

Is it standard practice anywhere in the US to take your license for a violation other than a DWI. I have never had my license taken from me for any moving violation.

 

I agree, Gonzo, I've never heard of that being the practice in the U.S., but it has been in every other country I've lived in. It makes it just a little harder to ignore paying the fine.

 

Not a bad idea really. Take the license and the plates too. Pretty soon you would only see a few plates on cars here.