So, today Jamie and I headed up to the Super Telebodega (as our two Telebodegas in PdC can't hold a candle to the massive massiveness of the CUN TB). After finding amazing deals on A/Cs and refri's, we decided NOT to go back but instead find our way to Costco from where we were. I normally stick to the same streets in CUN but figure I"m never going to figure out new ways to get around if I don't discover new streets. So we ended up out at Villas del Mar or some residencial. Once I figured out we were quite lost I noticed a good spot to pull a U turn and got in the lane. I stopped, even though the light was green because I though that there *should* be an arrow for me to be able to turn, but all the oncoming traffic was stopped so I thought that maybe there wasn't any flecha. So I did a quick perusal for a transito and pulled the U turn. Almost immediately a transito appeared and the 4 cars that were waiting behind me pulled their U turns. I guess the flecha appeared immediately after I turned. So I pull over and as he starts walking up a 2nd transito appears (both on motos). He starts asking for the car's papers and my license. I play TOTALLY dumb about the car papers because I REALLY REALLY don't want them taken away. I know my license is gone but I figured I really didn't have much choice there. I keep playing dumb about the car's papers and the 2nd transito tells the first, "look at the placa! She's a foreigner" So the 1st transito keeps going on and on about the cars papers, I play dumb and we talk about the ticket, how to get to the station to pay it, how much longer it is going to be open, how the station will radio him and let him know I've paid the ticket and then he'll bring my license to the station, yadda yadda. He was adamant that he did not have to provide me with a license, that my ticket would be my license until I paid it. (I've been told by other folks that the transito is supposed to provide you with a temporary license once they impound your license) So he goes to the back of the van (still running, it's a diesel) and "writes the ticket". So far, not ONE IOTA of sniffing for any kind of mordida. The 2nd transito is chatting me up and keeps going on and on about the papers and finally I say, "You mean this permit?" as I point to the permit stuck to the windshield. His face brightens and he is visibly relieved. He says that the placa could be impounded if I didn't have that. He asks if it is current (It is) and I tell him I also have an FM3 so it didn't really matter that it was current. so now he asks me if I want him to give me a hand with the 1st transito and I'm thinking "AHA! HERE is the mordida" but I"m resolved not to pay anything but the infraction but I figure what the hell, I'll take what I can get so I say, "Sure, buddy! thanks!" and he goes back to Transito no.1 and BRINGS BACK MY LICENSE AND TELLS ME TO BE CAREFUL. I was so shocked that I thanked him adn QUICKLY pulled out before they realized they didn't get the mordida. I totally expected him to race up and pull me over and ask, "didn't you FORGET something???" but he didn't. AND, I got directions to Costco while we were chatting. I'm still puzzled. So I'm watching my rear view mirror and nothing. We take his excellent directions and make it to Home Depot where we buy not one but TWO ACs, one door, 2 windows and a mirror. While we were shopping some HD dude with a lolipop stuck in his mouth says, "my, that's a LOT of merchandise you have there. How about a discount?" and takes us over to (I'm guessing the mayorista area) a counter and writes up a bill that effectively removes IVA from our tab. I saw him do this to one other couple and yet another couple walked up to him and did the same. These other 2 couples didn't have much merchandise - they didn't even have carritos, so go figure there. So, what up, CUN? Youse guys are freaqing me out!
they like to keep you guessing!! the tranchos (Cancun's finest) are a weird bunch, i have heard they like to play with their food, i recommend you play the sweet & innocent because on more than one occasion i have heard of gentlemen like behavior from them, which consists of: slight scolding and not ticketing the female driver and later saying i don't ticket ladies... And on the Home depot guy... i think he needed to put his name on a couple of sales to cover his quota for the day using his employee benefits or something...
Living in foreign countries, I've gone wrong more often when I suspected people were acting out of bad motives; so, I try not to be guilty of that. There is probably nothing irregular in anything that happened in either of these two instances- and the individuals were truly trying to be helpful, or generous- but we (I) too often assume the contrary when we (I) feel a little surprised/uneasy at what's happening around us. Guess I should have put that on a list of New Year's Resolutions, to always first assume people are acting out of good motives! [I do try to practice what I preach, in this regard, it's just easy to slide into the suspicious mode and, occasionally, I do.] In my ten months in Mexico, there have been few, if any, instances of anything happening that wasn't positive, or mainly positive; and nothing I can think of that could be called "bad".
I agree with V. You didn't get a ticket and you got a discount on merchandise and you wonder what is wrong with THEM? LOL Same cop thing happened to me at, I think, the same place and I took the ticket. I always take the ticket. Payment within 5 days gets you a 50% discount. Not sure about the IVA thing but I do know they have started refunding IVA at the airport to foreigners who spend so much money while here.
By the way, Kathy, it's a great story, and I'm glad you shared it with us. We can easily see ourselves feeling as you did- somehow expecting something unfortunate to happen, only to be surprised by the contrary. _____________________ And, Jim, very nice to hear about your approach to dealing with traffic tickets, especially knowing that you're an "old-timer" in Cancun. [Anyone interested in this theme, who is new to the forum, can have a look at this thread, where related subjects (including corruption) were discussed at length, both practically and theoretically.] http://www.cancuncare.com/forum/liv...707-cancun-police-pick-wrong-people-bite.html
thanks everyone. I really did post mainly to show that the transitos do have some good apples. Or maybe they DO just like playing with their food. I had my best transito experience in Tepic, where we knew nothing about laterals and were dragging a big ass trailer behind us in the middle lanes and we were LOST in the middle of town. A pickup next to us at a red light told us that some police wanted us to wait - that they were trying to move up in the traffic to get to us. They finally made it, ascertained what our problem was (stupidity? ) and gave us a grand escort, 2 motos and 1 car, through town to the camping place. We offered them payment (didn't think of a Coke) but they declined saying it was just their job.
