SO YOU GOT PULLED OVER:  It’s very easy to commit a traffic violation in Cabo…so many of the one way streets are not marked  (see my Navigating Cabo Blog).  The fact that you, in most cases, need to be in the left hand lane of the access road in order to make a left hand turn doesn’t help either. Gee, then you only have to cross over 4 lanes of traffic! (Only downtown in a few areas are you allowed to make a left turn from the main street).  Pay attention because if you miss your exit to the access road you will have to drive about 3-5 miles farther before you can turn around. My friends laugh at me because I drive the access road most of the time…I get on at Wal-Mart and go to wherever I need to go.  Now I don’t have to worry about getting on and off when I need to turn or exit.  Check out the on/off ramps and you will understand why I think it is safter to just drive the access roads.

Should you get pulled over, the officer will probably ask for your driver’s license.  By law, they cannot take this but as one officer told me…”You’re in our country now”. If you want to give it a try, here it is in spanish: Es la ley. Yo no tengo que darle mi  licensia. It probably won’t work. All in all, the whole system has gotten a lot better in the last few years and an effort is being made to clean up the police force.  If an officer does take your license, he will issue a ticket and you can get your license back by going to the police station out on the Todos Santos road; you pay your fine and get your license back.  I got a ticket a few months back for driving the wrong way on a one way street.  My fine was $299 pesos (about $25 USD).

Of course there are still police officers out there who are looking for a quick buck…this is called a bribe, or as we affectionately call it, MORDIDA.  Translated this means “ the bite”.  Yes you can pay off certain police officers and a lot of people, tourists and locals alike, do use the mordida system.  I will never add to the problem by paying someone off.  I have always suggested that the officer go with me to police station.  Several times the officer just left..and left me alone.

Hint:  If you rent a car check to make sure that the tags are current and displayed.  If the tags are not current, insist on another car with current tags. The policia love to ticket rental cars and they love to intimidate tourists.

Hint again:  Some of the curbs are painted red and some of them were red at one time but the paint has worn off.  It doesn’t matter if the curb does not look red.  You will either be towed or ticketed.  If you are not around the police will remove your license plate and you will have to go to the police station and pay your fine.  You will get your plate back but don’t count on the screws needed to reattach it.

Hint once again: Use extra caution at the light out on the highway towards San Jose in front of the Pemex station.  There are those very impatient drivers (mostly the taxi drivers) who will make a left hand turn from the right hand lane.

That being said…I watched a friend of mine’s accountant make an illegal turn and get broadsided…he deserved it and I didn’t even feel bad for him. I bet he won’t do that again.  Costly lesson.

I once saw a bumper sticker: Be Alert…the world needs more lerts. That tickled me.  Seriously,
                                                                      

                                                                     BE ALERT!