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sms

Nov 16, 2003, 1:54 PM

Post #1 of 13 (1066 views)

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How to leglly pay a traffic fine?

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Suppose I wanted to legally pay a traffic fine. What is the procedure? Does the police has the right to keep the driver's license until the fine is paid? Where do you pay the fine? One of the reasons why the "immediate settlement" option is attractive for many is that if you don't settle right away, they keep your license (I think) until you pay the fine the next *business day* at the local city office. What if this happens on a Friday pm and you're scheduled to return back home on Sunday? What if you're just passing by? Do you have to alter your travel plans just to be able to legally pay a traffic fine? There's got to be a better way. Any thoughts would be much appreciated!

Rolly

Nov 16, 2003, 2:13 PM

Post #2 of 13 (1059 views)

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Re: [sms] How to leglly pay a traffic fine?

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Traffic fines are a local matter, so you can expect that the rules will vary from place to place, but in general...

The officer will write the ticket, give a copy to you, and staple his copy to your license which he will turn in to the office at the end of his shift. You can go to the office (ask locally where that is) the next day and pay to get your license back. If you get another ticket before you retrieve your license, your copy of the fist ticket becomes your license, and it will be taken away, etc. So when you go to pay up, all your unpaid tickets will be waiting for you in a bundle.

Driving with the ticket as your license only works locally. You can't go out on the highway with that. So if you get a ticket while away from home, you will probably want to pay on the spot.

Because stappling the ticket to the license will leave a pair of holes in the plastic of the license, the officer can feel how many tickets you have had. If he feels a lot of holes, the price for paying on the spot may go way up becausse he knows you may be headed for big trouble with so many tickets. Again. the rules varry, be alert.

Rolly Pirate

E-visit me http://Rollybrook.com
On Facebook as Rolly Brook

sms

Nov 16, 2003, 2:36 PM

Post #3 of 13 (1053 views)

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Re: [Rolly] How to leglly pay a traffic fine?

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Thanks! This means that the system is set up such that one has *no choice* but to pay the mordida if one is travelling away from his normal residence/vacation place, and one does not wish to wait until the next business day... Hmmm...

Why don't they think of a better system, like in the US and Canada, where you pay by mail and still get to keep your license?

esperanza

Nov 16, 2003, 3:55 PM

Post #4 of 13 (1041 views)

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Re: [sms] How to leglly pay a traffic fine?

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If you receive a written ticket and elect to pay on the spot, it is not mordida. You've paid the fine. Usually if a traffic policeman has mordida on his mind, the officer will simply tell you what the 'fine' is and no ticket will be issued. If you want to avoid paying mordida in this situation, ask the officer to go ahead and write you the ticket. He's required to account for what's written in his ticket book.

http://www.mexicocooks.typepad.com

jennifer rose

Nov 16, 2003, 4:18 PM

Post #5 of 13 (1032 views)

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Re: [sms] How to leglly pay a traffic fine?

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In Reply To

Why don't they think of a better system, like in the US and Canada, where you pay by mail and still get to keep your license?

Because Mexico is neither Canada nor the U.S., that's why. We don't write a check for the utility bills and drop them off in the mail in this country. In fact, many, many drivers don't have checking accounts.

You'll understand Mexico more if you make a good faith effort to simply accede to its ways rather than saying "Why don't they think of a better system?"

sms

Nov 16, 2003, 4:39 PM

Post #6 of 13 (1026 views)

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Re: [jennifer rose] How to leglly pay a traffic fine?

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Jennifer,

First, let me sincerely thank you for making this forum available. By far the best information source about
Mexico!

Now, regarding your answer. I think I understand the differences quite well between MX and US/CA. I must have traveled in excess of 15,000 Km throughout Mexico by car, without problems.

My question originated as a result to what I perceived to be an obstacle to wanting to stay legal in dealing with police issues. I, for one, if I were at fault, would much rather pay the fine legally so that the money is spent for the common good. However, I find it interesting to note that the system is set up in such way as to make it inconvenient to stay legal. Think of it from the motorist's perspective: you can pay 300 pesos right away, or wait till Monday morning and pay 700 pesos at some government office. Even if I wanted to pay the $700, I may elect to pay on the spot, so I can continue with my travel plans.

You correctly point out that the payment system in Mexico is not based on cheques, and this is an excellent point, which I should have considered before asking the question. However, the spirit of my question stands: why don't they let you pay later (whatever the payment form: cash, cheque, bank transfer, credit), *without* holding on to your driver's license?

Thus, what I really wanted to stress out in my question is that unlike in US or Canada, Mexican police holds on to your driver's license until you pay the fine. It is this difference I wanted to discuss, not the difference in payment systems. I don't think my message was sufficently clear on that point, and I am sorry for the confusion.

Here is the inconvenience (as I see it). If you get stopped in Monterrey on the way to DF on a Friday afternoon, you have to wait in Monterrey until Monday morning just so you can legally pay the fine and get your drivers license back. A possible improvement would be to let you hold on to your license, and let you pay at any Banamex branch (say) within a week. This way, you don't get stuck in one place for a few days. Don't you think this may make more people consider the legal option instead of the convenience of paying on the spot without receipt? In the end, everyone could be better off. Just a thought...

HHERRINGTON

Nov 16, 2003, 4:42 PM

Post #7 of 13 (1022 views)

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Re: [sms] How to leglly pay a traffic fine?

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In Reply To

Why don't they think of a better system, like in the US and Canada, where you pay by mail and still get to keep your license?

----------------------------------------------------

Life is too complicated to be expressed in one liners.

Nick

Nov 16, 2003, 6:42 PM

Post #8 of 13 (996 views)

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Re: [esperanza] How to leglly pay a traffic fine?

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Have to be carefull with asking for the citation instead of paying on the spot. A couple of months ago my brother-in-law (born, raised, works and lives near Guadalajara) demanded a ticket then heard the motor officer call for a tow truck. He was told the decision was his. Pay on the spot for the offense without a citation or have his truck impounded and be without it for a few weeks AND receive the citation.

He paid on the spot and drove away.

The measure of a person is determined by the way he accepts responsibility for his actions.

Don

Nov 16, 2003, 7:01 PM

Post #9 of 13 (992 views)

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Re: [sms] How to leglly pay a traffic fine?

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A couple of years ago I received a traffic ticket in Zopopan, Jalisco. The officer gave me the ticket , returned my license to me and I paid the fine in the my town of Sayula, Jalisco, at the government office where we pay for and renew our car plates every year.

Guapo Gabacho

Nov 16, 2003, 7:11 PM

Post #10 of 13 (990 views)

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Re: [HHERRINGTON] How to leglly pay a traffic fine?

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On Sept. 18, 1999 I was stopped in a Mexican rental car on the Southern side of Guadalajara's periferico, cruce con acueducto for having the nerve to pass a Jalisco State Police car. I did my recommended total no Spanish routine while he pointed at my speedometer and then got his rules book and handed it to me pointing to the part about limite de velocidad Art. 166 Fraccion 02. I just shrugged my shoulders and said repeatedly tourist, tourist. He got angry and said “I give you ticket”. He wrote me one, but did not take the duplicate Georgia license I carried just for such an occasion nor ask me to sign it . The ticket, which is framed on my wall, has a chart on it for me to pay based on the infraction code and the number of days until paid. My costs would have been:

1- 5 DIAS HABILES $192.00

6-14 DIAS HABILES $288.00

15 DIAS HABILES EN ADELENTE $384.00

So some do allow you to pay legally later, but I passed on making an offer of settlement on the spot and paying at la oficina de inconformidades de la secretaria de vialidad y transporte. Could it be that the hardest part of paying legal is getting them to write a ticket and not just act like they are, for the people watching, while they offer to pay the judge for you tomorrow?

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors, we borrow it from our Children.

(This post was edited by Guapo Gabacho on Nov 16, 2003, 7:16 PM)

Rolly

Nov 16, 2003, 8:41 PM

Post #11 of 13 (972 views)

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Re: [Guapo Gabacho] How to leglly pay a traffic fine?

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Since I have been living in Lerdo, I have had 7 encounters with the traffic cops.

I ran a red light and nearly caused an accident. For that one the motorcycle cop never made the slightest move to ask for or accent anything. He wrote the ticket and took my license in a very professional manner. $270 NM

Two more times I was stopped for a "traffic violation" of a rather unclear nature and no ticket book was produced by either guy while I was being urged to buy lunch or a coke. I pleaded no money and no españpl only this 20 peso bill that I keep squired away with my license -- a trick I learned in Chicago.

And once I was stopped by foot cop for a very minor thing. I had my pit bull dog sitting on the seat with me. When the cop saw the dog, he wouldn't come up to the window. I told him no español, so he waved me on. I've since become friends with him; nice guy.

Three other times I have been stopped for DWG (driving while gringo). The first time I ended up giving the guy 5 pesos after I kept him standing in the hot sun for 10 minutes -- that was almost fun. The other two times I pleaded ignorance and no money. It worked.

When a friend was here visiting from El Salvador, we went down town to get a case of beer. The beer store has a No Parking curb in front, but I often park there. This day a cop was standing in the street, so I told my friend to ask the cop if we could park for a minute to get beer. We did, and my friend bought a coke and took it out in the street to the cop. “Why did you do that?” “He said we could park here if I’d buy him a coke.” We had a good laugh when I explained what the cop wanted.

Rolly Pirate

E-visit me http://Rollybrook.com
On Facebook as Rolly Brook

Carron

Nov 17, 2003, 3:42 PM

Post #12 of 13 (900 views)

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Re: [Rolly] How to leglly pay a traffic fine?

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We live in an almost "anything goes" tourist town just across the border from Texas. Only recently has the local law required seat belts. (Very few locals comply.) The tourist strip is a five block one way street incoming and to get out of town there is a right hand turn back onto the only street that returns to the International bridge.

My husband drives an old truck with a Texas license. Several weeks ago he turned the "tourist" corner to head back to the US and did not have on a seat belt. A police officer (local traffic control) stopped him and asked for $20 US because he was not wearing a seat belt. Joe told him he did not have the money. Then the officer asked for his dirver's license to keep until the fine was paid. He showed his license but did not remove it from his wallet. Joe also explained that he was not a tourist and lived here in Acuña. He could not surrender his license because he was going to Del Rio to cash his paycheck. The officer then said, very agreeably, and in English, Have a Good Day, Mr. Joe.

A neighbor later told us that a regular fine for a seat belt infraction is not $20 US but only 80 pesos or less than $8 dollars. Nevertheless we now are careful to put on our belts at least past the tourist corner!

alex .

Nov 18, 2003, 7:36 AM

Post #13 of 13 (859 views)

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Re: [Carron] thats an important point, Carron

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That the cost of paying the fine, in the most official manner, is often very much less costly than the expedited approach.
Alex