Vialidad on periferico today

We were driving on the periferico returning to Costco on Lopez Mateo after showing our friend where the ETN bus station was in Zapopan and were pulled over by a Vialidad. We were in the center lane and a Vialidad came up behind us after being on the side of the road and flashed his lights for us to pull over. Our truck is South Dakota plated with current tags. My husband is fluent in Spanish and asked why he stopped us. The officer indicated he wanted to check our papers for the truck to be sure we were authorized to have it in the country. Our TIP is 2010 and he said he needed to see our visa to be sure it was current. After much discussion, he let us go and two minutes down the road he had pulled over another vehicle...California plated. We saw many Vialidad out on that stretch this morning and appeared they were targeting Foreign plated vehicles. Just an FYI..

Elehne1, did you show him your visa/INM cards??? Or did you refuse and that's what the discussion was about.

For years, there have been ongoing discussions on just who is and who isn't allowed to ask about immigration documents and your TIP.  Certainly everyone if free to handle this anyway they wish but it has been our policy to have all info at the ready for any checkpoints or pullovers being managed by the Federales, the Military, the State or even local police.  I can honestly say that other than Aduana - not a single one of these agencies have even taken the info to examine the documents!  For us, it is the same as having a list prepared for US Customs when crossing into the US.  The assumption is made that you have nothing to hide when you volunteer right up front.  We could care less who is right or wrong in demanding documents but we do care about being sent on our way with absolutely no troubles!  In 15+ years and probably driving 40K to 70K miles in Mexico - we have never been issued a single ticket and feel confident that we can keep it that way in the future through attitude!

OH and we have never paid mordida to get out of a ticket!

Trailrunner wrote:Elehne1, did you show him your visa/INM cards???  Or did you refuse and that's what the discussion was about.

Hi,
The officer was polite as was my husband and we showed him our documents provided by Spencer which we had, however, our recently received renewed residente temporal original cards had been left at home in error.  The officer understood we know to carry them and had forgotten them.  No mordida has ever been paid and we have not had any problems driving in Mexico.  I just wanted to let folks know today they seemed to be targeting foreign plates and checking if the documents were in order for the vehicle to legally be in Mexico.  The officer indicated as the TIP is tied to the Visas...he can ask to see them.  Hope this helps.  Note, we got home and put our residente temporal Visa cards in our wallets.  

CheenaGringo wrote:For years, there have been ongoing discussions on just who is and who isn't allowed to ask about immigration documents and your TIP.  Certainly everyone if free to handle this anyway they wish but it has been our policy to have all info at the ready for any checkpoints or pullovers being managed by the Federales, the Military, the State or even local police.  I can honestly say that other than Aduana - not a single one of these agencies have even taken the info to examine the documents!  For us, it is the same as having a list prepared for US Customs when crossing into the US.  The assumption is made that you have nothing to hide when you volunteer right up front.  We could care less who is right or wrong in demanding documents but we do care about being sent on our way with absolutely no troubles!  In 15+ years and probably driving 40K to 70K miles in Mexico - we have never been issued a single ticket and feel confident that we can keep it that way in the future through attitude!

OH and we have never paid mordida to get out of a ticket!

We know there has been much discussion and my husband did ask why he was inquiring as to our immigration documents and his response was the TIP showed 2010 and he needs to confirm the vehicle is authorized to be in Mexico....therefore needed to see current visa.  We, too have driven many years in Mexico and never paid mordida nor received a ticket.  We always have our documents ready. This time, we just did not have our recently received renewed residente temporal cards.

elehne1:

I certainly wasn't suggesting that you did anything wrong. However, many expats seem to like being able to stand on principles and attempting to force local authorities to adhere to a fine definition of what they perceive is or isn't allowed. One can often times gain the upper hand by not waiting to be asked when one acts out of pattern by volunteering something before even being asked? This is an offensive move without being confrontational.

I live in Tlaquepaque and have South Dakota plates.  I travel many times per week to Tonala.
I am stopped an average of 2-3 times per month & asked for my papers. The Transitos have always been polite, and no indication  mordida is necessary.
Unlike the police Lakeside.  I have been stopped & demanded mordida, and
in Jocotopec by the police.  In Union de Tula, the Federales confiscated my vehicle, and  took me to the doors of the jail.
Cost me 7,000 pesos mordida to the Federal Ministerio Publico for release of vehicle.  In fourteen years , I have paid enough mordida to the Police to buy another car.
In summary, the Transitos in Tonala , have been a breath of fresh air.

sundown wrote:I live in Tlaquepaque and have South Dakota plates.  I travel many times per week to Tonala.
I am stopped an average of 2-3 times per month & asked for my papers. The Transitos have always been polite, and no indication  mordida is necessary.
Unlike the police Lakeside.  I have been stopped & demanded mordida, and
in Jocotopec by the police.  In Union de Tula, the Federales confiscated my vehicle, and  took me to the doors of the jail.
Cost me 7,000 pesos mordida to the Federal Ministerio Publico for release of vehicle.  In fourteen years , I have paid enough mordida to the Police to buy another car.
In summary, the Transitos in Tonala , have been a breath of fresh air.

Two to three times a month?You must have bad luck.
I live halfway between Tlaquepaque and Tonala,off of Rio Nilo ,drive a Tacoma with expired Utah plates and have only been stopped twice in the last nine years.
Why did the Federales confiscate your vehicle?

Here we go again!  Some people have all the luck?

Sundown:

Please feel free to make you standard "shoot the messenger post" but your latest claim is beyond believe unless you are possibly the world's worst driver? I have known people NOB that I wouldn't even think of climbing in the passenger's seat (where police enforcement can be far greater than Mexico) who don't have near the problems that you claim with the police! Are you holding your mouth wrong or do you have a problem with extending negative looks toward people in a position of authority?

CheenaGringo wrote:elehne1:

I certainly wasn't suggesting that you did anything wrong.  However, many expats seem to like being able to stand on principles and attempting to force local authorities to adhere to a fine definition of what they perceive is or isn't allowed.  One can often times gain the upper hand by not waiting to be asked when one acts out of pattern by volunteering something before even being asked?  This is an offensive move without being confrontational.  

I know you did not suggest we had done anything wrong, just thought I should clarify the experience today.   

The Federales confiscated my vehicle because they wanted Mordida.
All of my papers were in order. AND, I had a copy of Articula 106.

The Commandante stated the laws were not important, that he had the power in that area. A Mexican person was with me and called the
US Consulate. (No help, not interested).

Viajero, I live in the same area. The times that I am stopped is in the late PM, and most of the time a Mexican is with me.

i think sundown needs an avatar and this is perfect-SNORK!

sundown wrote:
Viajero, I live in the same area. The times that I am stopped is in the late PM, and most of the time a Mexican is with me.

Well,we certainly have had different experiences,I too drive at night and have only been stopped by transitos twice in nine years,whereas you get pulled over two to three times a month,at that rate I would have been pulled over more than 200 times by now..
I didn't know we were neighbors,maybe we can do lunch sometime,I'll drive..

And don't wear a sombrero.........jajaja.