Green Angels and police monitor CB channels?

Hi folks.

My wife and I will be doing some extended RV'g down in Mexico (and CA) and are deciding whether or not to equip our vehicle with a CB radio, (old school!).

Can anyone tell me if the Green Angels in Mexico monitor CB channels, (in addition to answering the 078 hotline telno)?

Ditto for police? For instance, does anyone know if staff at the police station in Chapala monitor CB channels?

Any current info or links regarding this would be greatly appreciated!

Ricardo

The police?? what for?

We consider ourselves fortunate if the police answer the telephone at the Chapala station.

Why doesn't someone locally with a CB radio give it a shot and report back. Think I'll bring my old CB down. Channel 16 is Universal I think. Sailors always use it approaching a port to contact port authorities. Mx truckers must use it to communicate. I doubt your Spanish would have to be that fluent considering most long haul Mx drivers would need a little Spanglish, especially cross border.

I believe I have seen on the back of police vehicles "CB xx". I don't remember the number of the channel. I doubt Mexican CBers would adhere to US emergency channel standards but have their own. In the US channel 9 is for emergencies, 17 for north-south hwys and 19 for east-west hwys.

Thanks for the responses so far, everyone.
Gamina's observation regarding CBXX on police vehicles interests me. If anyone does notice the channel number posted on their vehicles, please make a mental note and reply with the number. And yes, I've heard that CB protocols are not as strictly enforced in MX as elsewhere; what a shock!
Borderreiver, if you do bring your old CB down, (it's a CB right, not a marine VHF?), I'd be interested in how that works out! If someone replies with the CBxx number Gamina mentions, you could actually attempt
Contact. I have a query in with the Mexonline.com folks regarding the Green Angels so they may come back with a channel number for them that could be tested.

Ummmmm.
What would you say to them IF they responded? Do you speak Spanish? Do you speak Spanish cop lingo? They are not gonna want to chat with you and you probably won't like chatting with them. Additionally, it's probably illegal to "test" an emergency number if there really are CB #s painted on their vehicles or on a bumper sticker they were probably put there in 1981. If you were in the states, would you dial 911 to see if someone answered?

The best, and most telling, response on this thread was from LOL: "We consider ourselves fortunate if the police answer the telephone at the Chapala station." and Brigitte "The police?? what for?"

Sorry, dude, not rippin' on you but most of us try to stay away from the cops, you should too. Mexico might not be what you're anticipating.

Rliptrot, here is a news story that will help you understand the attitude of some expats toward police and why we do not first turn to them for help -- especially not police in an area unknown to us.

http://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/32-police-detained-in-michoacan-city/?utm_source=Mexico+News+Daily&utm_campaign=92a26734c2-May+19&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_f1536a3787-92a26734c2-349496585

Trailrunner wrote:

Sorry, dude, not rippin' on you but most of us try to stay away from the cops, you should too. Mexico might not be what you're anticipating.

Not long ago I was talking with a business owner who lives next door to her business. Her house was broken into one night while they were out. When reviewing the security camera footage when they got home, they saw that the "robbers" were local policemen. Another reason not to trust the police here.

Everytime i drove into or out of mexico i always had a paper and pen near my dash.. as i drove and if i spotted a tow truck i would write down the number in that state.
Make sure your rv tired are in good shape, replace coolant and make sure they purge the system to get any air out of the cooling system. I usually add redlines water wetter just in case.