I was heading North today 4-27-08 around 11:30 am on Ruta 14, Entre Rios when I was stopped exactly at Kilometer 341 where there is a permanent police checkpoint.

Thanks to GatoGato´s post on the subject I was ready for crooked cops in this region and had been planning my strategy and preparing Spanish phrases for the problem.

There were at least 3 officers present and two working the North bound lane.

I introduced myself, stated my name and asked politely for the officer´s name. He immediately looked irritated and identified himself only as ¨Jose¨.

He proceeded to tell me my luggage was too wide and that I needed to pay a fine.

I responded that I thought the fine for a fire extinguisher was more popular here.

He looked at me very strangely and said he knew more about the law than I did.

I responded that I always respected the law and the police.

He repeated his demand for money pointing at my bag. I told him I had done nothing wrong.

He asked for his fine again and I told him that many people had told me there were ¨problems¨ at Kilometer 341. He looked a little surprised and sarcastically called out to his friend that people were talking about the police at Kilometer 341. His friend did not laugh and looked uncomfortable.

Yes, I repeated, in fact at least 5 people in Buenos Aires had told me there were ¨problems with the police¨ here at Kilometer 341. I said I´d never had any trouble with the dozens of other police I´d met in Argentina.

At this point he looked disgusted and told me to leave.

WOOT!!!!!

There is no dirtier feeling than being screwed by a dirty cop and no better feeling than beating one at his own game in a second language.

I went 30 KM down the road and met some other police who were friendly and waived me through. I stopped and picked an older one to talk with. I told him about the demands for money. He looked at my bags and said nothing was wrong with them.

Then I told him GatoGato´s story about the pistol in the bathroom and said somebody should do something about the corruption at Kilometer 341.

WooHoo! What a great story, the HUBB strikes again! I was following the original story and now your follow-up really is the icing.

Regards

Nigel in NZ

__________________
The mouth of a perfectly contented man is filled with . -- 2200 BC Egyptian inscription

So the thread should really be, "No way, Jose."

Well done!!! You've done us all proud.

Corruption is a word that translates almost without change in many languages (French, Spanish, German) and the police do NOT like to be called that, face to face.

Tim

__________________
"For sheer delight there is nothing like altitude; it gives one the thrill of adventure
and enlarges the world in which you live," Irving Mather (1892-1966)

Wow!! LONG LIVE THE HUBB !!!

I just love it when they are caught in their own twisted schemes! I speak the language like a native, yet have at times not been able to get out of something without a little grease.

You know, the best part is that his other cop ;friends' are distancing themselves from him now because they are waiting for the hammer to fall!

__________________
http://www.aroundtheblockmotoadventures.com/
'We build the bike (in Peru) for your Epic Ride of South America.'

Wow, this is great Laser Jock. That was very smart to prepare those phrases ahead of time. I am sure that they are crapping their pants at that checkpoint now.

I went to the federal police in Posadas to report the incident but they had just closed when I got there. I will report it when I go back to Buenos Aires.

Long live the Hubb, and Comraderie!

Hey Toby, those other police also had their hands in the cookie jar too. I think it is probably just one guy who is doing all the talking and gun pointing but I have no doubt that the other police at that checkpoint are very crooked too.

__________________
http://www.journeyrider.net Latin America blog (07-8)

Nice...Sweet...Vakano...

__________________
How much does a man live, after all?
Does he live a thousand days, or one only?
For a week, or several centuries?
How long does a man spend dying?
What does it mean to say “forever”? - Pablo Neruda

I have been travelling in South America quite a while.
Argentina is definately getting worse. I travelled from Santiago to Buenos Aires yesterday. I was stopped 6 times in Argentina and 4 of those asked for money.
My Spanish becomes "no entende" and lots of smiles.
The 341 cops are a joke, the locals pay just to save trouble, as everyone knows everone elses business.
But in the last 5 years I have noticed a growth industry in this situation.
Will let you know what happens on the way back to Santiago.
The_Gypsy

__________________
The Gypsy
Second star on the right.
Then straight on till morning.

Hi
I just got nailed by the "boys in blue" at Corrientes.

There is a Police booth just as you leave town (before the bridge to Resistencia). I was waved to the side. Lots of "no entiendo etc" but to no avail. They started off with the bizarre fine of 100 litres of fuel (which would be about £100), this then got reduced to Ps425. The guy was desperate to "not" write the ticket. After 40 mins I just couldn't be bothered to fight it any more. I put my hand in my pocket with about Ps120 and said that's all i have got. That was good enough for him and I went.

i did take some photos of the two Coppers at one point and they nearly went balistic!

Sorry to give in as I know it makes it harder for the next guy passing through.

What I will say that this is the first time in 10 months around the whole of South America so i suppose I should count myself lucky

BTW watch your speed in and around Crodoba - they are strict (and not crooked by all accounts).

we got stopped here too back in january 2009 heading north at the same check point. we were asked to go into the little station where a policeman tried to sting us for a 360 pesos fine for overtaking on double yellow lines which we had not done. we were two bikes at the time and he could not tell us which bike it was that had infringed. i asked for evidence that we had done this and he obviously could not produce anything so we refused to pay and said that it was illegal what he was asking from us.

his next angle was the paperwork, asking for insurance papers. we just handed over photocopies of our ozzie rego papers in english and said that these were international insurance papers...he could not read english and got pretty frustrated and soon gave up on us and sent us on our way. whatever you do, don´t hand over your passport as they could easily hold you for it.

From a Chilean forum (sorry for the Spanish):

Así es amigos. Es el colmo !!!!!!!!!!.

Sorry a mis amigos argentinos por lo que viene, pero no tiene nada que ver con la gente, que se portó EXCELENTE !!!!!.

El día lunes 5 de enero íbamos saliendo al medio día rumbo a Colonia (Uruguay) y nos fiscalizaron 2 veces en menos de 2 horas la policía Argentina. La primera vez en Buenos Aires, y la segunda ya en carretera. En ambas ocasiones la opción era "pagar la multa en el lugar"......
Nos buscaban cualquier cosa, si hasta nos pidieron botiquín y EXTINTOR !!!!!!....
Que la póliza de seguro no servía, PERO COMO, SI INGRESAMOS POR LIBERTADORES CON ESA PÓLIZA Y NADIE NOS DIJO NADA !!!!!!.

En realidad es el colmo. GASTAMOS MÁS DE 300 pesos argentinos en COIMAS entre ambos controles.Y todo en menos de 2 horas !!!!!!!.
Para que saquen las cuentas, un peso argentino son $ 200.- pesos chilenos........ SI ....... $ 60.000.- PESOS CHILENOS EN 2 CONTROLES !!!!!!!!!!!.

Luego de eso decidimos volver de inmediato, ya que en el control de carretera (el primero que nos encontrábamos ) tenían una fila de vehículos detenidos como si fuera una fila de supermercado...... todos listos a pasar por caja.

Literalmente nos asaltaron !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Y peor aún, era imposible evitar el asalto. Si hasta tuvieron el descaro de preguntarnos "cuanto tenés ???":

En Buenos Aires:

Policía : "la multa sale $ 500 pesos, si pagás ahora te puede salir por $ 200 "....
Yo : "tengo $ 70 pesos, nada más.......!!!! no hemos podido cambiar ".
Policía : " Eso es muy poco. Tenés pesos chilenos ???".
Yo : " como 20 mil......"
Policía : " esta bien, con los 70 pesos y los 20 mil alcanza..... mirá que si te paso la multa son como 500 pesos y no podés salir del pais."

En carretera:

Policía : "Documentos de la moto, botiquín y extintor......".
Yo: "QUE ?!?!?!".
Policía : "Sha le dije, Documentos de la moto, botiquín y extintor !!!!! ".
Yo : " no tengo extintor ni botiquín, en chile no es necesario ....... "
Policía : " en Chile podrá ser, pero acá es necesario y debe portarlo. Le voy a tener que sacar una multa......además este no es el papel del seguro..... debe ser una hoja verde del seguro del tratado del Mercosur....."
Yo: "Con ese papel pasé la aduana de Los libertadores, en Orcones. y nadie me puso problemas !?!?!?!".
Policía : "Este papel no es y además esta mal extendido..... voy a tener que pasarle otra multa. Además en cualquier control que le hagan se lo van a rechazar."
Yo: "Pero como si con ese papel ingresé a Argentina hace una semana y no me pusieron problemas !?!?!?!!......... Nadie me dijo nada sobre una hoja verde....".
Policía : "acompañemé a la oficina y lo arreglamos....".
En la oficina:
Policía : "Podés pagar la multa acá. Cuanto tenés ??? ".
Yo: "(otra vez no !!!!) Ya no tengo plata , nos controlaron en Buenos Aires y ya no me queda plata. Tenemos lo justo para ira a Colonia y volver......"
Policía : "No van a poder pasar a Uruguay sin el papel verde. Los van a multar en cada control carretero...... preguntále a tu señora y vean cuanto tienen para pagar la multa acá. Andá.... "

PUTA QUE RABIA WN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Al final otro tanto entre pesos argentinos que teníamos para bencina y pesos chilenos.

En ese mismo instante decidimos volver. A la 1:30 de la tarde y a 40 Km de Uruguay.

Este es un pequeño resumen del por qué volvimos 4 dias antes de Argentina. La verdad...... YA NO NOS QUEDABA MAS PLATA PARA ESTAR ALIMENTANDO A ESOS DESGRACIADOS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

__________________
Ya verás como quieren en Chile al amigo cuando es forastero (traditional song)

Jose Pedro Espinosa
Santiago, Chile

Dude, I feel your pain.

Hombres sin Honor y sin Verguenza !!

Estimado Dias de Playa:

Si consideras que tenes todo en regla, solo tenes que decirles que hagan la multa, acto seguido te negas a firmarla y a seguir viaje, no pasa nada con eso y como saben que la multa no la pueden hacer porque lo que te estan pidiendo (matafuegos-botiquin) no es exigible por ley de transito, no la hacen nunca.
Lamentablemente la policia caminera es asi, tratan de sacar plata a culaquiera, pero cuando se encuentran con alguien que no les de cabida y tiene todo en orden, no les queda mas remedio que dejarte seguir.
Saludos
Fabio

Stbarnett, You posted:

"I had the copy of my Panama car insurance, appropriately doctored to include my bike (thank you PhotoShop) and include an ¨international coverage endorsement¨, and an appropriate Panama document stamp to make it look official, so he accepted that."

In Mexico, I worked for 3 years part time for the International Red Cross, (Cruz Roja) one of my duties was to visit citizens of the United States being held in Mexican jails.

I base what I write here upon heart wrenching personal observations of how quickly, even a well respected motor vehicle insurance company, can find a legality (illegal title transfer for example) to abandon and avoid paying the liabilities of their "clients."

In the event of an accident with substantial property damage and/or personal injury, in most Latin American countries, all persons involved (especially foreign tourists) go directly to jail. The reason being the police on the streets are not authorized to determine fault. Foreign tourists stay in jail until bailed out by their insurance agent or after a judge verifies their insurance coverage.

I visited many foreign tourists, at fault and not at fault in motor vehicle accidents, month after month as they waited in horrid conditions, for their turn on the impossibly over burdened Mexican court docket, for their sentencing or release from jail by a judge.

Most foreign tourists with valid vehicle insurance were released immediately or within a few days.

You might be able to avoid more contact with corrupt police if you purchase a valid motorcycle insurance policy. In Argentina a basic liability policy for motorcycles costs about $25.00 USD per month.

Eat, Drink and Be Careful xfiltrate

__________________
Motorcycle Parking Buenos Aires, Argentina
www.xfiltrate.com
Discover how to legally Buy, Tour and Sell a motorcycle in Argentina

Hi
I would just compare this situation to any other EU country.Why not?
Imagine to enter from a non EU into it with no valid insurance,they would put your vehicle on a truck and secure it into parking lot untill you pay the fine and show a valid insurance.
I know its tempting to travel as cheap as posible.....but reality show up once you have some problem.I don´t even risk to go to any mercosur country without the "green" extention.If someone does i would say he is just stupid.And dirty cops know that.That is why the stupid guy must pay and feed the vultures!Untill he learns his lessons.
My experience shows that having at least a minimum on legality pays out.
As said its tempting to ride as cheap as posible.....just calculate insurance into the budget.
Karl

__________________
http://vientoderipio.blogspot.com/
America is a nice continent,not a country.All people who lives in this continent are americans.Discover it in peace!

Hola a todos, lamentablemente la policia de Entre Rios, por donde pasa la 14 es muy corrupta, siempre inventan algo
exceso de Equipaje
Alta velocidad
Manejo imprudente
etc, etc.

Tengan cuidado los que pueden actuar sobre la autovia, son los moviles policiales "camineros" con los laterales pintados a cuadros y los agentes de verde "gendarmeria", estos ultimos menos corruptos....
Cuidado con los moviles policiales "blancos", son los de los policias de los pueblos de la zona, que se instalan en la ruta y desvios sin autorizacion de los superiores, para sacar dinero o electronicos.(son los mas peligrosos)
Lo mejor es asustarlo simulando la grabacion "oculta" de la conversacion con un celular
Nunca apartarse de la autovia, si lo hacen de dia y acompañados y solo a la ciudad de "concepcion"
Varios lugares pueden ser evitados, por los caminos rurales y una ronda de unos 7 KM , ver el Google Map.
De ultima traer algun billete extranjero falso, los brutos, no saben distinguir....
Lamentablemente yo vivo en la zona....
Estoy harto de lo que le hacen a los amigos viajeros.....
cualquier consulta a disposicion, no todos los argentinos somos iguales