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

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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!

For the most part, I agree. I'll buy a week's worth or a month's worth of insurance for the countries in which I travel voluntarily, because it seems like a good idea just in case. However....

At the moment I'm in Peru, where insurance is available from just one agency nationwide (SOAT), which apparently will insure only for a yearlong period, at a cost of 600 soles, which is over US$200. That's too much money, so I'm taking my chances. In transiting Serbia I was forced to buy minimal coverage for, AFAIR, 90 euros; in that case, too, I would've gone without had I any choice.

In other countries I've been unable to even find insurance for sale: Ukraine comes to mind, where no one I asked would insure and American rider on an American bike. In Albania I didn't find insurance until I was on the verge of leaving the country....and it cost an unacceptable amount of money anyway. It's not always as simple as "buy insurance just in case."

The age when I routinely drove uninsured (and sometimes unregistered, unlicensed and unsafely) is long past me, thank god. This is part of what "older and wiser" is supposed to signify.

Mark

(departing Huaraz, Peru)

Mark
I know,some times by crossing borders there is no chance to get any insurance at all! We are still to far away to say just buy cheap reliable insurance at the border!!!!!!
It would make things a bit safer and easier what?
Take care and avoid corrupt cops in Peru.......
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!