# U.S. plated vehicle owner threatened by police in D.F.



## Rodrigo84 (Mar 5, 2008)

Graban amenaza de policía a automovilista - El Universal - DF

Can't imagine what paperwork they must have been missing.

For foreigners driving in the area, there is a local law known as the Reglamiento Transito Metropolitano. The only thing that it requires is your tarjeta de circulación (vehicle registration card),your driver's license and vehicle insurance. Though on vehicle insurance, though it is a local requirement, there is ironically no fine for not having it.

The police can't even ask for so much as your importation permit as it is not included in the law, nor should it be, since it is a federal issue. A good refresher on the import permits and issues is provided here, Ajijic Legal and Immigration Services

It is this a very good idea as mentioned to keep copies of the respective documents such as import permits, passports, title in your vehicle.


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## drblanke (Oct 2, 2008)

US plates around Mexico City/Toluca is a bad idea. You are like a big dollar sign for the Tamarindos. Drive a Mexican plated econobox and you'll blend in/never have an issue. Another reason for buying a local car or nationalizing an import.

BTW On the bright side, I've never had any problems with Mexican policemen outside of DF.


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

One must also be aware of the 'Hoy no circula' laws in DF. You may only drive your car on certain days, according to your license plate number, and must also comply with extremely strict anti-pollution regulations/inspections.


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## Rodrigo84 (Mar 5, 2008)

There's not really a problem unless you have vehicles that are over 8 years old and thus can't get a cero sticker (foreign plated vehicles can submit to voluntary emissions testing). My cousin used to get the cero sticker until he moved back to the U.S. and police would stop him on his no drive day, but after they looked carefully and saw the cero sticker, he'd be on his way.

A lot of his friends had issues with older cars not eligible under the program. However, a few families he knew were outraged at the high prices of SUVs/minivans in Mexico, in addition to taxes, insurance and tenencia (property tax) and brought their vehicles from the U.S. and went through voluntary emissions testing and it was an easier deal, plus they had a vehicle when they were ready to go back to the U.S. Most re-registered with friends in other states where there were no emissions testing or safety inspections back in the U.S. or requested a waiver if possible. I think California did that for smog, but you needed some paperwork.

I've also found police officers outside of Mexico City to be extremely helpful. Where my cousin used to live in Huixquilucan, Estado de Mexico, he got to know them and they always waved to him and gave him help when he needed it, but he always made the comment that Mexico City officers seemed vindictive to foreign motorists.


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## PieGrande (Nov 16, 2008)

Last year, driving through the Texcoco area, cops stopped me and told me I didn't have the required forms for taking my suitcases with me. 

After arguing a while, they got angry and threatened to arrest me. I shrugged my arms as if I didn't care, which was true. When my wife told her cousins about it later, they gasped with horror. Well, my son does call me a throwback to the Celtic.

Finally, I told them I knew it was a Federal crime for local police to inspect foreign vehicles, and I hoped they did not force me to make a formal complaint. I also showed them my niece's boss' title. He is a high ranking legislative official in DF, and his party loves to expose crooked cops. At that point, his little buddy said they had an emergency call and they drove off.

I will certainly be glad when Arco Norte is opened next month and we don't have to enter the valley at all to go to Puebla. I have driven through Pachuca but that is 7 hours from San Juan del Rio and a hard drive.


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## Rodrigo84 (Mar 5, 2008)

PieGrande said:


> Last year, driving through the Texcoco area, cops stopped me and told me I didn't have the required forms for taking my suitcases with me.
> 
> After arguing a while, they got angry and threatened to arrest me. I shrugged my arms as if I didn't care, which was true. When my wife told her cousins about it later, they gasped with horror. Well, my son does call me a throwback to the Celtic.
> 
> ...


My cousin and I have taken the Pachuca route a few times and that is one of the toughest drives we've ever taken.


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## PieGrande (Nov 16, 2008)

Amen! It is a bit shorter now, since one can apparently pick up Arco Norte at Cd. Sahagun instead of driving east through Tlaxcala.

I first tried driving through Tampico, and down to Vera Cruz, then west on the cuota to Puebla, but that was even worse then Pachuca.

First, we get lost in Tampico. Signs are generally non-existent or totally wrong. Once a woman actually took her car and guided us to the exit from Tampico. I love Mexico for things like that.

South of there, we tried cutting across country, and there is a short cut, it comes out by Torres Martinez, or whatever that town is, but it involves the bridge of death. A suspension bridge hundreds of feet in the air, and the floor of the bridge is so bad they weld steel sheets over the gaping holes. I told my wife we had to stop using that route. I am prepared to die, but I am not volunteering.

There is a cuota south of Tampico, but when we asked for directions to get on it, locals refused saying it was no good, though I find that hard to believe.

When Arco Norte is finished, which is supposed to be very soon, the trip to Puebla will be a nice one. It looks like it will be an hour and a half from the Puebla airport to San Juan Del Rio (enters Hwy 57 north of Mexico City, somewhere around km 85, I forget exact.). It was stated at one time it would be open in late Nov, now they are saying perhaps December.

The Texcoco route is short, maybe 5 miles from open 136 to the cuota again, but the new smog regs are confusing, and those cops awfully corrupt. We are going through next Sunday, I believe foreign plates can go on Sunday, though those corrupt cops who threatened to put me in jail also claimed it was illegal for foreign plates to pass on the weekend.


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## Rodrigo84 (Mar 5, 2008)

PieGrande said:


> Amen! It is a bit shorter now, since one can apparently pick up Arco Norte at Cd. Sahagun instead of driving east through Tlaxcala.
> 
> I first tried driving through Tampico, and down to Vera Cruz, then west on the cuota to Puebla, but that was even worse then Pachuca.
> 
> ...


My cousin left Mexico City in due no small part to the increased smog restrictions that basically banned him from driving in the mornings (5 a.m. to 11 a.m.) due to the fact that his vehicle is too old to get a cero sticker. I know quite a few Americans who tossed in the towel (and tossed some of their Mexican employees out of a job), because they weren't going to be railroaded into getting a Mexican-plated car that they couldn't afford.

Foreign plates can always go through on a Sunday unless there is a smog emergency. You can drive on Saturdays, but again, it depends on your plate number. This is a pretty good description, Hoy No Circula - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (my cousin helped edit this). I agree with you on the police. They are particularly bad from my cousin's personal experience in D.F. and Naucalpan in Edomex as far as hoy no circula restrictions and foreigners and attempting to extort cash.

Some other cities in Mexico have proposed hoy no circula, but citizens have done the right thing and spoken up because it is just another scheme to steal money, both by the government and new car dealers.


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