“Dame mi multa, por favor.” (Please give me my ticket.)
In the world of occasionally Kafkaesque road-side Mexican police stops, these thoughts are offered as a reminders of what’s really important in life: remain calm, cool, & collected, and it will all work out.
“Dame mi multa, por favor.“** is one of several dandy phrases to use when driving in México. If you drive a rental vehicle or one with out-of-state plates or even worse: a vehicle with US/Canadian plates, you’ll eventually be pulled-over and scolded about some ethereal infraction. . . . . . . ending with an excellent feast with friends’ home-cooking from around the globe – giving the reader a glimpse of whom we are. . . .
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The full text of the Article can be found at:
“Give me my Ticket…Please ” (Getting Stopped by the Mexican Police):
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Feel free to copy while giving proper attribution: YucaLandia/Surviving Yucatan.
© Steven M. Fry
Read-on MacDuff . . .
Surviving Yucatan 
Or —— you can play really dumb and pretend you don’t have a clue what they are talking about. At some point them get tired of dealing with the stupid gringo, and tell you to leave or they just walk away. Do not get out of your car and do not hand over your license. I have never tried this in Merida but it does work in Cancun where I have tested it on two occasions.
Calman’s Strategy:
When pulled-over on the eastbound side of the Cuota going from Merida to Cancun, he’d start talking – wide-eyed – gesturing towards Cancun loudly saying:
“Yo llendo a Merida!”
followed in rapid succession by pointing back at Merida and insisting:
“Yo regressando a Cancun”
The pobrecito state police just don’t stand a chance…
(“I’m returning to Merida!” as he drives towards Cancun and points towards Cancun….
“I’m coming from Cancun!” as he gestures towards Merida…) “Who’s on First? !”
They give up every time, shaking their heads, and send him on his way.
I agree, if you can hang onto your license, do that. Better yet, have a few fakes (copies?), just for this purpose
seeds,
Fakes? I’ve temporarily lost my old licenses a few times, gotten replacements, later found the old ones, and the Mexican police stopping us have not yet figured out how to check the expiration date (nothing on a US license saying: fecha de caucidad, so, I carry 3 licences).
What’s disheartening is for the police to stop you for speeding (yes – guilty), walk up to your car and say “Oh Lord! An American!” … then point his finger at you and say “…and Don’t do it Again!” He had to hold his face real stiff to maintain that really mean look without laughing, but his eyes and the corner of his mouth totally gave him away! I swore to be good and we were both on our way.