On my recent trip through the Czech Republic, I was driving my rental car from Cesky Krumlov to Kutna Hora, through some small town on a Saturday morning. I had just exited a town, driving up a hill, when saw two policeman on the side of the road standing next to their car. One of them held up a little paddle with a "stop" symbol on it. So I stopped.
I said I was an American. The lead policeman simply asked (in English) for my driving permit and passport. I handed him my International Driving Permit that was in the glove compartment. I had to get out and get my passport out of my luggage in the trunk. Both of them looked briefly at the pictures in each, looked at me, leafed through my passport...handed them back, said thank you, and I was on my way in less than a minute.
So were they just doing random inspections? They weren't stopping every car. Just curious. Ever had an experience like this?
Stopped by the police in Czech Republic
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Yes, just a random check. It happens everywhere and they would have been looking for drugs etc.
If it happens to you in Morocco, it's probably a shakedown for baksheesh.
Last year going from Portugal to Spain, we were stopped. Handed them my IDP and license and were on the way in a few minutes. One policeman was very friendly and the other was all business. No problem.
I was stopped once in Amsterdam driving in a restricted zone. The police were firm but polite and after looking through my IDL, pointed the way out without issuing a ticket.
Yes, it's happened to me quite a few times. In France, police are allowed to do random stops, and they do - I've probably been stopped a half-dozen times over the years. I was stopped in the Czech Republic as well, though it was many years ago, when it was Czechoslovakia - I still have the ink stamp of the Czech police car in my old passport. Been stopped in Morocco as well, not speeding or doing anything wrong, and had to turn over money.
It's not unusual.
It's a random check. If they're busy with a car they let the next cars go by. I've been stopped in Portugal and the Czech Republic.
I got a ticket in the CR for not having my original passport with me but I think they may have made that up since they were gone for a long time with my license, IDP, and passport copy. They wanted the money before writing the ticket but I refused and made a motion that they should write the ticket, give it to me and I would hand over the money which I had in my hand so they could see that I was going to pay.
Wow, how much was the ticket, adrienne? I'm lucky - the day before, I was out driving all day without either my passport or my IDP - just forgot them back at the pension. (I had copies with me though - kind of by accident.)
Typical in Italy. Done but the Carabinieri in bullet-proof vests, although they are mainly looking for people driving without a current license or insurance, or proper safety equipment. They usually manage to find a tight spot to wave you down where you can't possibly turn around. However, they often wave on people they judge through the windshield to be harmless tourists.
I actually got 4 tickets in one day - the first 3 were for going down a very short street that was for buses only (who knew). Each CR ticket for tourists is the equivalent of 5USD so they write you as many tickets as it takes to come up to the amount needed. I only got one ticket for the random check so only $5. The same tickets for Czech citizens is lots more money.
Andrew, I need your help on another post:
http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/traffic-ticket-169773-2.cfm#last-comment
Got stopped a long time ago on a back road from Estepona to Casares in Spain. The policia apparently wanted to shake us down for seatbelt violations. I asked my companion, who was fluent in Spanish, to let me do the talking. I pleaded that I didn't understand Spanish, nada. After a half-hour of pantomime and charades, the officers wrote a ticket to the car rental company (Avis) for not providing us with required insurance papers. They reassured us that we were OK ("Para you, no problema. Para rent-a-car...problema!") and wished us well on our trip. LOL!
Yes, this has happened twice on the same trip. Once we were pulled over while driving toward Oberammergau from Munich. Two policeman; collected passports; got on their phones to somebody; handed the passports back without explanation. Couple weeks later on the train from Milan to Lausanne; two immigration officers gave very hard looks to the passports and did this only to us in the coach where we were sitting.
I think perhaps because we both have shaved heads we might be terrorists. We actually are but not in the way they were hoping.
We get stopped everywhere.
In Latvia, CZ and Slovenia, it is generally not a problem. The police are very professional (and often quite good looking!). In the Algarve in Portugal, it can be an issue depending on the machismo level of the cop and whether they are on a revenue quota. When you are stopped in the Algarve, they are generally trying to make sure that your car is registered properly as many of the expat locals have foreign registered cars, which is a no no.
We kind of blow their minds as they don't know what to do with us. CZ registered car, American passports and Swiss driving licenses. Heh. I find confusion helps.
Folks, there is nothing described here that is not a common practice in the US. In Massachusetts, they will write a ticket for seatbelt violations, in Virginia, I have seen 10-15 cars stopped on I-95 for cell phone violations, and South Carolina for many years had a "pay or stay" policy on traffic violations; if you didn't have the cash to pay the officer on the spot, you had to follow him to the nearest court. Saturday night random stops and roadblocks are common in the US.
As to driving in a bus lane (who knew?) when you drive a car in another state or country, you have the responsibility to know their signs and laws. Try telling the that in "MY" state that right on red is legal.
I am not being sanctimonious; I got a ZTL violation in Italy last year. I paid. Was I happy? No.