While browsing different websites, I have come across some warnings regarding the police in Cancun. Has anyone has any trouble (ex. shaken down for money)? This concerns me as we are headed down there...

the only people the police bother are the people that get in trouble or try and break the law. Remember the Cancun\Maya Riviera area is a tourist area and the last thing the police want to do is to harras the tourist. There are so many that go there and think they can do whatever they want. Wrong!!!

Bullshit. Mayor Guiliani has been hired and paid $4 million dollars to contend with the police corruption in Mexico. Bribes, set ups , shake downs are all part of the Mexican system.<BR><BR>Where tourists run into trouble is to be foolish to buy some Marjauna or drugs on the street. Many times the police and drug dealers are in cahoots together and the set up tourist get to pay mucho dollars to buy their way out of jail. Other foolish things include walking around with an open bottle of alcohol or beer on the street . The tourist has set himself up as a target. If you are drunk and in a fight expect to pay. <BR>Read the State dept. Travel warnings it is all there. <BR>The other problem is set up artists posing as police called &quot;Marias&quot; . They shake the tourist down for money.<BR><BR>Cabo San lucas is infamous for the police shake downs and the ATM extortions. That is where they take you down to the ATM machine on some trumped up charge and coerce to pay money to them.<BR>

hey Nancy Drew I thought we were talking about Cancun, not Mexico City, which happens to be the most corrupt city in the world and Los Cabos. What I thought was interesting about your message was that you mentioned all the reasons WHY you will get in trouble while visiting another country or if you are in your own country. I would like to share some police stories for you here in Playa del Carmen. If you park illegally, the police afteer trying to locate you, will take your license plate and you will need to pay the fine before you get it back, so my advice is don't try and park illegally. If you are caught speeding, all it will take is 200 pesos and no ticket is issued at all. Try this in the USA. That is a bribe, but the policeman here get paid $300 a month and work long hours. My husband was in the car with a Mexican driving and he ran a stop sign. The man gave the cop 150 pesos-no ticket and everyone goes away happy.

NancyDrew, your alarmist contributions are not doing the &quot;Average Joe&quot; traveler any good.<BR>I've been all over the Mexican Caribbean many times by car, and spent more than 400 days there over the last ten years traveling in both very remote areas and staying in Cancun in a luxury hotel.<BR>As long as you are a tourist doing what tourists do - shopping, lying on the beach, drinking beers and frosty Margaritas - you will have NO problems.<BR>(I can't imagine NOT walking around with an open container in Cozumel, Cancun or Playa del Carmen <BR>Gee whiz, we're talking about Cancun here, not Chiapas.<BR>

Was in Cancun a few years ago. It is something to be aware of but not a huge threat. <BR><BR>Had 2 incidents. First, we were going back to our hotel and were a bit rowdy. A cop saw and followed us, glaring trying to intimidate. We smiled and continued and stopped for food. Even offered to buy him something to eat. he definitely did not like our happy go lucky ways/humor, but there really wasn't much of a problem.<BR><BR>This is a little more disturbing. We were in a cab and the cab got pulled over by a cop. He got out and talked to the cop and then came back and said that the cop wanted $50 US dollars. Maybe not the smartest move but we told him that he was speeding, not us, so he needs to pay the cop. The cabby simply gave a wave to the cop who took off and then the cabby took us back to our hotel.<BR><BR>Keep your eyes open and you should be fine.

Yeah Mexico City has big problems. Also the mordida, bribes, is a way of life. However I have traveled all over Mexico, I talk to cops all the time. They are interested to hear I am a retired cop and want to hear about my job in the U.S. They are flabergasted to find out I made more in a day then they do in a month. That's why they take bribes. Just mind your own business, don't flaunt wealth, don't do things you wouldn't at home and have fun in Mexico.

I was in Mexico City about three years ago and our driver from the hotel made an illegal u-turn and was cited by the police. Neither the police nor the driver ever asked us for any money, whatsoever.<BR>My wife and I felt bad for the driver and may have tipped him an extra couple dollars but I am sure that it was not enough to cover the ticket.<BR>In the end, we ended up taking the drivers name in case we returned to Mexico City anytime soon so that we could have him as our full time driver.<BR>We stayed in La Zona Rosa at a 4* hotel and never experienced a single problem.<BR>I wouldn't be any more worried about the Mexican police than I would be the American police whose reputations are not so squeaky clean, either.