Robbed Leaving Acapulco

A nightmare day.  We were robbed for about $155USD.  Just after climbing a killer hill to leave Acapulco, Trevor and I descended down this road overlooking Puerto Marques Bay.  All was fine and dandy until we were pulled over by the municipal transit police.  This fat lard with shades on starts rambling in Spanish to me that we had done something wrong while his dumbass partner tries to give attitude towards Trevor.  Once he knew my Spanish wasn't great he started to speak in the little English he knew.  He said that we were not allowed to ride on that road as it was dangerous.  He insisted there was a sign at the top.  I said BS (well I didn't actually say that but I said there wasn't).  He also said we were caught on camera.  He then asked for our passports and we complied.  Stupid move on my part to hand them over as possession is nine-tenths the law.  He showed me a chart outlining fines associated with various wrong doings.  He said not obeying the road signs carries a MEX5,000 pesos fine for each person. That is about $400USD each.  Anyway, I could tell from the get go that something didn't feel right.  This was a classic textbook case of the paying off the cops.  I pleaded with him to let us go with our passports and if he can make an exception but he was stubborn as a mule.  He then said we either we pay in full back at the police station or we pay them there.  I asked how much and he said MEX6,000 pesos.  I then negotiated with him as we didn't have that much on us.  He then lowered his price to MEX4,000 pesos and then finally MEX2,000 pesos.  Since we didn't have that on us I got him to accept just what we had which was MEX750 pesos, $32USD and $60CAD.  Once we exchanged the money back for the passports he told us to leave promptly.  I think they were being radioed by the station to do something and needed to move.

Leaving I desperately tried to note the licence plate or something but his partner was blocking the rear and there was nothing on the front.  I looked for anything but wasn't very successful as I just wanted to get out of there asap.

Afterwards we spent a good 2 hours trying to find a police station to report the incidence.  Trevor didn't really want to report this but I did.  You don't let stuff like this happen and do nothing.  I admit nothing probably will happen but we had to do something.  Unfortunately we weren't very successful.  After asking around numerous times we found 2 police stations and told them what happened.  They agreed that we were allowed to cycle down that road and that we had been swindled, however, they didn't write reports.  They told me to go to the tourist police which is way back in Acapulco.  It is tough at times when something like this happens and I have to communicate in Spanish.  My Spanish is elementary so the stuff I was being told didn't always come across clear as day.  I was being told many things that afternoon and getting mixed information of where things were and what to do.  It was very frustrating.  So as of now we still haven't officially filed a police report and I am not very optimistic that we will.  I will look to see if I can report this online as that would be much easier.

All in all I was shaken up a bit.  Being a victim of crime is obviously never fun.  I couldn't stop thinking about the whole ordeal and kept thinking woulda, coulda, shoulda.  But what's done is done so I must brush this off and keep going.  However, I will still be on the lookout for police stations and whatever else I can find to possibly report this.  I am real pissed.  I hate that those lowlife transit cops can get away with stuff like this.

We are approaching our second to last state in Mexico.  It will be nice to get out of Guerrero as I want to put this ordeal behind me.

The morning started great as we entered Acapulco.  We cycled to one of the most famous sites of the area, La Quebrada.  This is where cliff divers come to do their thing and entertain tourists.  The cliffs certainly look quite dangerous to dive from.  None were jumping while we were there but the setting was very nice.  

Acapulco Bay.  Aside from getting jacked by the transit police I really liked the 'Pearl of the Pacific'.  Back in the day this was the playground for the likes of Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Liz Taylor and Judy Garland.  I would rate this town better than the other well known party resort towns Puerto Vallarta and Ixtapa.  

A dejected and shaken me.  Shortly after the police incident we went to reload our funds and met a very nice Mexican man from Mexico City.  He asked about our trip and where we were going.  I then told him about the police robbing us and he got all riled up.  He was very annoyed with his nation's social state of affairs and sad for us that it happened.  He immediately took out MEX200 pesos from his pocket and said to take it.  I said no but he insisted.  It is a shame because there are a lot of really nice people in this country but the crime seems to be getting way out of hand.  We also spoke of the arson attack on a casino in Monterrey that happened a few days ago.