On my way from the Allegro Papagayo to Liberia I encounted problems with the police.

What I thought was just a normal checkpoint to verify paperwork was actually a speed trap.  This was no problem for me as the speed limit was 60kmh and I was going around 60kmh.  Or so I thought.

Since I thought it was a check point and I wasn’t pulled over, I opened with my big smiling DaveSpan (which is actually pretty good these days).  I presented them my documents then they presented me with a radar gun showing “81 kmh”.

There was NO WAY that I was going that fast.  But, they had it on radar and argueing with police never seems to work.  I knew what was happening:  They were after their own share of gringo dollars.

Usually when I get pulled over by police, I speak absolutely ZERO spanish.  “No fumo espanoll”.  But since I didn’t realize this was a ticketing opportunity, I just had to keep speaking it.

Interestingly enough, my level of comprehension decreased significantly once I realized what was happening.

Mustashed police man: “You were going 81 kmh, you should be going only 60 kmh”

DaveSpan: “*cock head sideways*, eh?”

Mustashy, in broken english: “You too fast *showing me radar*”

me: “No entendus”

Musty, back in spanish: “You need to pay a $80 fine.  You can pay it at the bank + 30% more, or you can pay it here, $80″

Me: “No tuvos dinnero, only plastico”

Musty repeats what he said in spanish a couple of more times, then in broken engrish.

I keep repeating the same thing too, it is like we’re stuck in a loop.

I tell him, “Yo go to the el banco and pagar”

I then go to show him my fake wallet becuase I knew I had only a tiny amount of money.

He sees $11 US, and says while reaching towards my wallet, “That will be fine, just slow down”

I’m shocked.  He grabbed at my wallet and I didn’t know what to do.  I guess I was happy to done with the situation by only paying $11US, but my policy is to not pay a bribe under any circumstance.   ARGH.

He leaves and lets me go on my way.

I email Theo this and tell him to drive VERY slow, slower than posted, and to expect to stopped by police.

Interestingly enough, he gets stopped by the EXACT same cop and has to pay a small bribe too.

This is the first time after being stopped MANY times by police looking for a little something-something from the rich guy on a bike.  Even crazier is that it is the first time the Theo had to pay in something like 30 counties.