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6 people arrested for attempted bribery of traffic police in Bogota

http://www.eltiempo.com/colombia/bogota/2008-07-09/detienen-a-otro-con...

http://www.caracol.com.co/nota.aspx?id=621428

So apparently 6 people have been arrested for trying to bribe traffic policemen in Bogota in the last 2 weeks. Is this a new change in attitude in Bogota's Police force?

Last one was a guy in the airport parked in the wrong spot. A policeman asked for his documents and found a 20 thousand note with the docs, and arrested him immediately.

I know (or think) the police in Bogota are rather different to the rest of Colombia, especially the coast policemen who frequently are the ones openly asking for bribes, but arresting someone and imprisoning people for 3 to 5 years? I hope this does set some example to the many people who do this. Anyone any experience bribing or seeing cops being bribed?

By viajero123 on Jul 9, 2008, 16:25 in Friendly Talkzone.

gimmedub says on Jul 9, 2008, 16:29:

yeah i remember a cop in valledupar trying to come up with a billion reasons why the car I was driving should be impounded... at the end he just blatantly said give me $20 mil for me and my friends for 'agua'... I laughed and drove off waving my finger.

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miamimike says on Jul 9, 2008, 18:51:

Only a 20G note?? Chump Change, thats why the Bogota Cop arrested him! Should have put a crisp new Ben Franklin $100 in the Documents and the cop would have said, "Pasa Por Favor , No hay Problema" LOL

Bésame, bésame mucho Como si fuera esta noche La última vez Bésame, bésame mucho Que tengo miedo a perderte Perderte después Bésame, bésame mucho Como si fuera esta noche La última vez Bésame, bésame mucho Que tengo miedo a perderte Perderte de

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gamm2 (☼Travelguide writer) says on Jul 9, 2008, 20:00:

When I was driving with my boyfriend and his family to Cartagena a few years ago, the soldiers along the road would stop the car or wave down the car and ask for money to buy a drink. My boyfriends dad always gave it to them; they were very very thankful to the soldiers all throughout this trip. I guess this isn't really a bribe, but you would never see that in the US.

Also there was one time we were stopped by a police man and he seemed to find lots of things wrong with the car like there wasn't a first aid kit... and there were some problem with my boyfriend's license.... I don't remember what. I think he was kind of hinting for a bribe, but we told him I was about to miss my flight so he let us go. It was kind of scary for me.

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adrimm (Moderator) (☼Travelguide writer) says on Jul 9, 2008, 20:35:

Bogota went through a big change with Mockus and Penalosa as mayors. Cars used to park **everywhere** like on sidewalks, double parked.. you name it. It got alot better - I was stunned at the improvements when I went early in 2006 after a long while away, but then it began to decline again. Things were definitely more chaotic on this last trip. People driving more dangerously again, cars parked where they shouldn;t be. Also minor maintenance really needs to be addressed: alot of roads need to have their lanes repainted - can't expect people to use/abide by them if they can't be seen.

.... if the current mayor is trying to get things around cars in line again I totally applaud it. Anyone who is in the legitimate wrong and then tries to bribe a cop deserves an arrest.

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viajero123 (☼Travelguide writer) says on Jul 10, 2008, 01:44:

I do not think the new major of Bogota is doing anything about changing people's behaviour and making the city more orderly. I think he is more in the line of the last major who did nothing about that specific aspect.

People's behaviours and attitudes are the kind of thing that makes the city more livable, and Bogota has recently been declining in that sense, after years of getting a lot better.

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Desideria (Moderator) (Trustee board) says on Jul 10, 2008, 04:11:

I wouldn't try to bribe a traffic cop in Cali either. I'm not saying that they cannot be bought if the price is right, but I wouldn't know of that particular cop was on the take or not. Some are, some aren't.

A fronte praecipitium a tergo lupi

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McGringo says on Jul 10, 2008, 05:00:

"it is nice to be able to get away without major consequences"

Truthspeaker, so thats how you and Titofijo get away with your pedofeelya activities?

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viajero123 (☼Travelguide writer) says on Jul 10, 2008, 05:03:

elmo you are right, and I am realising right now. All "civilisation" entered Colombia via the coast. The coast was very active in the independence revolution, most international immigrants entered the coast bringing new ideas and dynamics to the country.Most of our best authors are costeños. But then why did the atlantic coast lag behind recently and is now in average the poorest, most corrupt, least transparent area of the country after the pacific coast? It's sad.

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McGringo says on Jul 10, 2008, 05:08:

What happened was a lot of Europeans, Jews and Arabs settled in Barranquilla. A lot of progress was made in Colombia until they all assimilated and adopted the corrupt Colombian culture.

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