Should I be afraid of the police?

Desideria (Moderator) says on Feb 3, 2006, 12:42:

Just make sure that you've packed your luggage yourself. If you have nothing to hide you don't need to be scared, m'dear.

Cheers,
Desi

Embrace your uniqueness. Time is much too short to be living someone
else's life.

-Kobi Yamada

"I have opinions of my own, strong opinions, but I don't always agree with them."-President George W. Bush

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GringoinBucaramanga says on Feb 3, 2006, 12:56:

Put worn panties in luggage That way the dogs cant smell the drugs )hee heee

jj_jp@msn.com

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juanalejo says on Feb 3, 2006, 14:23:

Dennis Just think about what your foreign office has said, if the police is so currupt what can an independent witness do, except that is keep you company in jail. It is simply absurb, it things were that wrotten then there is really not much to be done. Millions of people transit in and out of this country every year, so just follow Desi´s advice and you will be just fine.

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caslug says on Feb 3, 2006, 15:05:

First if you go thru airport security.. There's bunch of people there(yes, the public will see your dirty underwear as they search your lugguge) from other passanger to other airport employees. I think you would have to be someone THEY WANT for some reason for them to go thru the trouble. There's LOTS easier way for them to "PLANT" you than your luggage.

I've found in all my trips thru COL airport security, the airport personel were professional and courteous. As for police in the big city, i've never had problem with them and I never cause problem for them. Even in THE US, police DONT hassle you for no reason(unless you look suspicous or fit a profile or cause them problem). BUT if you hassle them, or they think you're suspicous, they MAY write you up for some inane violation(ie, broken tail light, or NOT fully stopping at a stop sign, etc.,).

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juanalejo says on Feb 3, 2006, 15:08:

Big A I absolutely understand the need for a witness, but if you assume the country is so corrupt then the judges are probably bought out by the police so in that case it would not really matter. What I am saying is that a country that is considered by someone as corrupt, is corrupt no matter if it is the police or the judges you are in big problems. I do not think this is Colombia´s case, that is why I find absurb that kind of a comment.

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Crazy4Cali says on Feb 3, 2006, 16:23:

Unless... ... you're planning on making a few bucks as a mule, I don't see any reason to worry (and if you are planning such a career move, change your mind now, while you still have a chance).

I suppose I look as much like the average clueless gringo as anyone while I'm waiting in line at customs but even still, I've never been hassled any more than anyone else. In fact, clearing customs in Cali or Bogota has been one of the easiest parts of the trip.

Nevertheless, you question is posed as though you had something to worry about. If you do, it'll show and the police can smell that anxiety a mile away.

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nena_cgena says on Feb 3, 2006, 21:39:

gringoinbogota smartest comment so far thank you for posting the smartest comment so far in this post... someone who knows what he's talking about...

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quindioman says on Feb 3, 2006, 22:15:

tengo que hacer una rayita por aqui.....i actually agree with GIB.

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goosekirk says on Feb 5, 2006, 12:29:

From my experience The Colombian police and army will go out of their way to not hassle you if you look foreign, like GiB says. Long as you don't do anything blatantly stupid, you don't have anything to worry about with them.

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Rubiazo says on Feb 5, 2006, 18:32:

My policy just avoid the police as much as you can, in ANY country!

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miamimike says on Feb 5, 2006, 18:42:

In a Word.... Yes. Be sure to bring a few Crisp New Ben Franklins for the the "Mordida/Propina" de la Policia. Jee Jee

"Wait a minute. What did you just say? You're predicting $4-a-gallon gas? That's interesting. I hadn't heard that." -- Feb. 28, 2008 --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C.

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Gomezman5 says on Feb 5, 2006, 18:54:

See....I just cannot figure this out. "I plan going to Colombia in June. I'm 23 and I will travel alone. I am really afraid. It seams to me Colombia is a mafia controlled country."

Now the above is an exact quote from the the post made by the person who started this thread. What am I missing? Or to put it another way, does this person have something missing upstairs?

This really is one of the more interesting posts in that he is not coming here to inquire as to the safety situation per se. Here he actually admitts that he is "Really scared". So my question is, how scared does someone have to be before they say. I'm scared, and I'm not going!"

Very strange way of thinking. That said, I think the only think I would like to add is this: YOU SHOULD BE SCARED !

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miamimike says on Feb 5, 2006, 19:16:

If a person is really scared.. Why would you visit the source of your anxiety? Seems it will only make it worse. Not to mention, you will be giving off bad vibes and an easy target for the sharks to spot!

"Wait a minute. What did you just say? You're predicting $4-a-gallon gas? That's interesting. I hadn't heard that." -- Feb. 28, 2008 --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C.

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Gomezman5 says on Feb 5, 2006, 19:45:

Good Point Mike If this person appears the way she says she feels, I have to believe that Colombia, who has the "best of the best", will be able to quickly detect her anxieties, therefore making this person even more of a potential targer...

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Crazy4Cali says on Feb 5, 2006, 20:52:

The original poster must be from a horror movie You know the dumb characters they always have in those movies who:

after watching three of their closest friends go into a room and not come out say "Hey, let's go in there!"

or

when given the chance to leave and run for their life say, "Wait! I left my favorite watch/pet dog, fluffy/nagging girlfriend. We have to go back!"

well, you get the idea.

I didn't think people like that really existed, but then I learn something new every day.

In all seriousness, if the original poster is truly concerned about the situation, then change something in her favor:

a) don't go
b) don't go alone
c) don't be a mule (I don't know why, but this still sounds like a scene from "Maria Llenas Eres de Gracias")
d) make some connections on both sides of her trip so she won't be so abandoned
e) go to a more reputable source than P.B.H. for more informtion about the Colombian government (though, I'll be darned if I can think of a more entertaining source)

is this rocket science?

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rmleon says on Mar 22, 2006, 04:05:

If you want to study there... Hi

If you want to study there, first, you should learn that:
The government is not controlled by the Mafia, if it was, we would be all happily living with American drug money.
Because we are not controlled by mafia is that we hit the mafia guys, and they hit us back....

Second, I have been in and out of the country, many times, also my wife, and we've never had any problems besides finding a policeman that got off the bed from the wrong side... Don't expect them to be polite...

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el norteño says on Mar 22, 2006, 19:23:

Don't go If you are that scared, do yourself a favor and stay home.

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JMOON87 says on Mar 23, 2006, 07:06:

My exp with the police My first trip to cali we were pulled over for one of the road side searches -so of course i had 3 large suitcases -i explained to the police that i had gifts for my wife and her family (as they were in the car also) and if they would be so kind as not to open the gifts in front of them if they were going to search them - they were very nice took the suitcases to the side did their search and returned everything in tact ..i had money in my carry on and expensive video camera equpment and nothing was harmed or taken and they even laughed when i told them not to open the gifts and rolled their eyes .......my only problem i had was on my 4th trip was returning through customs/immigration the police could not find in my passport when i entered because the idiot who stamped it when i enetered stamped over a previous stamp and none of the police could speak english so i could not get them to understand about the double stamp- i could not understand it was a international flight how do you not have somebody that can speak english sorry but not every tourist is gonna be able to speak spanish well - so they ran me thru a xray machine and did a very good search of my body to make sure i was not a mule .

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