(from 9/22/00 archive, originally posted by Daytimer)

How about this for an expensive time in TJ? $8 for beer, $4 for tips, $12 for the room, $50 for the girl, and $260 for the ride back to the border. That's right $260 for a ride back to the border in a new TJ police car. I was picked up for using a prostitute. I did what I have done many times over many years in the past, I took a girl out of Bambi Club to the hotel on 6th street. I don't think it mattered what club I came from, the police were keying on the hotel. After I came out of the hotel, three police officers stopped me. They said it was illegal to use prostitutes in TJ and I was going to see the judge. They said the fine was going to be $400. I asked them if I could pay the fine in the car and be let go. At first they said no, I would have to see the judge. I offered $100 with no success. They asked me if I had an ATM card. I lied and said no. I pulled out my wallet and said they could have all the cash I had. I counted out $260. They said no. I was getting worried. They kept insisting I had to go to jail. I did not have anything else to give them. I had already maxed out my withdrawal limit for my ATM card for the day. They said if I did not have more money I could call someone and stay in jail until the "fine" was paid. I kept my cool and did not act mad. I told the officers I needed a break. I asked them again to take what I had and they would never see me again on Revolucion. The officer sitting next to me reached over and took the money. He said he was giving me a break because I did not give them any trouble and I looked like a nice family man. Aren't the TJ cops such nice guys? I was told that they are cracking down on prostitution in the tourist area and next time I will go to jail. They wrote my name down in a book. You can be sure that is the last time I ever take a girl to the room in the tourist zone. It looks like a whole new ball game on Revolucion. The "good ole days" are over.

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As a follow-up to this incident of last year I have taken a girl to the room from a Revolucion bar on several occasions without any police problems. As a precaution, I go to the hotel ahead of the girl and leave the hotel before she does. That way, it is not obvious that I am doing prostitutes to the police.

Since that posting was made, I have not heard of others being picked up for prostitution on Revolucion. I was a victum of a police scam to extort money from Gringos. Next time that happens I will call the police's bluff and go see the judge. I was a sucker to pay them the money. They had me scared and I had to get to work in a couple of hours. Next time they will not get money so easily. The cops can be worse than the rateros.