Last Tuesday September 27th I decided to go to the store to pick up some groceries as my pantry was lacking some ingredients for my chicken noodle soup. About a block from the grocery store my life as I knew it came to an abrupt halt when a man on a motor cycle crossed my path and bounced of the grille of my truck.
Un be-known to me he was directly tucked in behind a large truck and I failed to notice him. So in other words, I had an accident.
I jumped out of my vehicle to make sure the man was OK but it turned out he fractured his leg, not being able to communicate with him I tried to make him as comfortable as a person that just got hit by a truck and has a broken leg can be. I summoned someone to call for an ambulance as I don't own a cell phone ( i do now) and shortly there were people everywhere. And of-course there were policemen there, 5 of them yes 5 of them and they were all asking questions and drawing on the pavement and writing on their pads and do what policemen do I guess, one of the things they were doing was asking me questions but I don't speak Spanish so I haven't a clue what they are saying. So I ask for the tourista police as they speak English. Then I ask in my best espanol if I could use one of their cell phone as I need to call my adjuster, but that was out of the question as they preferred I would use the payphone. I'm now getting a little nervous as where ever I go I have a uniform very close on my heels as to prevent me from running away. Hello I'm in my sixties and overweight I'm not running anywhere except to a nearby bathroom.
So my police escort and myself tried several payphones in the area but none of them seemed to work for one reason or another so back to the scene of the crime where another police car just arrived, ah its the tourist police I'll be able to at least explain my side of the story and get an insurance adjuster here.
The ambulance finally arrived and took the injured fellow away, then the adjuster shows up and between my interpreter police friend and him they make it clear to me that I'm indeed insured for this and there shouldn't be any problem. I was hoping he'd say that as I pay them plenty each year.
Now a tow truck appears and start to take my truck I said wait its OK I can still drive it there's nothing wrong with my truck, but they insist the truck must go to the STORAGE YARD they called it, so my
e mediate response was, why? and they explained that we were going to the police station where we were going to finish of the reports and wait to find out the cost for the hospital. But I thought I had insurance?
So the truck disappears and the police officers are having a cold drink in the shade of a tree, I asked the tourist police to call my friend as she speaks both Spanish and English and he does.
Well on the way to the police station I get to ride in the front seat with the officer and he leads me to the station like an Amway direct would lead a new recruit to an Amway RA RA meeting, All the lies and
prommisses of just an hour and you'll be free to go were just as real as getting rich with Amway.
We arrived at the station and my friend and the insurance lawyer met us at the front desk at the station with some welcome food as I was beginning to fade fast (I'm a diabetic) So thoughtful of her.
They break the news to me that the fellow who previously had agreed to an agreement in the ambulance has now changed his mind and wants his pound of flesh from the gringo that hit him. So she informed me I may be here for awhile just get comfy, they put me in a room and ignored me for three hours when my friend showed up with bad news it looks like my injured amigo doesn't want to budge, you maybe here for awhile longer. 4 hours go by and I see nobody when 2 police officers show up with a pile of papers they want me to sign. Well I told you I don't speak Spanish but I do read it pretty well and I can spell incarceration in both languages, this isn't good but I sign.
Half an hour goes by when 2 officers come to escort me to prison yes folks its real, its prison, jail , the crowbar hotel for having an accident. They tried to convince me it wasn't jail but just a holding room until your case gets sorted out but it looked like and smelled like and sounded like so to me its prison. Hell they wouldn't let me out so it is prison. Let me describe the scene for you, as you enter the gate you ring a bell and someone from the inside unlocks a big gate to let you enter, the officers hand you over to a guard and he signs a pile of paper excepting yours truly to the facilities. First breathalyzer, 2nd one as I did one in the police station also, I don't know where they think I would have picked up a quick shot between the police station and the prison, then empty your pockets, your belt your watch everything you have in your possession shoe laces you name it then Pee sample I took the little bottle to the bathroom and tried to close the door behind me when it was stopped abruptly by a foot, when I turned around there was a large woman in a nurses gown staring at me, I thought oh well and proceeded to the toilet to extract the sample demanded of me so facing the toilet on one side and the nurse facing me on the other side with nothing but the bowl in between us I tried to fill that little bottle but found it very difficult to do while she was staring at my family jewels, how degrading.
Next electronic fingerprints, Mugshots, and then ink finger prints hand prints palm prints and also the knife edge side of your hand prints. Then you get a piece of news paper 4"x6" and told to go wash your hands in the same bathroom as your pee sample (so that's why the sink was so black) the paper is for drying your hands.
Next I was put in a room wit 7 other men who were guilty of the same crime as myself,( having an accident)
The room is approx. 20 feet by 12 feet with 2 wooden benches the size of single beds, 1 light bulb and a air conditioner that just moved warm air but didn't cool it, cement floor, cement walls no windows and a door that faced the guards desk but had to be kept closed at all times.
There were no mattresses no pillows no food no water no toilet paper, no paper towel, you were not allowed prescription medicines they would give you something they thought would work no magazines no books or music no telephone no TV nothing and without windows we had no sense of time, only family and your lawyers are allowed to visit so my friend who I counted on for all my food and water was not allowed to visit me so she acted as my interpreter and managed to convince some of the guards to let her in as I have no family in Mexico.
My first visit was my lawyer and friend at midnight to bring me the bad news the injured man wanted 40.000 dollars from the insurance and 60.000 dollars from me. So It was time to negotiate a better deal but that takes time so I must remain in jail until such a deal was made, the next day a deal was struck but now there is a problem with the guy who signs the bail documents he's not available so I need to spend another night in the hole. the next day at noon my friend advised me I was scheduled to be transferred to a bigger facility if a deal was not struck before 7pm minimum stay there was 48 hours so that meant another 2 days on a concrete floor. By 530 my much awaited release and I got out on a 750.000 bail.
Friday was spend paying the bandito who held me ransom and getting my pardon from the government. Saturday I paid my ticket for hitting the guy and pay storage on my truck and the tow and finally I was free.
