My First Incounter With The Law

[tom_shor]

I wouldnt pay out.. Police can say what they like its the whole point of having a digital camera with you putting all the evidence together before they arrive. I dont know the John your talking about but there was someone hit by a family member recently and a discussion came up that he should have just reversed over him as it would have led to no hospital follow up payments as now he is a ticking cash meter. A lot of the problems foreigners face is they have little knowledge or backup of the systems that are in place. Probably why its worth keeping a family member on as a part-time driver when you need them. Or even worth getting some guidelines from a lawyer for the forum. As you can get the photos uploaded and safe before someone can tamper or delete them by accident. Also the fact he was a drunk driver I would have pushed the fact as no doubt there was also some paperwork missing.

Is this a Cebu thing? The reason I ask is, a few weeks after the incident above, I was in the same area. I had just pulled out of a parking spot & was heading out when a street kid ran from between parked cars at full run. I braked & he literally ran into the front of my car & bounced off. I got out as the boy got up & sat on the curb. I asked if he was ok but he just looked shocked & rubbed his head. I knew he was ok because the impact was no worse than if he had run into a wall. I looked around for someone who could speak to him & one guy said he was a doctor & came forward as the security guards arrived. They took my details & the Dr checked the boy. His only concern was maybe concussion. I gave the boy P50 to get some sweets or ice cream & off he went. Now I have read stories like Toms & Matt's and feared the worst, I would get stitched up by the boys relatives for all sorts of financial needs but no. Even though my name, phone & address details were taken, I never heard anymore about it.Like I said...just lucky I guess........or is it something more? Attitude or body language or just that in my old 1992 Surf I don't look rich (being a Brit I am not)....?? BTW, I have been driving here for almost 4 years & these 2 incidents are the ONLY ones I have had.

Is this a Cebu thing? Nobody want to offer any comments? POV? Opinion?...or is the silence a nod of grudging agreement? UZI

You've been pretty fortunate. I've seen and heard of people being raked over the coals after being in an accident. In at least one case the guy was parked just like you and a trike driver ran into him. By the time the cops got there there were at least four witnesses (who weren't there when the accident happened) swearing he ran into the trike. He was able to settle it pretty cheaply right on the spot had he tried to argue it would have cost him a lot more. This was in Angeles but it also happens other places. Not always.

[BigMoneyBruce]

I was driving my motorcycle in CDO downtown, As every one knows the traffic is really bad and when you come to an intersection it is the big dog goes first. ( very few traffic lights in CDO ). So i was at this main intersection waiting my turn when i finally saw a clear path and took it. I did,nt realize that there was a traffic light there and it was red. Got pulled over and the cop says where is your registration and license, had not received my registration yet as it was a new bike and left my license at home and I was not wearing a helmet as it was 95 degrees that day. So he says that is 4500 pesos in fines and we will confiscate your bike for 24 hours and you will have to go to an all day driving class. Then he says or we can take care of it right here. Much easier he says. I said how much will that cost me and he says, How much do you want to pay. I laughed and said how is 500 and he says oh yes that would be great. So he took me behind a tree and i paid him his black mail money and he said have a nice day. A week later i was having a little party for our family and some had brought some friends. One was an off duty cop. I was telling every one my story when the cop says how much did you pay him, I said 500 pesos. He got all excited and said oh way to much he says, 200 pesos would have been fine. I don,t necessary agree with paying bribe money but that day i was on my way to the hospital as my wifes mom had just been taken there and i was worried that he might be able to do all those things to me that he said he could, and we would not make it to the hospital that day, So I paid him. Has any one else had a similar experience.

Hey I think you got off a bit easy on this one although I do not know the workings over there in PI. You were doing multiple things wrong No license, registration and turning on a red light. I wish I could bribe my way out of speeding tickes over here they are so expensive.