MORDIDA: BRIBES AS A CULTURAL PHENOMENON IN MEXICO
© Bie Van Laer
As a tourist, you really stand out in Mexico, which makes you an easy target for scams. It's part of the deal, but to limit the financial damage, we offer some tips. Trust us: these tips will definitely save you money.
Without the typical Mexican physique and pitch black hair, you immediately stand out. Quite literally - the average height of Mexican men is 1m63, of women 1m51. There is no escaping it: in the current economic climate, you are targeted as a gringo. In the past this only meant ‘American’, but nowadays the meaning is much broader. When a Mexican says gringo, he basically says "(rich) foreigner". This means that you will encounter numerous types along the way who want to make an extra profit from the uninformed tourist. Most of the time this is done in such a funny and friendly way that you almost want to say gracias after being ripped off. We give some examples of our experiences in that department, and a brief guide for those who want to travel through one of the most magical countries in the world without a financial hangover.
Example 1: muxes and iguanas
During our preliminary research for this article about muxes, we wrote to several representatives of the muxe community. When we contacted a certain Elvis -according to the hotel owner "muxe, writer, intellectual and creative entrepreneur"- she says she wants 5,000 pesos for an interview. We reply that we can't pay her, but are willing to give 1,000 pesos as compensation for her makeup expenses for the photo shoot. "No, gracias," is the reply. I tell her that we are in the village for two more days, in case she changes her mind.
"That won't happen," she informs me, "but if you change your mind, Iet me know." Two days and many conversations later in Juchitán, it dawns on me why other representatives are dodging our questions. Most are not as explicit as Elvis, but use the same excuses as the muxes at the dance school, hoping to be offered money. According to the owner of the hotel where we are staying, this gets worse as the vela approaches. "They all want money to party harder," he says.
For the photo shoot with Karla, we met at the Foro Ecológico Juchiteca, a somewhat peculiar location with animals in too-small cages and a courtyard garden. When I step inside, a lady approaches me and asks what I‘m doing there. A little strange, since it’s a public place, but I explain that we‘re there to take pictures. She fakes indignation and says that such a thing cannot be done without prior approval. She walks away rather angrily. The guard and cleaner come and tell me to go up the stairs and enter the first door. Out of curiosity, I play along and follow their directions. The man in the first office already knows what I've come for, although I haven't spoken to him yet. He’s pointing: "Over there on the left". I knock on the door ‘over there on the left’.
A voice says "Entra".
The woman behind the desk is the one who addressed me at the entrance. She repeats that we can't just take pictures there without permission, and that we should have requested it.
"To whom?", I ask.
"To me," she says.
"Why?", I ask.
"Because I have to schedule it in my calendar," she says, pointing to her computer.
"Can I schedule for today?"
I try to keep a straight face, trying not to laugh during this negotiation about mordida (bribe). After all, we both know where this is headed. It has become a habit during our trip: making a scene while negotiating about prices. (Astonishment! Indignation! Starving children!)
“No problem," she says, "but we have to ask for a contribution."
I continue my script: "A contribution for what?"
"For maintenance of this place."
Not intending to pay, I play along: "How much is this contribution?"
"Take your pick," she says shrugging.
"200 pesos?", I ask.
"That's fine," she says.
I keep looking at her to see where this scenario is going. She realizes she has to do something administrative to give this game an official touch, and asks for my passport. She types my name and passport number, and announces that she will note the appointment in her calendar. I lie that I will come and bring her the money in a moment.
Photo shoot with muxe Karla Yatziri
© Johannes Vande Voorde
However, the photographer decides that there are better locations just outside the park. When the same lady passes us on the street fifteen minutes later, she ignores me, as if she has never met me.
The cleaner standing at the park fence asks if I want to see the iguanas. Thanks, but I had already seen them, the four iguanas in far too small a cage. "And the turtle, had you already seen it? Come with me," the man says. I lie - again- that I will follow him after the photo shoot. After all, I don't want to be rude, but I also don't want to pay him money to see a sad turtle in a mini-cage.
Example 2: dirty cops
Every tourist knows that the police in Mexico are corrupt, if not through research, then surely from experience.
The first day on the road with our rental car, we hit the jackpot: a police checkpoint. The officer asks what country we are from, and if we have alcohol in the car. He superficially inspects the car, and then asks for documents and insurance papers. After handing these over, he sighs, "the documents are expired, look." He points to the year: 2022. Obviously, snatching the papers from his hand to closely inspect them is not an option. Friendly submission and pretending not to understand Spanish is the best tactic. “No comprendo.”
© Johannes Vande Voorde
The cop says that we have a choice: "pay 2000 pesos now, or come pick up the car after impound and pay 6000 pesos." No use to play dumb, this guy speaks broken english perfectly, and he plays charades so well that the no comprendo trick is out the window.
We have 4000 pesos in the car, divided over different locations. But I know he won't care about the paperwork anymore if I throw enough money at him. I offer him more than the usual bribe (around 200 pesos) to make sure that the expired paperwork won’t get us into trouble. I hand over 700 pesos (about 40 dollars) and express my regret that we really don't carry more cash. He folds the bills and puts them between his bundle of paperwork. "Drive on," he says, with a broad arm movement. He smiles, clearly delighted. When I check the car documents, it turns out that 2022 is the issue date, not the expiration date. Well played, sir, well played.
Tips for gringos
Money
ATM at Monte Alban. I thought this one would be okay to use, since it’s at a major archeological hotspot. Wrong!
Make sure you have dollars or pesos in your pocket to get a taxi at the airport. The local exchange rates are not advantageous here. Moreover, we’ve heard more than one story about being scammed after exchanging money. In short, it involves one person who keeps an eye on the exchange office, another to escort you to a taxi company, and a third guy who takes your money. There’s more than one option for step three, from an ordinary mugging to an elaborate scheme with a paying app.
Take several credit cards with you. One of our cards was swallowed on day two. Problematic if you only have one in your pocket. Renting a car, for example, is impossible without a physical credit card.
Only withdraw cash at built-in ATMs, preferably at a larger bank branch. Pay attention to whether you are being watched. We later decided not to use HSBC locations anymore, because we learned that this is the most corrupt bank in Mexico. They’re not just known for helping the Sinaloa cartel, their ATM debited the account of yours truly without giving me the money. Twice. (At two different locations of course! Thank God we are a little smarter than we look.)
Language
Most Mexicans speak only Spanish (and/or an indigenous language). When they hear you speak another language, they immediately assume that you are American AND therefore rich. An unshakeable logic for many. If your Spanish is good enough to say “I’m not an American”, you’ll have a clear advantage. If you say this when you’re negotiating, the price drops right away.
Mordida
Mordida means -literally translated- ‘the bite’. It’s a friendly way of saying you have to pay a bribe. Quite a few Mexicans consider this to be an acceptable situation. Yes, they are extorted from time to time, but on the other hand, they also get a lot done with a little mordida. It is even perfectly normal to negotiate about it (again: indignation, disbelief, children!). So don't look at the phenomenon as something criminal, but as a part of the culture.
As for police checks: when we had paid mordida the first time, we decided that it was funny, but also that we wouldn’t pay bribes anymore. At every police check -and there are regular ones- I filmed the officer who addressed us. When they saw my cell phone pointed at them while looking in, their heads immediately disappeared from the window and the next thing we saw was an arm gesturing for us to drive on. Since then, we didn't have to show any documents or open any suitcase. Well played.
Restaurants
Tipping is mandatory, but some restaurants provide a bill that already includes it. Only in Spanish of course, so that the average tourist doesn’t notice and gives an extra tip. Look for the word propina.
Another common tactic is the following: the waiter gives you the laminated menu card, you order, and before you know it, the waiter is off with the menu. When your bill is suspiciously high, you have no means of comparison. So ask to leave a menu on the table, and make sure the staff sees you calculating how much you’ll have to pay. Always helps. Don’t be afraid that you are embarrassing yourself; Mexicans use the same tactics. One time the waiter even asked me “240 pesos, is that correct?”. I said si, and left him a big propina.
Hiring a car
If you rent a car, don't choose the cheapest model. The roads in Mexico are full of potholes. To illustrate how bad it is: along many roads there is someone selling tires every few kilometers. That says it all. Choose a sturdy car with enough power.
Avoid driving at night. The roads are bad, trucks will pass you in a curve, and there’s no lighting. Remember: it gets dark early, around 5:30 p.m.
Do we have to mention that you have to check closely what the chosen insurances cover? (Check the insurance that comes with your credit card, your own travel insurance and the rental car insurance.)
Taxi
Most cab drivers don't have a meter. The only one we found with a meter turned out to have tampered with it so much that we paid five times more at the end of the ride. Do not get in before you have agreed on a price and do not pay one peso more. First ask a local what a fair price is for a certain route.
If you take an Uber, follow along on your GPS app. If you're not paying attention, the driver will take the old-fashioned expensive detour.
Hotel
When you book through a third-party app, check carefully for hidden fees, and choose the Mexican peso as your currency. Can you pay in advance? Do it! At the hotel, the payment system often ‘doesn’t work’, so you have to pay cash. The final price will sometimes be higher than on the app. When you ask about it, they just make up some taxes you've never heard of. (In most booking apps all charges are listed, including tourist taxes).
There’s a Mexican saying that goes “Dando y dando, pajarito volando”. The literal translation: ‘giving and giving, little bird is flying’. It means that, when a deal is made, both parties have to honour the arrangement simultaneously. Does this say something about the level of trust Mexicans have in each other? Or is it just common sense? You decide for yourself.
