Each Friday, we feature a reader-submitted tip as our Travel Tip of the Day. This week’s tip comes from reader Gary B., who says:
“Recently, we were walking the narrow streets of Tulum, Mexico, and saw a parked car getting a ticket from a motorcycle officer. I laughed about how the owners of the rental car would return home and throw away that ticket. However, what happened next changed that tune. The officer then took his backpack off, got a screwdriver out and removed the license plate! Now the owner of that car had something to deal with. So, don’t assume that because you are in a foreign country that you can park illegally without consequence.”
Gary’s right: Customs, and especially those related to law enforcement, are likely to be different when you travel outside the US, so it’s important to do your research before you go (and on the ground). And make sure to not break the law, as the consequences could be more severe than you think!
Related:
- Reader Travel Tip of the Day: Confirm Traffic Tickets with the Rental Car Company
- Do You Need Car Rental Insurance in Europe?
- Travel Tip of the Day: Don’t Speed in Mexico
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This is very true. The first thing the rental agency does when you return the car is to check for the plates If they’re not there, they’ve got your card and you’re on the hook. It makes sense because as the poster wrote, why else would anyone pay the ticket?
Here’s another tip; Police officers in Mexico are NOT allowed to collect the fees for the fine on the spot when they give you the ticket. You have to follow them back to the station, or another government body and pay it there. If they offer to settle it on the side of the road it’s a scam. That said, my wife and I have been to Mexico 5 times now, and rented a car for at least a day or two each time. We’ve racked up a lot of mileage0 and we’ve never had an issue.
Cheers,