Arrival in Nicaragua and the Subsequent Police Chase

Well our visitors finally arrived last night. They had a terrible ordeal battling ice and snow to get here but, bless God, they're here! Jan and I picked them up at the airport at 7 pm and on our return home I clipped a traffic cone at a police checkpoint - it was either the cone or the cop...afterwards I questioned my judgment. We continued on but the officer comandeered a pickup truck and ordered the driver to chase us. Yes, that makes me an official fugutive! So they swerve in front of us (I was doing a whopping 35 mph) and he points his AK-47 assault rifle in our direction - a motion I perceived as an order to pull over. I did and the furious police officer walks up to my window and gruffly orders us to return to his sub-station (at the traffic circle where the cone-clipping occurred). At the police sub-station he orders me (still brandishing the assault rifle) inside a darkened room and the questioning begins. He is trying hard to intimidate me but (though definitely scared) I knew that I could show no fear. That would only make him bolder. He says I'm going to be charged with 4 infractions:

(1) speeding (45 kph in a 20 kph zone)
(2) clipping the cone (which he said he had to pay for...LIE!)
(3) fleeing the scene (the most serious charge by far...becoming a fugitive from the law...even though he didn't indicate at the scene for me to pull over)
(4) and disrespecting a police officer (because I politely pointed out that it was either clipping the traffic cone or him and so I went with the cone)

Then another officer (the proverbial good cop) entered and tried to make it clear that a little dinero would make things alright. Meanwhile bad cop went back to the van and told Jan that I was definitely going to jail. When bad cop returned to the questioning room (i.e., interrogation chamber) I had befriended good cop - even to point where he handed me the AK-47 so I could show him that the bolt was rusty and needed cleaning. So as I'm holding the weapon bad cop walks in with saucer-wide eyes. I quickly hand the rifle back to good cop (all the while trying to suppress pointing it at bad cop) and then I said, "OK, let's negotiate." The bidding began at 2,000 cordobas (about $130) and finally I got them down to 1,300 ($80). I paid them 4 crisp U.S. twenties - my price for freedom.

So there you have it...adventures in crime and punishment.

Comments

[davidt]

yes, yes...good cops, bad cops. Not many good cops that I can recall. $80.00 and you kept your drivers license, i assume, you got off easy!

[Dad]

You must realize that you are a marked man when you take the highways. This time your silver tongue did not work for a male policeman as it did with the female cop earlier when we were there. Remember speed kills or either costs you money. By the way did you get your Nicaragua drivers license yet? Say hello to everyone, I will e-mail the boys soon. Tell Blanca hello for us, and how we loved the meals she prepared and the great fruit drinks. Talk with you soon.
Love,Dad

[Jan]

Just to clarify... he wasn't speeding! That was what was so uncanny about the whole thing. Everything the policeman said was a lie. So so sad.

[Carol Duval]

Well there's a real "Welcome to Nicaragua" for you, huh girls? I'm sure it wasn't funny while it was happening but I gotta tell you; Glenn, his parents and I were laughing like crazy at Gregs telling of the adventure. I know 80.00 dollars is a lot of money but just think....at least you won't be paying a surcharge for 5 more years!!!

[Tim]

I guess I should have included the fact that the Kenyan police also had assault weapons but they didn't point it at me. I got off real easy - it only cost me $12! Great story.