Ok, this is sort of messed up. I was walking by the side of the road on the white line (Av. Lázaro Cárdenas) towards town, around 10pm. I've been doing this every night to get some exercise. At around Calle Jesús Rodriguez, a speeding car drove so close to me that the passenger side-view mirror clipped me, hitting my left hip. I was so shocked but after a few seconds became livid and screamed at the car, who momentarily slowed down before it sped off again. Right after that, a white pickup truck came speeding down the road following it, like how fast you go on the highway. About 5 minutes later, I caught up to the black car as it was parked by the side of the road and immediately noticed that the side-view mirror was bent back from hitting me. I went to go yell at the driver when I noticed that he was a POLICE OFFICER (pointing to his gun - not so subtle intimidation tactic). I told him that he hit me, and he got a bit aggressive, just repeating "que pasa" (not in a friendly way). We were by a dirt road, I think the one across the road from the clinic. Then I noticed the white pickup truck about 20 meters in the dirt road, and it was a police car. I went to speak with that officer but my Spanish is poor and he had nada English. But I did get the point across that the other car, driven by the other police officer, had hit me. He pretty much just shrugged. Meanwhile, the officer that hit me was getting antsy (and in a way a little panicky) and not at all happy that I was still there. Finally, to make this even more bizarre, there was a Mexican man handcuffed in the back seat of the pickup, and I think that he was trying to tell me that the other car was his wife's. Which makes sense, since when did police drive little, crappy unmarked cars? Then both policemen took off in the pickup and left the black car and I there.
I came within a fist width of being killed on the road by a policeman, driving a non-police car (there's something screwy about that too). I don't want the police to think that they can do this crap and just get away with it - maybe the next person he hits WILL get killed. Maybe that will be you, or a loved one.
So what the heck do I do? I am afraid to complain about this for fear of reprisal. I get the feeling that the police are above the law here, and if you try to get them in trouble they could easily get you back, by say, planting drugs on you or whatever. Am I paranoid or should I complain? If so, to who? Someone suggested that I go speak with the mayor, but he doubted much good would come from that. I've been here for a week and don't know how things work here, but many of you have been around for many many years and I would appreciate your advice on what to do. Also, if I go talk to the mayor I should have a bilingual translator, so if it comes to that are they any volunteers? Or is this just a waste of time and energy?
Sorry to post something depressing like this.
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Re: I just got (narrowly) hit by a car - what to do?
To be candid...... be thankful you weren't hurt worse. Things are not always the way we think they ought to be. This could have happened in any small town anywhere in the world on a dark night on a dark road with police who seem to be busy doing something else.