Cops cop a colour makeover in the Big Taco!

Much has been written about the corruption and dodgy dealings of the Police Force in Mexico and other countries in South and Central America, and unfortunately from my experience it is all totally true, with many friends here being victim to the "mordita" (ie bribe...literally "little bite") or worse the personal police escort to the ATM to extract a "larger payment" negotiated on the way. Always told to avoid the Police here at all costs, my worst encounter so far happens to be a genuine mistake, whereby not wearing my glasses one evening, I hailed a Police car instead of a cab, but fortunately escaped with just a severe dressing down...

This post however will focus on the lighter side of the Long Arm of the Law, starting with the recent colour makeover for the traffic cops. Before they wore sombre, dark uniforms, but now they have been touched up with Mexican colours in chilli red and lime with new fluorescent green caps and armbands, plus the piece de la resistance - the red baton which not only glows in the dark, Luke Skywalker light sabre-style, but positively flashes disco-style (or epileptic-style!)

Check out the before and after...

Before - female traffic cop directing the traffic on Paseo de Reforma, DF.

After - female traffic cop eating, drinking, and directing traffic on Paseo de Reforma, DF.

Incidentally cops are always eating, drinking, (and smoking before the ban) on duty. Mexico has recently tried to improve literacy amongst cops with compulsory literature lessons, and cut down on obesity with cash for weight reduction programmes. Other silly and unprofessional behaviour on duty includes:-

Taking photos whilst whizzing up and down the pavement on their latest toys - the new issue Segways for the Reforma weekend pavement cops..

And making wrongful arrests... no doubt in this case for lewd and indecent behaviour (by a papier-mache model!)

May the Force Be With You!!

MyWorldTuesday at www.showyourworld.blogspot.com