[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 51 (Tuesday, May 3, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: May 3, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]


                              {time}  1750
 
              AMERICANS SHOULD BEWARE OF DRIVING IN MEXICO

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Coppersmith). Under a previous order of 
the House, the gentlewoman from Maryland [Mrs. Bentley], is recognized 
for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. BENTLEY. Mr. Speaker, American citizens beware. Driving in 
Mexico has potentially serious problems for Americans, particularly if 
you are involved in an automobile accident.
  A lawyer from Maryland, Lawrence P. Pinno, Jr., learned the hard way 
that by being a good citizen and staying at the scene of an accident 
does not pay in Mexico. For his efforts, he was jailed and his human 
rights were seriously violated.
  Mr. Pinno relates that he was in Cancun, Mexico on his way for an 
afternoon of scuba diving when a young man on a moped ran into the side 
of his rented Budget Rent-A-Car Volkswagen. The car was stopped when 
the moped, driven by a Mexican national, slammed into the side of the 
Volkswagen. The moped rider came off a walkway into the road hitting 
the car.
  The Mexican citizen was injured, so Mr. Pinno remained at the scene 
giving aid to him. Mr. Pinno says he cooperated fully with the police 
officials who arrived on the scene--which began what he calls ``a 
nightmare.''
  The description of what happened next set the stage for buying his 
way out of jail. Mr. Pinno said,

       A uniformed person arrived at the scene, and drew a 
     diagram. He did not talk to any witnesses, although there 
     were many. Then he directed me to drive my rented motor 
     vehicle to a place which I believe was the Transit Police 
     Headquarters. I did so. Upon my arrival there, I was placed 
     into a small room.
       Nobody said anything to me, other than I was to be 
     detained. No traffic tickets had been written, no charges 
     were filed and there was no judicial officer present or 
     promised for the future. I was merely to be detained.

  From the time of his detention, officials requested money from him 
for each step of the system before he was finally released. He had to 
pay 20 pesos to a person who was to administer a breathalyzer test. 
There was a subtle threat to Mr. Pinno that if he did not submit to the 
test his detention would continue. Of course, the test was negative 
because there was no alcohol in his blood.
  The breathlyzer operator next investigated the moped passenger's 
injuries. At that time, Mr. Pinno was told that with a payment of an 
additional 20 pesos nuevos, he could leave. He paid the money, but was 
still detained.
  At 5 o'clock he was transported in a locked police vehicle to another 
small building where supposedly Mr. Pinno could see a judge. A sign 
indicated this was the Policia Judicial Del Estado Comandancia 94. 
There was no judge. Mr. Pinno was not allowed to leave but he was 
subjected to further processing.
  At 11 o'clock he was required to sign a document, written in Spanish, 
and was told he could leave after paying $1,000 in cash. Having only 
$600 Mr. Pinno offered his jailers a credit card with his passport as 
security. Only cash was acceptable.
  By now he had been in custody over 10 hours without food, water or 
bathroom facilities. Desperate, Mr. Pinno asked to use a telephone to 
call American Express for funds so he could leave, but there were no 
phones.
  Mr. Pinno later was told by someone in charge that if he would sign 
an American Express sales draft in blank then he could leave. Hopeful, 
he signed the draft, but was not permitted to leave.
  When Mr. Pinno's captors realized that he would not produce the cash, 
he was then put in a jail cell along with 19 other prisoners. The cell 
was 12 feet by 16 feet wide and was so small and crowded that not 
everyone could sit at the same time. There was no food and bathroom 
facilities. Prisoners relieved themselves on the floor, which was the 
only place to sit.
  By 1:30 the next day a friend furnished the $1,000 in cash, but it 
took another 4 hours before he was finally released. Mr. Pinno is so 
upset over this experience that he is considering running ads in 
newspapers to find out how many other Americans have had similar 
experiences. For my part I intend to write the Secretary of State 
requesting that warnings be provided American citizens about driving in 
Mexico. At least our Government should warn Americans that they are at 
risk driving in Mexico. Thank you.

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