Thankful for Non-Corrupt Police Forces

The bar at Harry Bissett's, where I spent many hours waiting tables.

When I lived in Mexico, I worked at Harry Bissett's New Orleans Restaurant. We had a couple of drivers, Jorge and Paco, who went to Mexico City a few times a week to pick up fresh seafood. This time of year they'd also load up on frozen turkeys for the gringos to purchase from the market next door. It was about a 4-hour trip each way.

They headed out one November day and a few hours later, we received a call at the restaurant. They had been pulled over outside Mexico City and the police were demanding to see permits that weren't really required. The guys put together as much cash as possible to "buy" permits on the spot, but they only had a few hundred pesos between them. That wasn't enough to keep the cops happy, and Jorge's phone was running out of minutes. We couldn't send anyone to help because we didn't have their exact location.

Hours went by without any news from the guys until they finally pulled up to the restaurant after dark. Turns out, when the officers heard what they were hauling, they demanded to be let into the truck. Inside, they helped themselves to the fattest turkeys so they'd have something nice to eat on Christmas. They took their pesos and birds and let Jorge and Paco go.

Note about Mexican police officers: Cops in Mexico are only required to have a junior high education. They make about $4 an hour and have no benefits.