It Works Both Ways

This is our third time traveling down Baja California, Mexico. One of the realities of travel here is military checkpoints. They’re generally manned by soldiers from the Mexican Army, young, and squared-away (crew cuts, pressed khakis, in good shape). There’s usually one soldier, who usually knows some English, who asks you a couple of questions and does a perfunctory vehicle inspection, and at least one other soldier with a big machine gun hanging over his soldier. (These guys are generally 5’6”-5’8” and the gun is half their height). We’ve never had a problem at one of these checkpoints, and we’ve probably gone through a total of at least 20 in our trips on the peninsula. They are more interested in making sure big trucks aren’t carrying contraband.

The other reality of travel here is that you need a FMM — sometimes called a “tourist card”, sometimes a visa — to travel in Baja and mainland Mexico. This document can be obtained at the Mexican customs station at the border. It’s now about $45 per person, and it can be valid for up to 180 days. In our experience talking with other travelers, some of them don’t know about it, and others don’t bother doing it, since it’s “never been a problem”.

In our three trips, we’ve never had to show our FMM to anyone. Until yesterday, at a military checkpoint that we’ve traveled through multiple times. Unlike any other checkpoint we’ve experienced, there were perhaps a dozen or more Mexican officials inspecting vehicles. This included soldiers, middle-aged customs agents and Guardia Nacional, which is kind of like national police, wearing body armor and carrying assault rifles.

Traffic was lined up a bit and it took some time for the line to be processed. There were also a number of US licensed vehicles on the side of the road, and some of the drivers were talking to the officials. One of the vehicles had passed us hours ago, speeding.

A middle-aged customs agent with perfect English asked to see our passport and FMM. After we showed him the documents, my wife asked what was going on. “Immigration check,” he said. She asked what was up with the vehicles parked on the side of the road. “They didn’t have their papers,” with a bit of a satisfied look on his face.

This might just be one of those random things where somebody decided to crack down on a rule that hasn’t been enforced much, but I have to see it in the context of the way that the US has been treating Mexican citizens. I’m guessing the people pulled over at the side of the road are going to be paying a hell of a lot more than $45/each.

“You fuck with them, they fuck with you” is a golden rule of life, one that Americans will be learning more often as we travel abroad.