Policia Encounter

Today we got pulled over by the cops for speeding. We were going 9 km over the speed limit. Give us a break! This is the 2nd time we have been pulled over since we've been here. We've been here 9 days.

9 km= 5.5 mph over the speed limit! 

They way the policia pull you over is interesting. They have a group of about 10 or 15 cops standing on the side of the road, and they have one radar gun. So were driving along and we see the group of cops, and we usually just expect to be pulled over considering our skin color. So the cop comes out in the middle of the road with his hand out telling us to stop. So we pull over. Alex always has some kind of plan worked up in his mind of what hes going to do to handle these Mozambican cops. This time he decides he is going to pretend like he doesn't speak portugues.

Cop: "Ola"
Alex: "Hello", he says in a loud, slow voice.
Cop: "Carta de conducao, faz favor"
Alex: "I am from the church." as he shows the cop a flyer of a vaccination clinic the church is putting on.
Cop: "License of driver"
Alex: "Listen, I don't speak portugues"

The cop then walks away for a few minutes. Another cop comes to our window.

Cop: "Hello, you were going 49 km and you can only go 40 km on this road.

Uh oh, his plan failed. One of the cops happened to speak english, what are the chances?

Alex: "Look, I am just here trying to help your poor children, and you are going to try to give me a speeding ticket. I don't have any Mozambican money, I only have 10 US dollars with me."
Cop: "I am sorry sir, we give everyone speeding tickets. Can I have your drivers license?"

Alex refused to give him his drivers license because they will keep your drivers license until you pay the ticket. He gave him a copy of the drivers license, the cop wouldn't have it. Things are getting heated up at this point between the cop and Alex.

Cop: "Ok, I will forgive you for the speeding for only the 10 US dollars."
Alex: "Here are the flyers for the vaccine clinic for your poor children."
Cop: "No sir, I am a cop, you are a man. I am going to write you a ticket, give me your drivers license!"
Alex: "You can write me a ticket, but you don't need my drivers license!"

Both voices are getting louder and louder as the conversation goes on. The cop takes Alex's drivers license out of his hands, and Alex picks up the phone.

Alex: "I am calling the US embassy right now!"
Cop: "Sir, the ticket is 1000 metecais, you must pay the ticket for speeding!"
Alex: "You cannot take my drivers license, it is government property in the US."
Cop: "If you continue to raise your voice, we are going to have problems"

At this point, I didn't know if Alex was putting on a show to get out of this, or if he was legitimately mad. What if he was taken to jail? I would be stuck here with a truck, I am too scared to drive on these crazy streets! It went on.

Alex: "Listen, you are breaking Mozambican law. You asked for a bribe. I am going to throw you in jail."

The man looks up from writing and pauses.

Cop: "I did not."
Alex: "I'm out of here!"

Alex grabs all of the papers off of the cops clipboard and drives away with screeching tires. Alex then shouts at the cop some bad words in portugues as were driving off. This is a very shortened version of the story, we were fighting with this cop for 15 minutes or so. I've never ran from the cops before, but he was breaking Mozambican law by asking for a bribe, so it is justified, I guess.