Flashing Lights in the Rear View Mirror

My friend, John, and I went into Puerto Vallarta to get some groceries at Costco and to pick up his family at the airport when flashing lights were spotted in this rear view mirror. Someone from the car was telling us over a loud speaker to "pull over" though it was in Spanish so I can't really say for sure. The officer came to the window and in a mix of Spanish and English told John what he had done wrong. I really didn't see John do anything that deserved being pulled over but certainly kept my mouth shut and recollected the many times I had seen a carload of Mexicans pulled over in Park City. Was the officer having a bad day, was he "profiling" or was there a very good reason to pull them over? Well, it turned out that John admitted that he really did coast through a red light and couldn't blame the officer for pulling him over. I was just too busy to looking around and talking notice. The officer gave John the choice of going to the station and paying the US equivalent of $100+ fine and pick up his drivers license or paying him right there and then. This way John could choose to get this done immediately and wouldn't have to make a special trip into Vallarta. John decided to pay the officer but only had about 90 pesos or 8 bucks in his wallet. The officer was less than impressed but since it would pay for his lunch so he took it and sent John on his way. Fine? Bribe? Maybe. The system in Mexico. si. Oscar Award goes to John for playing the dumb tourist who doesn't speak any Spanish or know his way around Puerto Vallarta.