The bribe and the cops

I was in a car with a friend of Rodrigo, heading to a restaurant to get tacos and meet the rest of the group. But, unfortunately, at some point we got lost in the huge traffic jam of Mexico city. The passenger next to the driver (I was in the backseat trying to grasp their Spanish) said something about going to the left. Not now, you cannot go now to the left, it's forbidden, but just after that traffic light, you can... not even finished the sentence that the driver went left. Immediately, at the first curve. He could not have done that, and the cop in the car just next to us was very intentioned to let us know. We got stopped: shit, fine on sight.

After have taken the document and showed us a paper with the rule of the street (specifically the one the driver violated), he told us to follow him, to a place where we could have paid the fine (around 2000 pesos), and not sure what else. I did not get why we could not have paid the fine right there. As a matter of fact, after few minutes of following his car, he pull over, and with the left hand signed us to get next to him:

- you work for a company, right? - he asked from the window of his car

- yes, yes.

- ok. - Then he continued to drive. We keep following him. It did not make any sense to me: why did he asked from the car about the company? what was the point? Again, after few minutes, he just pulled over, and signaled us to pull over in front of him. We did. He did not get off his car. The driver look at the passenger, then at me. Then he get off his car and went toward the police car. After few minutes he came back, asked his friend for 100 pesos (not much in fact, almost 6 euros) and went back to the police car. When he came back, the police car was leaving in the other direction: no fine, no police, no problem. I was confused.

That's the conversation my friend had with the police officer, as my friend reported to me: 

- where are you working? before I couldn't hear you, and there were camera recording us.

- I work for the Something company (I don't remember the actual name)

- you know what is going to happen now?

- yes. But if you want money, I have only 100 pesos.

- yeah I did not heard before. I could have left you the first time I stopped you.

- yes, but I have only 100 pesos.

- ok, but you give me those money with your heart, no remorse or regret. all right? we could also go on with the fine.

- no no, ok, thanks.

Apparently, as they explained me later on, the bribes are very common in Mexico city with the traffic police (yes, there is a police specifically for the traffic and circulation). Even though they are very common, there is still some kind of play to do to get there, to make it smooth. Corruption is at every level, and, quoting Shantaram: " The worst thing about corruption as a system of governance is that it works".