Once upon a time last weekend, my brother and my dad drove down to Mexico for an ATV trip through Baja (I did this same trip 2 years ago, it was super fun/one of the most dangerous things I've ever done). The group they were going with also does a service project while they're there in the form of passing out clothing items to needy families. My dad was given the responsibility of packing all the donated clothing in his truck to take down for the group.
When they arrived at the customs station in Mexico, they were promptly arrested for "smuggling" and the truck, ATV, trailer, and everything else they had, save for a backpack each, was confiscated. It is apparently illegal to take donated items like that into Mexico. My dad was detained for hours in a holding room, and both my brother and he were made to sign confessions or be taken to jail.
Because they didn't have 15,000 pesos to pay their fine, and also because the Mexican government doesn't take credit cards, my brother and dad had to wait until Monday morning so they could go to the bank. They had to
walk sneak back to the California side of the boarder with just their backpacks.
Monday rolls around and my dad decides to venture back to Mexico alone to pay their fine and get the truck and everything else back. The nearest ATM wasn't working, but a sweet looking senorita named Adrianne (who also had been stopped at the boarder for smuggling) was also trying to get money out of the ATM. She offered to take my dad to the American side of the boarder to the Wells Fargo for $20. My dad agreed and she dropped him off after exchanging information so she could pick him up.
After getting the money at the bank, he called the number she gave him only to find it was disconnected. He figured Adrianne had swindled him out of the $20, so he started to walk back to the boarder. It was around sunset, and his cell phone battery had just died, so he tried to hurry.
While walking, two thugs appeared asking if he was looking for Adrianne. My dad knew this was not a good sign and tried to play dumb. The guys jumped him! My dad rocked one of the thugs square in the nose, breaking it, while the other thug punched my dad in the back of the head and tried to wrestle him to the ground from behind-- probably not the smartest way to attack a wrestling champion/all around badass like my dad.
Right then, a cab driver came flying down the road, honking his horn, and jumped out of the cab to help my dad. The two thugs ran off and the cab driver took my dad to the boarder.
When my dad finally got to the Mexican customs office to pay the fine, they told him they couldn't find his truck, and that he should come back the next day. He kindly informed them there was no way in hell that was going to happen, and 45 minutes later they appeared with his truck and all his other belongings.
He drove back to America, in all his Mexican thug punching glory.
The end.
The KSL story can be found
here.
