The Swamp Rat Experience

[b4atf]

Arrested in Mexico…
Among my many youthful indiscretions was a trip to Tijuana Mexico.
While stationed in San Diego there were Greyhound buses sitting on the base with regular trips that were very cheap. I went many times. This time was different.

Tijuana was not the dangerous place back then and American sailors and Marines were very welcome. The prices were super cheap and welcoming senoritas rounded out the package. I bought my first quality guitar there for $5 and a cool leather jacket which I wore for years.

I was earning about $86 a month then so entertainment was sketchy.
A shipmate and I were strolling around the town and buying bottles of beer at various liquor stores. That was all normal and the liquor stores put the beer in small brown bags. I got to eat dog meat tacos that day and they were wonderful at 5 cents each though of course I feel guilty now. Every trip was like going to a carnival with all the vendors out hawking and street musicians.
Any way there were safety rules for Americans and one was not to accept open bottles of liquid. I knew that and stupidly accepted an open beer at one of the stores.

It had been filled with battery acid or Drano. I don’t what but it scalded my mouth and tongue instantly. Might have killed me had I swallowed it. Luckily I spit it out immediately but had blisters in my mouth for several days.

Well, frankly, I caused a ruckus. I went back in the tiny store, threatened the owner who had spoken nice English before but was then no hable’ . He refused to replace the beer with a sealed bottle and a minor scuffle ensued as I pushed him aside and seized a sealed bottle from his fridge.

Two Mexican police officers were passing by and the store owner called out for help.

The three had a conversation in Spanish which I did not understand. The officers pretended to not speak English and my poison bottle had mysteriously disappeared.
Mexican police were different then and did not wear duty belts but could say “you are under arrest.” They had no radios either.
My shipmate and I were instructed to follow them to jail.

Well the officers were eyeballing us for a while but we were peacefully following them and pretty soon they started talking between themselves and paying little attention to us.
I did not want to go to jail in Mexico and formed a plan! We were passing many small alleys and I decided to bolt. Without saying a word I guided my buddy into the alley with my shoulder and whispered run!

We ran down the alley, ran up a block, and made our way to the bus station. We just laid down on some back seats and pretty soon the bus took us back to the base.

b4