Reply #30: Like I said it used to startle Americans who had to show their

[Cleita]

visitor's permits, visas and passports in lieu of the Carnet as it was called. But these are some of the surprises you encounter when traveling abroad. However, since most of the police were on foot, we used to play a game of turning up a street when we saw one that was getting ready to flag us over. Since we had wheels they couldn't chase us.

And you are right the system is ripe for abuse. The fact that prior to Pinochet, it wasn't abused in Chile very much (it would have been gossiped about if this was true) seems almost like a miracle to me now.