Comments on: New Traffic Laws in Costa Rica http://blog.therealcostarica.com/2006/11/01/new-traffic-laws-in-costa-rica/ The Blog for Travelers, Retirees, Expats and anyone who needs to know the REAL Costa Rica. Fri, 04 Jul 2008 15:40:38 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Lise http://blog.therealcostarica.com/2006/11/01/new-traffic-laws-in-costa-rica/#comment-12602 Lise Sat, 05 Jan 2008 14:42:38 +0000 http://blog.therealcostarica.com/2006/11/01/new-traffic-laws-in-costa-rica/#comment-12602 Not being able to pay your marchamo without clearing your parking tickets is not necessarily true. Just paid my Marchamo and had a few outstanding tickets and they did not check. I really think they do not enter all the tickets into the system, maybe has to do with lack of manpower. You must have a current RTV. Just for a heads up, most cops, DO blantantly ask for a bribe and blantantly lie to you about the details of your infraction. I recently got stopped up in Cerro de la Muerte, highest place in Costa Rica. I was accused of passing on a curve, whatever!! They threatened to suspend my license for 6 months, if I did not give them 20,000. colones on the spot. This is totally illegal, however, they can make your life miserable and maybe lie and have your license suspended for some other reason and detain you for an hour, while you are standing up in the Cerro and it is pouring rain with winds of 70KM and hour and 13 degress C, guess what, you pay the 20,000. colones and go on your way. I would really like to obtain a hard copy of all the laws, and fines regarding infractions. Pura Vida, Lise Not being able to pay your marchamo without clearing your parking tickets is not necessarily true. Just paid my Marchamo and had a few outstanding tickets and they did not check. I really think they do not enter all the tickets into the system, maybe has to do with lack of manpower. You must have a current RTV.
Just for a heads up, most cops, DO blantantly ask for a bribe and blantantly lie to you about the details of your infraction. I recently got stopped up in Cerro de la Muerte, highest place in Costa Rica. I was accused of passing on a curve, whatever!! They threatened to suspend my license for 6 months, if I did not give them 20,000. colones on the spot. This is totally illegal, however, they can make your life miserable and maybe lie and have your license suspended for some other reason and detain you for an hour, while you are standing up in the Cerro and it is pouring rain with winds of 70KM and hour and 13 degress C, guess what, you pay the 20,000. colones and go on your way. I would really like to obtain a hard copy of all the laws, and fines regarding infractions. Pura Vida, Lise

]]> By: patrick http://blog.therealcostarica.com/2006/11/01/new-traffic-laws-in-costa-rica/#comment-9233 patrick Sun, 31 Dec 2006 14:48:19 +0000 http://blog.therealcostarica.com/2006/11/01/new-traffic-laws-in-costa-rica/#comment-9233 It's ALL ABOUT THE CASH, you can believe it when something like this happens. I've been a cop in the US for a long time. I don't like writing tickets. I don't think anyone other than very few oddballs I've met over the years actually do. I avoided having to do it by deliberately working in areas where the 911 calls for service were so high, nobody cared if we wrote tickets. We were just too busy with real crimes and emergencies. The guys that wrote the tickets usually wanted to avoid working in truly tough ugly neighborhoods so whenever the city needed money they would put the pressure on these guys to write tickets or in some way let them know they would have to work in the crappy areas again if they didn't produce. Government for the people! My point: It's not the cops that are doing this, it's the greedy politicians looking for a bounty. They will manipulate the traffic cops. If somebody is going to get this lunacy under control, it will have to be the tourist industry lobbyists. They will have to get involved and demonstrate the resentment tourists and ex-pats will develop eventually towards everything Costa Rican. In the end they will get a few more dollars in fines, but lose a LOT MORE in tourist dollars! Hope their quick fix remedy is dropped when they consider it's far reaching consequences. They could eventuall end up with a scandalous repututation like the Mexican Government and its joke for a legal IN-justice system. It’s ALL ABOUT THE CASH, you can believe it when something like this happens.

I’ve been a cop in the US for a long time. I don’t like writing tickets. I don’t think anyone other than very few oddballs I’ve met over the years actually do. I avoided having to do it by deliberately working in areas where the 911 calls for service were so high, nobody cared if we wrote tickets. We were just too busy with real crimes and emergencies. The guys that wrote the tickets usually wanted to avoid working in truly tough ugly neighborhoods so whenever the city needed money they would put the pressure on these guys to write tickets or in some way let them know they would have to work in the crappy areas again if they didn’t produce. Government for the people!

My point: It’s not the cops that are doing this, it’s the greedy politicians looking for a bounty. They will manipulate the traffic cops. If somebody is going to get this lunacy under control, it will have to be the tourist industry lobbyists. They will have to get involved and demonstrate the resentment tourists and ex-pats will develop eventually towards everything Costa Rican. In the end they will get a few more dollars in fines, but lose a LOT MORE in tourist dollars!

Hope their quick fix remedy is dropped when they consider it’s far reaching consequences. They could eventuall end up with a scandalous repututation like the Mexican Government and its joke for a legal IN-justice system.

]]> By: William James http://blog.therealcostarica.com/2006/11/01/new-traffic-laws-in-costa-rica/#comment-8098 William James Fri, 22 Dec 2006 07:53:08 +0000 http://blog.therealcostarica.com/2006/11/01/new-traffic-laws-in-costa-rica/#comment-8098 I can't wait to come down to Costa Rica. It sounds like it's going to be exciting. I've beem told that I have to watch out for thieves. Are they talking about the new traffic laws? They told me to dress down and try not to stand out. I six foot and five inches tall. I should be alwright while sitting in a vehicle. Seriouly this is one of the best CR site I've seen on the web. Thanks. I can’t wait to come down to Costa Rica. It sounds like it’s going to be exciting. I’ve beem told that I have to watch out for thieves. Are they talking about the new traffic laws? They told me to dress down and try not to stand out. I six foot and five inches tall. I should be alwright while sitting in a vehicle. Seriouly this is one of the best CR site I’ve seen on the web. Thanks.

]]> By: Greg http://blog.therealcostarica.com/2006/11/01/new-traffic-laws-in-costa-rica/#comment-1885 Greg Thu, 07 Dec 2006 17:51:17 +0000 http://blog.therealcostarica.com/2006/11/01/new-traffic-laws-in-costa-rica/#comment-1885 Just finished reading this blog and the 'driving in Costa Rica' blog. I'm going to be visiting in January. Going to be staying in Manual Antonio. Flying in to San Jose. Have to get from San Jose to Manuel Antonio. Was going to rent a car to get there, but am now questioning that. Is there any way to get from San Jose to Manuel Antonio w/out renting a car? I could rent one locally in Manuel Antonio and just tool around there. Btw, I don't want to fly in one of the 6-seaters...Thx. G Just finished reading this blog and the ‘driving in Costa Rica’ blog. I’m going to be visiting in January. Going to be staying in Manual Antonio. Flying in to San Jose. Have to get from San Jose to Manuel Antonio. Was going to rent a car to get there, but am now questioning that. Is there any way to get from San Jose to Manuel Antonio w/out renting a car? I could rent one locally in Manuel Antonio and just tool around there. Btw, I don’t want to fly in one of the 6-seaters…Thx.
G

]]> By: Tim http://blog.therealcostarica.com/2006/11/01/new-traffic-laws-in-costa-rica/#comment-1569 Tim Tue, 28 Nov 2006 01:02:23 +0000 http://blog.therealcostarica.com/2006/11/01/new-traffic-laws-in-costa-rica/#comment-1569 Yup... for a DUI, castration is fitting punishment. And if you dear James are one of those who drink and drive, I sincerely hope you will be speaking an octave or two higher VERY soon. As for talking while driving... why YES I do... I use a headset as the law provides. And wherever did you get that nonsense that about drunk driving being equal to talking on a cell? THAT crappola needs documentation. Yup… for a DUI, castration is fitting punishment. And if you dear James are one of those who drink and drive, I sincerely hope you will be speaking an octave or two higher VERY soon.

As for talking while driving… why YES I do…

I use a headset as the law provides.

And wherever did you get that nonsense that about drunk driving being equal to talking on a cell? THAT crappola needs documentation.

]]> By: jaime http://blog.therealcostarica.com/2006/11/01/new-traffic-laws-in-costa-rica/#comment-1547 jaime Mon, 27 Nov 2006 17:32:39 +0000 http://blog.therealcostarica.com/2006/11/01/new-traffic-laws-in-costa-rica/#comment-1547 Castration for DUI huh? For a .08 you lose your nuts. Well, since cell phone use while driving has been proven just as bad an a .08, what should be the penalty for driving while yapping? Removal of tongue? You don't converse while driving, do you??? Castration for DUI huh? For a .08 you lose your nuts. Well, since cell phone use while driving has been proven just as bad an a .08, what should be the penalty for driving while yapping? Removal of tongue? You don’t converse while driving, do you???

]]> By: Steve McNutt http://blog.therealcostarica.com/2006/11/01/new-traffic-laws-in-costa-rica/#comment-1063 Steve McNutt Thu, 09 Nov 2006 20:34:50 +0000 http://blog.therealcostarica.com/2006/11/01/new-traffic-laws-in-costa-rica/#comment-1063 Hello Thanks for the informitive website. I have a friend that has just purchased land in Costa Rica and I'm was considering doing the same. I will be visiting in Feb for a month or soo, but if the Gov. is going to start acting like Americians I don't want any part of that Country. Cheers Hello
Thanks for the informitive website. I have a friend that has just purchased land in Costa Rica and I’m was considering doing the same. I will be visiting in Feb for a month or soo, but if the Gov. is going to start acting like Americians I don’t want any part of that Country.
Cheers

]]> By: Global Voices Online » Blog Archive » Costa Rica: New Traffic Laws http://blog.therealcostarica.com/2006/11/01/new-traffic-laws-in-costa-rica/#comment-890 Global Voices Online » Blog Archive » Costa Rica: New Traffic Laws Fri, 03 Nov 2006 02:09:49 +0000 http://blog.therealcostarica.com/2006/11/01/new-traffic-laws-in-costa-rica/#comment-890 [...] The REAL Costa Rica Blog says that the new traffic laws and fines are ridiculous. David Sasaki [...] [...] The REAL Costa Rica Blog says that the new traffic laws and fines are ridiculous. David Sasaki [...]

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