I normally only read La Nacion or some other Spanish language newspapers as they tend to get it right… and as I suspected, the information reported was not quite accurate.  The actual number of tickets was far less.  By 4 PM yesterday,  218 tickets had been handed out nationwide.

These tickets were for:

Using mobile phones without a hands free device or failure to use seat belts. (¢ 220,050  or $400.00)  (Yeah!!)

Driving in San José in violation of vehicle plate restrictions (¢ 29,340 -   $53.00)

Driving with polarized (darkened) rear window (¢ 117,360 – $213.00) and finally,

two people who were caught driving without a driver’s license (¢ 293,400 – $533.00 ) and whose cars were impounded on the spot. Wow!

Also, La Nacion staffers apparently did a bit of reconnoitering around the country and found that many transit officials had apparently not even been on duty, prompting the response “Promise Fulfilled” by Joselito Ureña, secretary of the Unión Nacional de Técnicos y Profesionales en Tránsito the transit officers union.  Interestingly…. Those officers did give out tickets  were officers who were working directly  under the supervision of Marin Germain, transit director aka the big cheese. Guess that confirms who is the real boss.

So the verdict?  None of the big cheeses (transit bosses nor the diputados) are thrilled about the officers not obeying orders and  handing out those tickets…  still it would be wise to keep your foot under control, not talk on your cell phone,  use your seat belts and generally be good little boys and girls!

The long awaited (30+ years) highway from San Jose to Caldera opened a couple of weeks ago. I had a hunch that anything that long in the making would draw the curious and traffic would be a disaster.  Turns out that I called it, and the touted 45-60 minute trip to the Port of Caldera (Puerto Caldera), Costa Rica’s only commercial and cruise terminal on the Pacific coast, took up to three hours for much of last week

Not so yesterday!

Yesterday, I thought it might be worth a chance, so my wife Maria Luisa, my sister Pamela and I jumped on the new highway and found ourselves pretty much alone with pretty minimal traffic.  Better yet, we were in Orotina in 45 minutes and in  Caldera in 60.  Another 15 minutes put us in Puntarenas and walking on the beach. this is a big deal to expats and Ticos and will certainly have a positive commercial effect in all those locations.

Thirty years or not, this was worth the wait.  Interested?  Read on!

Before the completion of this highway, the alternative was to take the Pan American Highway (aka Route 1, or the InterAmericana, etc) northwest to the Atenas/Jaco cutoff in La Garita, then deal with horrendous traffic to the beach… or, you could continue a bit further on Route 1 and get off around Puntarenas.    Either way, you were in for a nasty time having to  follow trucks moving at 8 mph through winding, but admittedly beautiful, mountain roads.  You were looking at a minimum of 2 hours, or  more likely longer, to get to Jaco or Puntarenas.  Two hours of breathing exhaust, and that was if you were leaving from the San Jose airport.  From downtown San Jose you’d need to add an (optimistic) thirty minutes more. You can see how this will make things a lot better for anyone wanting to get to the the beach quickly and comfortably.

The drive is pretty spectacular too.  The new bridge over the Rio Grande is quite beautiful and the mountain views are worth the trip.

Cost?

This trip is not cheap, and by Costa Rica toll standards, it is a fortune.  There are three toll booths (peajes) en route,  The first and third are 490 colones each and the second is 640 colones. This is a bit under $3.00, cheap by most US standards, but huge by Costa Rica standards. Still, with gas prices at ridiculous levels and the time saving, I am guessing this is not going to deter anyone.

I picked yesterday as I thought that many Ticos might choose to hang around their homes in preparation for today’s presidential elections. Lucky guess!

Road conditions

The road is in beautiful shape as you might expect from something two weeks old. It is generally two lanes wide (one in each direction) though it widens to an additional lane going uphill (for use in passing slow traffic). Now saying that, Costa Rica drivers may be the worst drivers in the world. Patience is a word few Ticos (and some really dumb tourists) understand when behind the wheel of a car.  Illegal passing on all highways (autopistas) is a primary cause of many incredibly violent and needless accidents every week.

Yesterday, I traveled at the 80 kmh speed limit (about 55 MPH) as I was not at all in a hurry and wanted to take it all in.  I was passed by no less than TEN cars traveling at an estimated 120 kmh minimum and at least twice more by semis at the same speed.  All but one of these required crossing a double yellow line.  There was no police presence at all except two on motorcycles chatting under a bridge and I suppose getting out of the sun

This illegal passing thing places everyone in real danger, and while the trip down was a piece o’ cake, the drive back, took nearly two hours because of a really  bad head-on collision (see photo above right), doubtless caused by illegal passing.

Planning

Why only two lanes? Now there is a question.

I love Costa Rica, but honestly, the concept of planning seems to evade the Costa Rican government(s). One might argue that planning for this highway began long before there were so many cars and so many tourists, but to me, that dog won’t hunt. Traffic to and from Caldera certainly could have been predicted ten to fifteen years ago allowing for widening of this toll road. Granted, widening roads here in Costa Rica that wind through mountains and cross many rivers would clearly be a major expense… still,  if they were not planning to enforce the driving laws, then the real cost of reckless driving will must include numerous lost lives.

Another example:  To reach the toll road to Caldera from say the San Jose airport, the most direct route (but maybe not the fastest) would be to access the toll road using the Lindora highway that runs between Panasonic and Santa Ana. The problem here is that there are at least 6-8 new high rise office buildings, several dozen new stores, strip malls and supermarkets, every fast food outlet known to man, a zillion new restaurants  and several hundred new condos and houses lining Lindora which remains not 6 inches wider than it was ten years ago when it was almost all farm land.

That means that the (perhaps) 1.5 mile drive from Panasonic to the toll road can easily take 40 minutes.  Yesterday, it took 15 minutes and the traffic was not all that bad. Still, they are continuing to all new construction almost daily.   Oh well!

Anyway… we had a fine time walking along the beach in Puntarenas and stopping at the many dozens of kiosks selling jewelry, souvenirs,  and clothing.  It was warm (high 80’s) but there was a fine breeze making it all tolerable.  I also got nice brownie points for buying my wife new earrings and a pair of shorts. Life is good!

There are two or three US holidays that are not celebrated  here… well more if you add all those goofy ones like President’s day where nobody does anything special.  Of them all, Thanksgiving is the worst for me maybe followed by the 4th of July. No fireworks.

First, everyone is working on a Thursday… everyone meaning everyone in my family who would normally be invited to celebrate, so we celebrate it on the following Saturday.

Turkey is easy to buy, but ludicrously expensive.  I cannot buy sage here, required for traditional sage and onion dressing. I also cannot find rutabagas! I know rutabaga is not for everyone, but it is an integral part of my family tradition.  One nice person brought me **ONE** from the USA a couple of days ago. I am hiding it.  We have maybe 8 people coming Saturday and one is not enough to split 8 ways.

I miss the Thanksgiving day TV stuff too.  Football, parades, you know, all the things we do.

It may be the only day when I really miss living in the USA.

Worse, today is the day my wife is having surgery. Just another Thursday.  That was at 7 AM this morning, supposedly no biggie, maybe 45 minutes, but no one has called to let me know she is OK.  It is 10:30 AM I am worried and after posting this, I am heading out to the hospital to find out what is going on.

To all my readers… I have much to be thankful for, and I wish all you you the very happiest of Thanksgivings!

I especially wish a happy Thanksgiving to anyone serving in the armed forces who cannot be with their families.  You are very special people, too many times not appreciated, but by me, you are very appreciated.

Be well and be safe.

Well.. I was wrong.  It seems there is a process in Costa Rica that can take less than a decade to change for the better.  Today was my appointment for my cedula renewal at at the American International Mall branch of Banco de Costa Rica in Alajuela.  It went without a hitch… and if this interests you… read on!

Twenty Three Minutes!  OK.. actually it was about 28, but I spent 5 minutes chatting up the young lady at the renewal desk.

And! The new cedula is for TWO years.

Those of you who have had the pleasure of a 5-6 hour wait at immigration whilst being moved from room to room and rows of seats to standing areas in 90 degree heat standing near people who did not bathe that day….  well those people know exactly what I am talking about! And that was for a ONE year renewal.

Today was sweet! Seems immigration has gotten their act together!

The Process

The bank security guard took my old cedula, gave it to the woman at the renewal desk (yes, it is a dedicated desk in an air conditioned branch).

She waggled a come here finger to me and it was all over just that quick.  I gave her my address, phone number and the closest Post Office branch (Belen) as they deliver the cedula to the closet branch of Correos de Costa Rica (Post Office) and about three weeks.  I bet they do too!

The only “issue” was the 329 times I needed to press my index fingers (both) into the little fingerprint reader thingy. Apparently it is not a very good fingerprint reader thingy as she mentioned a lot of folks have finger print issues. Apparently it requires a correct reading 4 time in a row per finger.  I’d get 1 then 3 then 1 then none… and eventually 4.  The other digit… sigh.  No big deal! Probably did not help that my fingers are the size of most Tica’s feet… but I digress!

That’s it… a boring post if ever the was one!

As some of these were sent more than 5 weeks ago, I do appreciate your patience. I am just bombarded with email, especially now that readership in The REAL Costa Rica and this Blog is exceeding 60,000 visits per month.

If this interests you, please read on.

I made two comments recently to Posts on your Blog, yet neither is there.  Why?

I do not have many rules about people commenting. The few I have are:

1. You may not attack me or another person in a way that is rude, uses vulgar language, or is just over the top. That does not mean you cannot disagree with me or another person.  It just must be done in a polite manner. If I am wrong about something I posted here and you provide adequate proof (i.e not just your opinion), I will correct the original post, give you credit, and grovel.
2. The comment must have something to do with the Post upon which you are commenting. Commenting about how much you hate Obama in a Post that is about a recipe for Gallo Pinto is just dumb and I will not allow your comment.
3. No spamming. Any comment that even remotely smacks of promotion of a business or a web site totally irrelevant to Costa Rica will not be published. This includes links to any website that contains a virus, Trojan horse or any other malware that affects my readers.
4. Any comment that disseminates wrong information about Costa Rica. This may include the many “urban legends” floating around. For those, I normally respond via email to let you know your information is not correct.
5. Last… but maybe not least. Any comment that uses a false email address will not be published.

In your case, rule #2 was the issue for both of your comments.

We have a home in Costa Rica, and we are looking for the best book we can get on insects of costa rica with good pictures so we can key them when we find them.  Do you know of any such book.

Sadly, I have no bug books, so I cannot recommentd any.  However you will find what you are looking for by scrolling thrugh the books located in the Costa Rica Shop.

I’ve enjoyed your blog as a useful tool for some while now. Question,  have you heard of Cable Tica for internet? Any feedback would be  appreciated. We’re currently using a satellite service (know it’s illegal).

Yes, any satellite Internet service here IS illegal unless purchased from RACSA.  In my opinion, Cabletica is the best of all the Internet Service Providers, though to get Internet service,  you must order their cable service which not everybody wants or needs.

I will be moving in August to Ciudad Colon, just west of San Jose, to attend the United Nation’s University for Peace.  I will be bringing my 3 children (ages 9, 10, & 14) and am concerned about building codes in such an earthquake-prone area.  Is there something I should look for (like date of construction, specific building style) in an apartment building and in their schools?  I’m have a hard time finding anything online.

Building codes?  Building codes?  We don’t need no steenking building codes! Kidding, of course, but in reality, while they exist, there is no guarantee that the builder paid even the slightest attention to them… or if he did, followed them to the letter. I am guessing that if you rent in one of the newly developed areas and the place is less than 5 years old, you have a better chance of finding something “to code”. Saying that, the vast majority of homes (all but the oldest homes) are built with concrete reinforced with metal rods.  I live in a 20 year old home, and even the big earthquake (6.3)  a few months  ago did no damage, and we were only 15 miles from the epicenter. Also, as almost all home are single story,  the collapse of a building is not so much an issue. As for schools… most, I think, are pretty safe.  However if you are at or really near the epicenter of ANY strong (>5.0 for example) earthquake, the building construction is going to be pretty irrelevant.

Edited for clarity

… how do you handle the insistence of vendors quoting in Dollars but when offered a credit card billing in colones? … do you have any suggestions how to circumvent this underhandedness?   If I am quoted in $$ and my credit card account is $$, why am I charged the rate as if I were selling colones and receiving dollars?

First, and just a general reminder, I never shop anywhere that prices its goods in dollars. Although better than when I arrived here lo those many years, it still more often than not, is an indication that I will be paying too much.

Now for your question.  The reason (I am almost 100% sure) is because the vendor’s credit card processor is set up for colones, and not dollars. It would make no difference what your currency your card is using.

I am writing because I am a 28 year old American living in San Jose. I am finding it hard to meet people my age. I’m extremely outgoing and always up for an adventure. Please let me know if you have any advice for me!

I might as a matter of fact!  Click this link.  Once there, look for Calendar in the top right corner of the web page.  Click it and you will see that the Young Expats meet every Saturday in Escazu.  Click that link for info. I am presuming they are still active as they are on that site.  If not, please let me know via email or comment to this post.

Incredibly, the infected woman decided to ignore health officials and broke quarantine so she could attend classes at her university.

Thirty-five others are under watch.

A third person, a youngster, has flu symptoms (not yet confirmed as Swine Flu) possible infected by her father who recently returned to Costa Rica from Mexico. If confirmed, that would be the first case of swine flu caught within the borders.

The Ministry of Health this morning asked the passengers of two other flights, TACA LR 631 and Mexicana  387, to call 911 emergency so they may be tested.

Employees at the San Jose airport are wearing surgical masks, and many incoming passengers are having their temperatures taken upon arrival.

I am not going to go into this swine flu deal because unless my readers are living on another planet, you have been deluged with probably more information that you want to know.

I am more concerned though as my wife works at Calderon Guardia Hospital.

So I was at the airport last week and sure enough, I get flagged down by a transit cop. I am thinking that a ticket is a forgone conclusion but, as I have made a new appointment for another inspection, I thought I had a slim chance of getting by.  I DID, but the really important thing is that when handing me back my documents, he pointed out that my drivers license would expire tomorrow. He saved me just a world of hurt. While you do have some leeway in renewing it, if you let it go too far, you must start with driving school and then re-take the written and practical exams (in Spanish). While I do speak the language, the time lost would have been a disaster. So off I went yesterday to get my license renewed. If this topic interests you, read on!

For years, in order to renew your drivers license, you had to go to the MOPT facility in San Jose. The lines were long often taking 2-4 hours to get or renew a Costa Rica Drivers License (more details on that here). Not only was the  process slow, just finding the stupid MOPT building was a problem. I have lived here for years and I still get lost trying to find that place!  Well no more. New and renewal licenses are now issued from behind the Consevi building on the main drag through Uruca about 250M from the split at the Shell gas station. Easy to find, but very little parking. If you go, there is a little soda (small walk-up restaurant) right next to Consevi where you an park and eat if you wish.

In the USA and maybe elsewhere, your drivers license often expires on your birthday.  Here no! It is the date you got it. This is why I failed to notice or think about it. Further, my license was good for seven years.  2002 is a long time ago and I just failed to check.

Renewing or obtaining a new license (presuming you have a valid unexpired license) is a three step process.

1. Pay for the license in advance at any Banco de Costa Rica office. There is one near Consevi.
2. Get a physical exam and blood typing (see below)
3. Take your payment receipt, your medical exam paperwork, and other documents to the licensing offices behind Consevi.

The first step is to pay 10,000 colones for the license. This is done at any Banco de Costa Rica. They give you a receipt and you must have this when you go to get your license or renewal.

The second step for either renewal or getting a new license is getting the physical exam.  When the MOPT was the place to go, there were at least 10-15 medical offices within one block.  Now there is just one that I could find, located maybe 150M from Consevi on the same road.  Ask anyone. Easy walk.  They just test your eyes, blood pressure and ask some standard questions. If you have medical proof of your blood type, the cost is 10,000 colones.  If you do not, add 5,000 colones for the blood typing. I did not, so renewal for me was 25,000 colones, about $45.00.  Ugh! Further, renewals are no longer for seven years.  Now you must return in five years.

After you have the medical exam paperwork, signed and ready, you return to Consevi, enter the property, then walk perhaps 300M to the back of the lot where the licensing facilities are located. You must have your Costa Rica license (or an unexpired license from your home country, your passport (or cedula if you are a resident), and your receipt from the bank.

Once inside, there are two line.  The first is to get your data entered into the system.  The second is to get a new photo. My total time inside was about an hour. Add thirty minutes for medical and I was done on about 90 minutes.

I underatnd that renewals can also be done at Banco Nacional, but the last time I heard, only Costa Rica citizens could do this because there was an issue with residency cedulas having too many digits in the ID.  If anyone has done this, add that info in the comments below!

If this topic interests you, read on and be sure to see the videos at the end of the Post.

Unless you are visiting from another planet, you most certainly have seen Cirque du Soleil either in person or on cable.  It is they who certainly changed the very definition of Cirque style productions.  Saying that, I must admit I get really annoyed at the artsy-fartsy stuff they throw at you.  I am talking about goofy (to me) music, stupid costumes of those… how can I describe them… weird people who seem to not add a thing to the show. They do not perform… they just sort of exist and make stupid faces. OK… I am culturally challenged. Give me the action! I want to see what I paid to see… the incredible acrobats, the clowns… the whole magilla.

So this weekend, I am surprising Maria Luisa by taking her out to dinner and a show… in this case the show is Le Grand Cirque currently making a run at the Palacio de Los Deportes (Sports Palace) in Heredia. I can safely say I am surprising her as she never reads my blogs and, so far as I know, neither does anyone she knows.

Much has been written about the cost of living here. Let me be the first to say that the overall price increases of the past five years have not left cultural events in their wake.  Tickets for this show, (called entradas in Spanish), run an incredible $73.00 per seat!  Add even a modest dindin for my wife and me and we are looking at a about a $200.00 night out.  Sadly… as I am married, I cannot even be assured of getting lucky. Sigh…

There are cheaper seats, of course… $38.00 if you choose to sit with the common people. the hoi polloi, or in Spanish…  la chusma***.   However, even at $38.00 a seat, that is a truly expensive evening out for the average Tico family with a couple of kids. I paid the extra tariff because as I said, I want to see and be near the action. We also do not go out all that often. *** DO NOT write to me about that comment!  It was supposed to be FUNNY! Sheesh!

Anyway… Here are some videos that may interest you.

Le Grand Cirque Promo Video

Click here to view the embedded video.

Le Grand Cirque – Strongmen in action

Click here to view the embedded video.

The Guy who plays with the Huge Cube – Neat but I do not know why!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Le Grand Cirque Video from Australia

Click here to view the embedded video.

They usually have rules about taking cameras into the show, but if possible, I’ll get some shots to add here.

On occasion though, I get a comment that really frosts my Twinkie.  This happened last night and I responded… but then I stewed about it all night!  The comment and my reply appear below.  I guess what really bothers me is that I spent a huge amount of time writing The REAL Costa Rica and then more time keeping things current both there and here on this Blog. I then get an email from someone who implies that I whitewash Costa Rica.  I know, of course that there are people who do not agree either with my opinion or my rather blunt style of writing.  Others love it as they really want to KNOW about this country, and they are concerned (rightfully) that they are not getting the facts from other sites that really do nothing but promote Costa Rica. I love living here but as I have written about 20 zillon times, this country is not for everyone. It is right for ME, but only you can decide if it is right for YOU.  Anyway, if you wanna listen to me rant a bit, read on. Her quote is exact.  No corrections or changes.

I have been in Cosata Rica now for almost 4 months..you web page very general and not realistic. I sat in room with 9 other people with similar crime experiences. Yes, CR was a nice place to visit and live once…but not any more. Since you like so much would you like to buy a house…we are selling and looking for a safer place to live.

Dear Person Commenting:

It is pretty clear that you did not spend much time at ALL reading the web site or this associated Blog.

Had you done so, you would have discovered that I cover the crime issue here VERY thoroughly and pull no punches.  I also publish nearly all crime related comments even though I am pretty sure that quite a few of them are fictional as those crimes never seem to be verifiable.

Further, you would also have read that I would NEVER buy property in Costa Rica whether there was crime or NO crime.

In fact, I tell people time and again to live here for at least a YEAR before even considering the purchase of property.

Nobody has ever made a good case to me for buying here at all, especially if you are over age 55 or so.  Younger people, maybe… but older folks?  There is no financial or logical reason to buy here when rents are dirt cheap and your money is safe and available. I can relate at least fifty stories of people saddled with unsellable property because they bought too soon and paid too much.

Had you spent ANY time reading the web site and/or the Blog BEFORE you arrived 4 months ago, you would not have to worry NOW about selling property you should not have bought in the first place!

I am truly sorry you are not happy here, but as I also state CLEARLY; over 50% of those who move here return home within a year and I urge people to do NOTHING here that cannot be “undone” with 6 phone calls or less.  I also can promise you that all the real estate will not be gone in a year, regardless of what some realtors tell you.

While I am sorry you are not happy, I am not at all sympathetic as it is clear you either came here totally unprepared OR you read all my warnings and chose to ignore them..  Either way… good luck.

To those of you thinking about moving here, by all means come and enjoy Costa Rica, but please read more than how wonderful is the weather here or how nice are the Ticos. This is a foreign country with different laws, traditions, cultures etc.

You will have no idea whatsoever if Costa Rica is for you until you have lived here at least 9 to 12 months, and that is regardless if you have lived in another foreign country. If you love it.. great!  Buy something.  Spend that money! Invest! Build a new life. Put down roots. Make Costa Rica your home!

But if after 9 to 12 months you discover Costa Rica is not right for you and you simply cannot live here for any reason, then just board a plane and return home with some great stories to tell, an adventure under your belt, and most important,  and NO financial loss.

The government, getting fed up with the huge number of alcohol related traffic accidents and the resultant deaths, passed last December La Ley de Tránsito or simply new driving laws.

Although signed into law and effective last December 2008, I did not blog about it because there were sure to be a ton of appeals to the Costa Rica Supreme Courts, called Salas, regarding the legality of the new laws and the associated punishments which are truly severe. Sala IV has upheld some and is still considering others, but it is time to talk about these new laws. In this post, I will provide my thoughts and more important, a shortened list of the new laws and the associated fines and/or imprisonment.  If this topic is of interest, read on!

The new laws are nasty but are receiving huge popular support.  La Nacion did a survey of Ticos over age 18, and a whopping 77% supported the new laws. Many respondents  (58%) told La Nacion they had altered their lifestyle and simply no longer drink anything if they are driving. I guess the government was not alone in their concern for traffic safety. Further, the law seems to be having the desired affect! In January, drunk driving arrests dropped 53% and that ain’t bad!

Stuck towards the bottom of the results was the interesting fact that women had fewer traffic accidents than men.  OK, this is where you say, “Well Duh!”.  This was probably a shock in machista Costa Rica.   Guess they have not figured out that women tend to drive using their big head… but I digress!

As I said, these laws are tough.  Some of the fines, however, actually exceed the monthly salary of the transit officers, so that might make bribe taking a real possibility.

The new laws not only have the usual fines, called multas in Spanish, they also include a point system though the point system here bears no resemblance to the systems used in the USA.

Everyone starts with 50 points and when those are gone due to traffic violations… well…  so are you, at least on the roads. The points do not come back.

I would suggest readers also check out the section on drivers licenses in Costa Rica and owning a car here.

Below, I will break out the new laws and the associated fines and possible prison sentences involved.   I’ll put them is order of seriousness/fines/penalties.  Note that not all of these laws are effective today.  All drinking related laws ARE in effect, and the others phase in over the next months. All drivers are required to know these laws, so if you do not because you do not speak the language, that will not be a defense.

To be clear here! You get the fine AND the loss of points.

Example:  Driving (you or adult passenger) without seat belts.  Pay $310.00 AND you lose 20 points.  Same thing for talking on your cell phone

Jail – the biggie!

Reckless driving, speed more than 100 MPH (150 kph), death of a person from the accident (and perhaps injury!) blood alcohol level exceeding 0.75%. You get to keep your car (which is not too useful as you are in the slammer), but it may become State property at your trial. Loss of 50 points i.e. all your points.

No jail but real costly!

227,000 colones (or about $415.00 at today’s exchange rate) plus points lost

Category A offenses.

Reckless driving, in this case speed exceeding 80 MPH  (120 kph) 0.5%, drag racing. Lose 50 points.

Driving without a valid drivers license or learners permit  (and I would urge expats, especially those expat “perpetual tourists”)  to read this as this WILL affect you!

Driving under a suspended license.

Driving a child without proper safety seats (and you lose all 50 points).  Included is driving a motorcycle or any other motorized similar vehicle (like quadracycles with a minor and that minor has no helmet.

Transporting or carrying anything considered dangerous.  This is broad and I am not going to go into it, though I do wonder if this would include my menopausal wife…

170,250 colones or about $310.00 plus points lost

Category B stuff.  Includes driving 14 MPH over the speed limit, exceeding 16 MPH when passing schools entrances or exits, hospitals or clinics. PS:  These are many times NOT marked.  Lose 20 points.

Talking on your cell phone not using hands free.  Lose 20 points

Running a stop sign, illegal u-turn,  or driving a restricted vehicle.  Lose 1o points

Driving without the minimum insurance required by law.

Driving with illegal plates…. meaning I think, not corresponding to the car driven. Lose 20 points.

Driving older children but who are still minors not using seat belts. Lose 20 points.

Driving motorcycles or as above ANY similar vehicle without a helmet.  Lose 20 points.

Driving or carrying passengers (adults) and not using seat belts. Lose 20 points.

113,500 colones  ($210.00) plus the loss of points shown.

Driving in the wrong lane (I think).  Lose 15 points.

Driving a motorcycle between cars while stopped or moving.  Yeah sure! This will never be enforced.  Lose 15 points.

Driving too slow in high speed lane. Lose 15 points

Improper vehicle lights. Lose 15 points.

Driving too slow and impeding traffic and failure to yield to faster traffic.  Lose  15 points.

Stopping in the middle of an intersection blocking traffic. Lose 15 points.

Brakes lights etc, Lose 15 points

Driving a souped up vehicle that bypasses environmental pollution rules. Lose 15 points

Driving on the beach. Lose 15 points.

Driving a vehicle without plates.  Lose 15 points.

Improper passing.  Lose 15 points.

Littering or transporting garbage illegally.   Lose 20 points.

These are the biggies and the ones I believe might most affect my readers, whether tourists or visitors.

There are about 60 other items  such as driving the wrong way, excess cargo or passengers, driving without a windshield (I am serious), parking in handicapped zone,  tooting your horn in front of a hospital, driving on a foreign drivers license while in violation of your visa (US is 90 days), jaywalking, playing music too loud in the evening, failure to have your drivers license with you while driving, driving with an expired license,  failure to maintain assured clear distance,  etc.  The list goes on ad-nauseum and covers all the normal stuff.

Those fines range from 90,800 colones ($180.00) down to 22,700 colones ($40.00) and most include some loss of points.

As far as I can see, when/if you lose points they never come back. If you lose all your 50 points, you must take the driver’s exam again and perhaps attend driving school.  I can assure you that neither is offered in English.

In addition, there are another dozen or so that affect taxi drivers and other livery/bus drivers.  As I doubt any of my readers fall into this category, I have not included them.

While I am not thrilled with the fact that the points do not come back over time, I am generally happy with the law, though I also expect the extortion by transit officials to go way up. Clearly the problem is many of these fines, especially categories A and B, exceed or come close to the entire monthy income of many Ticos. The payoffs cometh methinks.