Beware of Your Neighbor......

Medellin Traveler says on Jan 13, 2008, 17:40:

tejasmarcos,

It's Locolombia!

I feel like I'm playing Frogger (old video game) when I'm crossing the streets in Medellin.

In the US we are thought to give the right of way to the pedestrian. Not so in Colombia. I've seen many drivers in Medellin continue to drive even when the light up ahead is red. And this is coming from adults, women and men, with children in the car, not some punk teenager.

There's a saying I heard in Costa Rica, where the drivers are even worse, "If you get hit by a car, it's your fault." I always keep that in mind when out of the US.

It doesn't bother me much, knowing that I'm not in the US, and that's the way "they" drive. I find myself running across the street all the time when out and about in Medellin. It's good excercise.

Medellin es una chimba! www.medellintraveler.com

tejasmarcos says on Jan 13, 2008, 17:58:

yeah, i know, when in rome........

i'm just starting to get a little peaved. so what if they barely miss me? so what if i kick their car?

it's like some of them do it to make a point or something. there is a blind kid that walks up and down avenida poblado all the time, in the road! not in the middle, but up against the curb. i have no idea how he does not get hit...........

my glass is getting shorter on whiskey, ice and water...

arthur brode says on Jan 13, 2008, 17:58:

yeah,sometimes i feel like iam an extra in that movie Deathrace 2000

http://www.calirentals.net/

CatGirl says on Jan 13, 2008, 17:59:

I learned a long time ago that the pedestrian having the "right of way" is rare and unique to US. Most other countries, the bigger and stronger had the right of way, jajaja. So get yourself a tank or a Hummer jaja

Love and Time: the only two things that cannot be bought, but only spent

tejasmarcos says on Jan 13, 2008, 18:08:

That is one thing that I do indeed miss - driver courtesy to pedestrians. We are as courteous a pie to the pedestrian, but treat the other drivers like crap (in the USA). Here it is equal opportunity discourtesy.

I saw two motorcycle guys going at it the other day driving down the road! It was hilarious as one of the guys pulled of his helmet and tried to hit the other guy! They went at it for atleast a block or two.....

my glass is getting shorter on whiskey, ice and water...

PaisaTours.com says on Jan 13, 2008, 18:17:

Completely agreed - Colombians are the worst drivers I've ever found anywhere.

tejasmarcos says on Jan 13, 2008, 18:20:

Panamanians are worse. Cab drivers in Panama city anyways - if you can belive that....

and they all have a "horn honking" fetish...

my glass is getting shorter on whiskey, ice and water...

Monpirri says on Jan 13, 2008, 18:52:

I am very disappointed with the taxi drivers and all the careless drivers in Colombia.
Many of the taxi drivers drive without any real concern for anything that moves on the road, I almost saw a taxi kill a dog and at one time a motorcycle rider was driven into the incoming traffic, the taxi almost hit the daring motorcycle rider, the taxi driver missed Evel Knievil for about 2 inches.
I was paranoid every time I was a passenger in a taxi. I tell the mad drivers right away when I get in inside the cab, I am not in any rush! I rather be there late than never...Cojelo suave que no ESTOY DE CARRERAS!! I have to slow them down because they live in another frame of mind.

Colombia needs strict traffic laws and more severe sanctions for the assassins. If you think about it and read the news, taxi drivers and motorcycles riders in Colombia have a license to kill - when I was in Colombia I saw two accidents where motorcycles were involved and read and saw the TV news where they reported numerous traffic wrecks.

From January to September to 2007 there were 90 deaths in traffic accidents 45% of the victims where motorcycle riders and passengers and pedestrians who have been hit on the road by these machines, the story can be found in the Heraldo News from Barranquilla, Saturday, January 12, 2008

SOMEBODY NEEDS TO SLOW DOWN THE TAXI DRIVERS AND THE CARELESS MOTORCYCLE RIDERS NEED TO FIND ANOTHER WAY TO TRAVEL.

Annette Taddeo for US Congress 2008

slguy says on Jan 13, 2008, 19:27:

I wouldn't hold my breath.

Before you throw me out, make sure I pay my bar tab

mranderson says on Jan 13, 2008, 19:42:

I've almost been hit by a bus a few times in my nieghborhood. The drivers that drive my route are some real whack jobs(I think these guys are the equivalent to colombian trailer trash). I've been on the bus before where about p of the people where cursing the driver out while he was driving. It's gotten so bad that I don't ride that route anymore, now I walk 12 minutes down to the avenue to catch a different one.

Medellin Traveler says on Jan 13, 2008, 20:00:

"Completely agreed - Colombians are the worst drivers I've ever found anywhere." - PaisaTours

Well, you've obviously haven't been to Costa Rica. The drivers will blow red lights, ignore stops signs and drive across the road without even bothering to look, they just hit the gas.

At least in Medellin, they stop at the red lights.

Medellin es una chimba! www.medellintraveler.com

Robert Jorge says on Jan 13, 2008, 20:03:

I think Colombian drivers are extremely skilled. The rules are different than the US. But they seem to know what they are doing generally.

--"I believe in making the world safe for our children. But not for our children's children, because I don't think that children should be having sex." - Jack Handy

mranderson says on Jan 13, 2008, 20:09:

I don't get the same feeling. I don't always trust the skill of the bus or taxi drivers.

Monpirri says on Jan 13, 2008, 20:28:

Jimmy "El Taxista" - Episodio 1, Barranquilla


And they love to beat the freaking horn for everything or when the traffic slows down or stops.

Annette Taddeo for US Congress 2008

tejasmarcos says on Jan 13, 2008, 20:32:

these guys are pretty skilled drivers, i give them that. i do not see wrecks very often. however, they take alot of chances and personal space is nill here on the road.

Mon - that video is pretty funny! looks like there is a series - 15 episodes? jajajaja, too funny. you know ole Jimmy well, huh?

my glass is getting shorter on whiskey, ice and water...

Monpirri says on Jan 13, 2008, 20:38:

I do not know if they are skilled drivers but one thing I know for sure, they break all the safety rules on the road. They drive in reverse unto the incoming traffic for at least one block, they enter one way streets, the negotiate narrow spaces while they are speeding on the road, they do not fully stop at the stop sings and so on...

Annette Taddeo for US Congress 2008

Medellin Traveler says on Jan 13, 2008, 20:44:

The least we can say is that they are experienced drivers.

Medellin es una chimba! www.medellintraveler.com

slguy says on Jan 13, 2008, 21:01:

I used to race sports cars (SCCA) on an amatuer basis, so I know a little something (although admittedly Juan Pable has nada to worry about from the old sailor!) about the skills involved. I rode in two taxis in Bogota who's drivers I had a LOT of respect for. Enough so I won;t be riding with those guys again...jajajajjaja

Before you throw me out, make sure I pay my bar tab

Monpirri says on Jan 13, 2008, 21:23:

Yep, taxi driver think they are Juan Pablo Montoya, we all know that speeding recklessly on bumpy, narrow and deteriorated roads equals to an accident and it cannot be avoided even for skilled and professional taxi drivers.

Annette Taddeo for US Congress 2008

arthur brode says on Jan 14, 2008, 05:19:

"And they love to beat the freaking horn for everything or when the traffic slows down or stops"
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and for every hot looking chica that walks by too lol

http://www.calirentals.net/

john_stark says on Jan 14, 2008, 05:51:

I'm with RJ. At first it looks like chaos and mayhem but after a while you realize that it's a style and nearly everybody knows what they are doing.

Monpirri says on Jan 14, 2008, 05:53:

JS, I see your point, tha's why there are so many automobile accidents in Colombia.

Annette Taddeo for US Congress 2008

john_stark says on Jan 14, 2008, 05:56:

I really don't think they have more accidents than we do. If it rains in San Antonio, there are 500 to 1000 accidents - now those people do not know what they are doing!

Monpirri says on Jan 14, 2008, 06:00:

Just watch the news, preferably Caracol or RCN, or read the newspaper from Colombia.

Que tengas un buen dia.

Annette Taddeo for US Congress 2008

jack_jason says on Jan 14, 2008, 06:02:

jejeje. All of you should go to Sicily, then, all of you will chage your mind about Colombian driving. (This is just spanglish, please do not correct me)

This is just spanglish, please do not correct me

Robert Jorge says on Jan 14, 2008, 10:45:

One of the things I remember noticing in Colombia, was the rarity of accidents. In four months in a city of 350,000 people, I can count on one hand how many accidents I saw. I think that is incredible considering the driving style.

--"I believe in making the world safe for our children. But not for our children's children, because I don't think that children should be having sex." - Jack Handy

msaucey says on Jan 14, 2008, 10:51:

Actually, I was thinking about this the other day.... and I've concluded that it's best for our health to be around crazy, inconsiderate drivers....

The upsides are:

Your mind has to be kept sharp.... you don't see too many people crossing the street and talking on the cell phone....
Your reflexes are much faster...
Instant adrenaline rush when you see a bus or car ready to kill you....
Great exercise just to make it from one side of the street to the other....

If you make a mistake, chances are it's your fault...

The trouble about trying to make yourself stupider than you really are is that you very often succeed. - CS Lewis

Robert Jorge says on Jan 14, 2008, 11:01:

I noticed vehicles will slow down for children. If a mother is scrambling to cross a street with a child, the cars will actually slow or swerve to yield to the mother and child. But if an adult is in the street, they can expect no mercy.

--"I believe in making the world safe for our children. But not for our children's children, because I don't think that children should be having sex." - Jack Handy

webmanco says on Jan 14, 2008, 11:10:

As a driver I do give right of way most of the time, and when as pedestrian don´t expect to be given the right of way by cars or careless motorcicle drivers.

But, I'm going to start making some assumptions here.... Which means I might actually end up making an ass out of myself ..........Thu 04 17, 2008 11:34 am

Man Tequila says on Jan 14, 2008, 12:56:

Colombian drivers, from my brief experience, have a different skill set. They would be much better drivers than Americans or Canadians... if they had more respect for the law. The skills are there, but going through reds and stops (they don't respect these in Cali), never wearing seat belts, horn fetish, passing at any opportunity, passing things with a 1" clearance, creating additional lanes where none exist, the Deathrace pedestrian thing... this is not safe driving. The fact that more accidents do not happen does show the ability to compensate for a wide variety of erratic behaviour in other drivers though. None of the taxistas I asked thought Colombians could drive worth a darn.

Aunque no me creas/ si me lo propongo/ lograre olvidarte/ porque a fin de cuentas/ no soy tan cobarde./ Y termino todo una de estas tardes/ no sera dificil buscar algún sitio donde refugiarme/ donde nunca mas vuelvas a encontrarme. (Polo Montañez)

arthur brode says on Jan 14, 2008, 13:40:

Robert Jorge says on Monday January 14th, 2008 11:01:
I noticed vehicles will slow down for children. If a mother is scrambling to cross a street with a child, the cars will actually slow or swerve to yield to the mother and child. But if an adult is in the street, they can expect no mercy.
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Thats because adults are worth more points than children

http://www.calirentals.net/

Lowell says on Jan 14, 2008, 13:47:

Carry a big stick. Once I had to buy some 4" pvc pipe in town. About a 4' section. I walked around with that pipe in hand for several hours. Knowing that they might get wacked by the pipe put some respect in these people. Moto's too. I'd look at a possible offender in the eyes, smack the pipe on my hand and wa la, respect.

Alfred E. Newman. "What. Me Worry?"

Robert Jorge says on Jan 15, 2008, 00:02:

Awesome avatar AB.

--"I believe in making the world safe for our children. But not for our children's children, because I don't think that children should be having sex." - Jack Handy

arthur brode says on Jan 15, 2008, 06:24:

Thanks RJ

http://www.calirentals.net/

gringoloid says on Jan 15, 2008, 06:45:

yea, AB, that made my morning..........now that we're on the subject, why haven't I seen a picture of a cell phone holder in a long, long time.

ujay says on Jan 15, 2008, 06:46:

GRINGOLOID....}}

YOU WANT LUNCH.....}}


CALL ME....

www.unionjackedfilms.com

gringoloid says on Jan 15, 2008, 06:53:

today is my girlfriends feliz cumpleanos and i promised her lunch at Nazca in rosales, our favorite place. any other day this week though, I'll be free; i'll call you on the fax machine number......

ujay says on Jan 15, 2008, 13:30:

GRINGOLOID,}
IF YOU MEAN NAZCA...the one where you go up the steps ,its not open,they are having a refit,
try RAFAEL,same food ,in the calle 70 .4.63.65.you want book ,its 255 4138.....get you later.

www.unionjackedfilms.com

gringoloid says on Jan 15, 2008, 15:59:

yea, we met there and all the fittings from Nazca were out on the sidewalk. we went instead down the street to Abalonga and it was quite good. We'll check out Rafael some other time; I'm not familiar with it.

Monpirri says on Jan 15, 2008, 19:10:

I want to add a very positive remark about the taxi drivers that I met in Barranquilla, they were honest and helpful! I usually paid them an average of 5,000 for short trips and 10,000 for long trips, sometimes I paid less than 5,000 and sometimes I paid a little more than 10,000.
I know this must be a coincidence but many of them were Protestants and they either had a message displayed on the back of their cab or they were playing a CD with Christian music.

Annette Taddeo for US Congress 2008