Traffic in Medellin

tejasmarcos says on Mar 27, 2008, 06:37:

yep. i concur.

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

bogotabrian says on Mar 27, 2008, 07:23:

That is funny. It amazes me how the motorcycles risk their lives so often to save seconds off their trip. Especially when Colombians seem to be the most laid-back, friendly people outside of their cars/motos. Some one told me that more than 1,000 people per year die in moto accidents in Medellin. That's extremely high for the population, but anyone who's lived here for any length of time can understand why. I scraped a motorcycle one time while I was taking a right. He was trying to pass me on the RIGHT while I was turning! Lucky no one was hurt. It got my heart racing a little bit though.

morphus says on Mar 27, 2008, 07:24:

Maybe Paisas don't want to wear the car's break pads down so fast.

bradenmiami says on Mar 27, 2008, 08:35:

I disagree wholeheartedly, and think that you must be a motorcycle rider to know much about it. I have driven about everything on the road in various jobs throughtout my life, and have quite an extensive driver-training history. I have ridden Sportbikes and Harleys, owning 10 different bikes in 17 years, ranging from putting along on a 200cc to blazing along at 190mph on a 1300 GSX. I came to Colombia completely openminded in 2003, and have heard the opinions on both sides. I have both a car and a bike here, and tell you that by far the CARS are absolutely and without a doubt the worst things on the road here. They give licenses (if the driver even has one) to the stupidest of the most retarded. I have never, in my history of work or travels, seen people drive cars without any regard for common sense. In contrast, on a daily basis (almost without exception) I see motorcyclist conduct a wide variety of aggressive maneuvers to completely avoid a guaranteed accident caused by another incapable idiot behind a wheel. Just a guess from watching the traffic and hearing the stats: For probably 80% of accidents involving motorcycles, there is a car involved. In probably at least 60% of those cases, the car is at fault. So if there are actually "1000 people per year die in moto accidents in Medellin" (questionable), that would put about 50% of the deaths in the laps of the car drivers. Then throw in a few shitty gringo drivers trying to get around in a foreign environment, with the "traffic-patience" of a bleeding wolverine, and your only complicating the issue! (Oh I forgot, safe-and-sound Poblado doesnt require any special abilities to be safe...have fun up there!)

The "lovemedellin website" is a piece of crap made by some moron who has only been to Medellin once...you'd be better off reading the Lonely Planet advice from a guy who never even came here!

jonas says on Mar 27, 2008, 09:16:

what do you call a zebra crossing (crosswalk) in Colombia?

What I have, I do not want to lose, but Where I am I do not want to stay, but those I love, I do not want to leave, but those I know I no longer want to see, but Where I die, I do not want to go;I want to stay where I have never been

jonas says on Mar 27, 2008, 09:16:

detector de gringos ;-)

What I have, I do not want to lose, but Where I am I do not want to stay, but those I love, I do not want to leave, but those I know I no longer want to see, but Where I die, I do not want to go;I want to stay where I have never been

tejasmarcos says on Mar 27, 2008, 09:48:

they simply need more of those pedestrian bridges here in town, especially down poblado avenue where there are NONE. i see them in other parts of town...

i still remember the pedestrain catwalks in Santa Marta. there was one roundabout area that had the whole "glorietta" covered with pedestrian bridges - i should have taken a photo. very odd to look at, extremely practical and effective.

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

rocinante says on Mar 27, 2008, 11:08:

Adapt and follow the customs? Naaaaaaaaaaah.

Call it law call it culture, the answer is simple. In Colombia pedestrians must yield to vehicles which have the right of way. In the US pedestrians have the right of way - even if the pedestrian walks out in the middle of a highway.

What is so hard about adapting to that custom? Why is it so many foreigners move here and want whatever it is they don't like to change into what they want? What is so hard about not walking out on to the street and crossing at a light with traffic?

You must treat the streets of Colombia as if they were US highways. Why? Because that's the way it is here.

Prostitution is legal, food is organic, the weather is awesome, the beers are cheap, the restaurants are cheap, the cost of living is cheap, the people are great, the lifestyle is awesome.... You adapted to ALL THAT no problem but you whine like a little girl about crossing the street or how insensitive the drivers are to motos?

Take it or leave it, feel free to complain but you aint changin' it.

"World economic indicators point to a democrat winning 2008. It will surely be Obama. Peso 1400 by November" Feb 5, 2008

MitchAlvarez says on Mar 27, 2008, 15:01:

good post.

i love medellin and my people but i wouldnt drive.
ill stick to taxis and people driving me around.

Tengale miedo a una huelga de mujeres o a una escasez de aguardiente. :)

droble77 says on Mar 27, 2008, 22:36:

Great post roci. Yeah, the visitors love the legal prostitution, lol, but they don't want to handle the other stuff. Actually, I think it's a BAD idea that the pedestrian always gets the right of way. Mind you, I'm a native New Yorker, but I've ALWAYS hated that arrogant New York jaywalking attitude of "I own this goddam avenue" as they purposely stroll across a 3 or 4 lane avenue almost in slow motion!! I think they really do it just to egotrip themselves and spite the drivers. I'll admit to jaywalking just like any other New Yorker, lol, but I've always hustled across, it's the least respect I can show to the drivers.

Also, hate to admit this, must be the latin blood, but I have definitely pushed the limits driving on NY city streets (which I rarely do as I don't own a car), I've actually made some people RUN in fear from my car that was zooming to make a light! :0))

So I know EXACTLY how those Colombian drivers feel. ;) Yes, Colombians tend to be laid back, but like many other latinos, they have little tolerance for slow poke drivers and dummy pedestrians on the road. You want to get to your destination ASAP where the real relaxation and chilling out can take place. You can't relax on the road, lol! It all makes sense if you can think like a latino. . . ;-))

Still, I know the feeling about crossing some of those avenues in MDE. It kind of feels like that old video game, Frogger!! :0)

Agree also with Mitch about driving in MDE, you couldn't pay me to drive. First of all, I never mastered the stick shift and second I'm on vacation mode in Colombia, don't need the stress.

And by the way, there are many places in Europe I would avoid driving as well. In Spain, the drivers there are almost as loco!