Travelers Beware: Death Toll In Bus Crash Climbs to 22

juancegomez says on Dec 7, 2005, 15:58:

... Sad news.

Unfortunately, in countries with such a complex geography and uneven infrastructure, things like that are bound to happen sometimes.

Especially when going through mountain roads full of curves only marginally separated from the abyss, as the report appears to indicate.

Bus travellers should always try to get accurate information about the condition of the involved rural roads and the relevant geography beforehand, in any case. Sometimes, of course, there will be no other alternative than to take a risk, but not necessarily always.

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ElPadrino1 says on Dec 7, 2005, 16:17:

Yes there are factors beyond a person's(human) control but then there are factors within our control. Mandatory Inspections for Vehicles would be a good step and these should include Lighting, Suspension,Steering,Tires, Braking and exhaust system checks. In some of these accidents,if these systems were within safe limits, again, some accidents could be prevented.I don't know what types of Colombian Federal Commercial Driver's licenses are needed for these Buses or Semis 18 wheelers (tractor mulas)but that may another area to tighten up on to decrease these accidents.Unless atitudes(safty, road coutesy)change though,many accidents will continue with disastrous results such as this accident in which 22 were killed.

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MacGringo says on Dec 8, 2005, 01:33:

I need to do this bus route Bog-Man around Dec 20th with my Colombian friend and her mum. They always use the day bus so i've not much choice. Any bus companies that do this route that are more reliable than others as regards to condition/safety standards of the bus?

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litost says on Dec 8, 2005, 01:42:

Bolivariano, hands down the best. Try to get the "expreso" service which is faster and more comfortable.

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Monpirri says on Dec 8, 2005, 11:39:

Dealing with Aggressive Driver's Reasons why accidents happen in Colombia:

1. Over the speed limit
2. Illegal or dangerous lane passing
3. Intoxicated drivers

Total number of accidents since January 2005 to December 7, 2005
977 accidents
748 total death
1,548 injuries

Top three roads where the most numbers of accidents occurred:
Bogotá to Boquerón 41
Bogotá to Chonconta 30
Bogotá to Ubaté 27

Day of the week the most accidents happen:
Sunday
Saturday

How to help when you see a wreckless driver? Use your cell phone or go the nearest phone and report the person immediately.

Source: Caracol TV 7:00 P.M. News, December 7, 2005

The life spam of a taste bud is ten days

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MacGringo says on Dec 8, 2005, 11:44:

Cheers Litost, I'll make sure I travel with Bolivariano.

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Desideria (Moderator) (Trustee board) says on Dec 8, 2005, 13:10:

no gringo it's not about the money, I'm sure that I and my Swedes can afford to take the flight but you see so little of the country from the plane. I recall seeing just mountains and clouds from the plane window from my previous trips. I want to take the bus to be in the middle of it, the real life, the pueblos, the winding roads, the vegetation on the mountainside ("see, that's called frailejón), the lunch stops in small towns, the almuerzo with platanos and rice and well-done meat, the guanabana juice, the café con leche with more milk than coffee, the vendors running to your bus at the stops hawking their wares, the music, the smells, the heat and the cold...
I guess I'm wasting my breath here. You wouldn't understand.

Cheers,
Desi


Embrace your uniqueness. Time is much too short to be living someone
else's life.

-Kobi Yamada

"When shall we three meet again? In thunder, lightning, or in rain?"(First Witch in Macbeth)

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kernow62 says on Dec 8, 2005, 13:35:

And in the US there are in excess of 50,000 traffic deaths per year. I see them every day. The state of Florida alone has almost 6000 traffic fatalities a year! To pass the test here in Florida you drive for 2 minutes in a car park!

Damn statisitics.

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BAQ says on Dec 8, 2005, 13:43:

Can you spell AVIANCA Reason #37 why I always fly if I leave the coastal area.

Semper Fidelis !

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litost says on Dec 8, 2005, 14:30:

Well put Desi, you're gonna love bussing through coffee country!

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ElPadrino1 says on Dec 8, 2005, 16:27:

What amuses me on this Bus Safety Discussion is that for many who post here but live in USA, Canada, Europe(england, sweden finland, germany, iceland, denmark, norway ect-developed europe)is that if they had to travel, and they were presented with the option of travel in an unsafe vehicle, like the Colombian Flotas(buses)And knew well in advance that in all probability the Bus they were boarding on may have questionable Brakes, Tires and maybe a Driver whose driving record was suspect(maybe no FC License for Bus driving)in their Home country they would RUN from a Bus like this yet in a Foreign country they just hop right on even after being informed of the Dangers. And we haven't talked about the Hazards on the Roads(potholes-deep ones, mountain roads with no guardrails, lack of warning signs for impending dangers that lie ahead)I can understand someone like a Native who cannot afford Plane travel or a Private car(see the same and much safer)but a person traveling from a developed country who probably has the $$$ why hop onto an unsafe Bus when if this same bus was in your home town and even on the Road in the first place you probably would be reporting the Bus to the authorities or Judge Judy! Law Suit jaja As they say ..."Swing Low Sweet Chariot"....

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Crazy4Cali says on Dec 8, 2005, 17:46:

It's that Vacation brain It's all about "experiencing" the country you're visiting. The same "you'd never do that in your 1st-world home" logic applies to: street vendors, crossing the street, eating in some of the "quaint" resturants, etc.

In Seattle, I [im]paitently wait for the light to change before crossing at the corner crosswalk. In Bogota, I madly dash across a freeway, narrowly missing certain death by centimeters at times. Why? well, I'm in Bogota. In Seattle, I wave for a cab (in the rare cases I'd actually take a taxi). When in New York, I shout for a cab.
Why? Because it's New York. (You don't shout in Seattle, it's not polite.)

The point is: On the one hand, doing things that would otherwise seem insane at home is all part of the "experience." On the otherhand, many tourists (myself included, sometimes) think, subconsciously, perhaps, that because they are on vacation, nothing bad can happen.

GIB lives there so it seems ridiculous to him. He's seen bad things happen all the time. Tourists, OTOH, haven't so the chances of something happening "feel" remote (after all, they're on vacation).

You see the same sort of "Vacation" brain in the U.S., though. I know someone who does back-country rescue and he has no end of "stupid tourist" stories. People travelling in the back country with nothing more than sneakers and a cellphone. Neither of which will do them any good. I'm talking remote. Gorgeous, but remote...where the nearest helicopter is over an hour away...and that's after they find the pilot and he gets to the airport. Then, the nearest hospital is another hour by helicopter. Do the math. If you're seriously injured, you better have a current will. But they were on "vacation" so what could happen?

I've also heard the same sort of stories from people who live in Alaska, so it's not a Colombian thing. It's a "tourist" thing.

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ElPadrino1 says on Dec 8, 2005, 18:59:

I beleive in Crazy Vacation things also, but under my control Things like Skydiving, hangliding, skiing, motorcycling are OK because with these sports you still have an element of Control. If you made a bad mistake doing one of these sports, in all probability, its because YOU made the Goof and No One else. In those crazy Buses, you have given up control to some unknown person and machine. That would bother me. For others I realize its fine. And that is OK. Each to his own pleasure and risk.

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litost says on Dec 9, 2005, 05:18:

This whole generalization of buses in Colombia as "crazy" or "unsafe" is totally off. I've taken buses between Bogotá and Pereira so many times I could tell you town by town the places you would pass and the changes in the scenery. I've also gone to Santa Marta, Medellin, Cali, San Agustín, etc. on bus. Let me tell you, I'm adventurous but definitely no idiot. I only take the best buses which I have found very professional, not to mention just as comfortable or even more than any bus you would take in North America or Europe. Yes, there are bound to be accidents, with a higher incidence than in these places, but then again could you tell me that there's anything similair to the complicated topography you find in Colombia? Still, there's nothing crazy about it, just about all my friends and family travel around the country by bus and no tragedy to regret. If GIB or others don't like taking the bus, that's fine, it's your choice, WE HEARD YOU. Just stop judging others who would prefer to experience the country closer up by travelling by bus, we're all adults here and are well informed about what we're getting into.

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MacGringo says on Dec 9, 2005, 06:26:

GIB If you read what I wrote, you would see the reason why I am taking the bus. Yes I am spending a lot of money to get to Colombia from Europe.
But as I said , I am travelling to Manizales from Bogota by bus because this is the way that my friend and her mother always make this journey.
It would be a bit off, for me to get a flight and expect them to get the bus and I'm not made of money so I can't get them both a flight too, as I have already arranged several things for them.
Hence why I said in the first place that I'm getting the bus.
Don't take this the wrong way GIB, you have given me some good advice before, but sometimes you should take a step back before you jump in and start passing comments on peoples actions or their situations.

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Desideria (Moderator) (Trustee board) says on Dec 9, 2005, 09:52:

GIB I thought that you wouldn't understand because of what you said in the previous posts about taking the bus vs. flying. It was not meant as a personal attack or any kind of jab, only meaning that we are too far apart in our way of thinking.

Another thing: in about seven more years of your living in Colombia and twenty more traveling there will we be on equal grounds. Until then, don't even dream of pulling rank over me. Tinto is right; not only did I live in Colombia permanently for over ten years, I also went native there; lived like any middle-class colombiana, earning my pesos the hard way: working. I also raised a family, studied in college and had a small school. All this in Colombia, all this before the age of thirty.

Cheers,
Desi



Embrace your uniqueness. Time is much too short to be living someone
else's life.

-Kobi Yamada

"When shall we three meet again? In thunder, lightning, or in rain?"(First Witch in Macbeth)

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quindioman says on Dec 10, 2005, 05:33:

jeez GIB's condescending rhetoric knows no limits...now Desi.....of all people....I really don't know what to say...sauf everytime I read his messages I just find myself shaking my head and making grimacing face gestures....I really don't know what to make of this guy I mean I'm starting to wonder whether he offends people out of naivety or he's just the most prolific troll on PBH....ratbag and all the others have nothing on GIB.

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utopiacowboy says on Dec 11, 2005, 21:58:

We ride the bus from Monteria to the coast and it's both safe and enjoyable. My mother-in-law can't resist buying tasty treats from the food vendors when the bus stops in the little towns so we spend the entire trip eating god-knows-what. These bus rides are really one fo the highlights of a trip to Colombia. At the same time, they will not allow me to travel on the bus between Medellin and Monteria because of safety concerns.

Disclaimer: any comment I make is inane and is not to be taken seriously, and is so patently ridiculous that no one should take it seriously, even as an insult.

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