www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Just got back home @ 1AM after a few weather delays. Was in SJO the last 8 nights as a part of my tri-weekly/monthly visit.

Rented a car from Hertz upon my arrival last Wednesday 7/14. All went well. Novia & I left the apt around 6 or so to head to the Horseshoe. Noticed the right headlight was out. Sure enough, driving down Avenida Segunda & get flagged over. There's about 20 cops on the left side of the road looking for any type violation.

I give the officer all my docs - Drivers Licence (original), copies of passport, copy of visa page of passport, Hertz contract AND a copy of my Police commission from the US. I come down enough I copy the visa stamp each time but the previous 1 or 2 visits are still valid so it's easy to have a copy of the visa with me.

Bottom line - no ticket while virtuallly everyone else was being written up. Saw 3 - 4 behind me getiing tickets & at least 2 in front getting the same. He asked a few questions about the police; my spanish is decent enough I could communicate with him. He showed me the fine for a broken headlight: C 328,000!

Seems like 4 or 5 more times there was a line of single cops across the main stretch looking for seatbelt infractions as well.

Be cautious with your driving in SJO - the police seem more focused on non-hazardous violations that the hazardous (like red lights & reckless driving) which doesn't make sense to me.

BTW - the last digit on the license for not driving the the centro area does not apply to rental cars.

/Dan D. Dick

Are you sure about that? A cop once tried to cite me for it, but I played dumb and he let me go.

I've had several Tico friends assure me the police watch for the last number & a few friends even bus to work on those days. Ask Asta or Cesar at Amistad. I challenged Hertz on the issue & they pulled out a copy of the law showing the exemption. That's all I got to go on....

/dddick

DDD,
I wasn't questioning the law, I know it exists. I meant are you sure that rental cars are exempt from it?

Wow, that has gone up even more. I got stopped for a headlight out a few months ago and he told me 230,000. In Spanish, I told him that's crazy, not much less than a DUI. Now I wasn't being challenging, just was shocked. He was a nice guy though and told me to be sure and get it fixed the next day. I didn't drive at night again until it was fixed. I think they are working on this in the legislature and am pretty sure the fines on non-hazardous infractions will come way down. You can't charge more than what a lot of people's monthly salary is for a busted headlight. Always good to be cool with them though.

Emergency vehicles, taxis, tourist company vehicles and rental cars are except from the placa restriccion.

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Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
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Alex Levine

Isn't the restricted zone only from 5 or 6 am until 7 pm? You should be okay at night. Well, as long as everything else is legit!

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