www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Actually, it depends on whether it is in CR and they've already including a 10% service charge in that bill. In that case I usually still round up to the nearest 500c or maybe 1K note and let them keep the change. If there isn't a service charge already on the bill and/or it is in the US, unless the service was truly exceptional, I calculate 15% which is what tips are traditionally SUPPOSED to be (at least in the US) and then I also round up, just not to the nearest multiple of $5 unless it is a much larger tab. For $11, $1.65 would be 15% so $2 or maybe $3 (which would be just under 20%) should be plenty. $15 would be over 36% which is more than double the "official" standard. Obviously, we have very different views on tipping though I suspect my position is closer to the norm. But you are right that this is an old and worn out debate and I don't expect to change anyone else's position.

Bottom line though is that the Interbus shuttle (however you book it) is cheaper than a taxi BUT if you continue to tip as you do it will soon cost you considerably more than $10 and on that measure the public bus is much cheaper than EITHER of those other modes of transport.

I agree, but to be honest with you, I wouldn't be comfortable taking a public transportation bus from the airport into the Gulch carrying two bags and a laptop bag with me, not just for safety concerns but comfort as well. To me it's well worth the extra money for a comfortable air conditioned quiet non stop ride to my destination.

SK

I'm with Brother SpecialK on this. However, if/as/when I'm in residence, the back-and-forth to the airport with 2 extra sets of skivvies tucked in my laptop case every 90 days will be by public bus. Everbody happy now?

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"A man accustomed to hear only the echo of his own sentiments, soon bars all the common avenues of delight, and has no part in the general gratification of mankind"--Dr. Johnson
"Amen, brother"-ED

SpecialK, I definitely understand and respect your position. What works well for one person under one set of circumstances won't necessarily apply so well to another person or even the same person under a different set or circumstances at a different time. I'd also be a lot more wary of taking the bus after dark with all my stuff just to save $10. Personally, at least for me, during the day the security aspect doesn't bother me at all. But, I also a) never travel with more than one backpack and a smaller day bag, even if I'm going for a month or more, b) am fit enough that lugging around what I do carry is no big deal even if it is over considerable distances and c) never travel with a laptop or any other large obviously expensive object. Some other guys because of their work requirements don't even have that last option.

The bus ride may also be a little hotter and a little longer than that "comfortable air conditioned quiet non stop ride" you spoke of, but not excessively so in MY view (there's usually a nice breeze from the window and the ride usually doesn't take more than 10 minutes more). Besides, when I arrive in CR I try to shift my thinking into a more heat and time tolerant mode because I know that is what I'm going to have to face during each trip at some point anyway. Naturally, other guys have different ways of approaching the tico condition than I do, but that is what works for me. As they say "Pura Vida." "Go with the flow." "Do you run down the hill to Phuck a cow or do you walk down the hill and Phuck em all?" I guess I'm just not in as huge a rush to get to my hotel as other guys seem to be that an extra 10 or even 20 minutes means that much. After all, I've got a whole week to screw or more often just sit around.

BTW, here is an idea to throw out to the membership in general. If you do have to travel with a laptop wouldn't it be better if you could carry it in some sort of case or bag that didn't scream "STEAL ME, EXPENSIVE COMPUTER LAPTOP INSIDE!!!"? I haven't seen it but I think somebody should really invent that - a laptop case that doesn't look like a laptop case for travel to poorer parts of the world where you don't want to advertise what you're carrying (perhaps with space for other stuff like camera, sunglasses, sunscreen, water bottle etc.), BTW, if someone here does invents one, I want royalty payments for coming up with the concept. Failing that, if the laptop is small enough and your daypack is large enough, I suppose you could fit it in there but then it wouldn't have any padding and would get knocked around with whatever other articles you had in there. Alternatively, you could carry it in your regular bags if you had extra room, but you might have the same issue of padding, though if you packed carefully, I suppose your clothing would provide some cushioning. Still, your large bags tend to get knocked around a lot more, whether they get checked or are stuffed in the overhead compartment, and carrying such a valuable piece of equipment that way would make me very nervous. Plus it would make it harder if not impossible to pull out your laptop to use on the plane. The only other thing you could do is move to the side before you exit the airport and repack your bags so that your laptop is stowed in one of them and thus camoflaged. I realize this is going off topic but are there any other ideas on this subject?

There are many "normal" looking backpacks out there that have a padded sleeve for a laptop and don't scream "STEAL ME, EXPENSIVE ....".

There's another option for portable PC's--the new "netbook" size computers . New this year, these are full-functioned easily transportable computers with 10" or less screens with an Intel Atom processor and a cut-down version of Vista. They are designed for various Net activities but you can carry all your programs and data on flash memory sticks, and have most of what you'd have with a larger laptop. What I'm saying is these will readily fit in most daypacks with most of your clothes as cushioning. I'm partial to HP but all the brands have one, Check it out--it's DA BOMB!

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"A man accustomed to hear only the echo of his own sentiments, soon bars all the common avenues of delight, and has no part in the general gratification of mankind"--Dr. Johnson
"Amen, brother"-ED

Actually, I figured there must be some backpacks out there with laptop compartments. The problem, for me, is that I don't like carrying around fullsized backpacks or even large daypacks. I might be able to fit my laptop into one of my larger daypacks but it would probably stretch it out to a shape that resembled something like, well, a laptop.

I even sometimes carry something as small as a fannypack. Yeah, I know what some of you are going to say, "thief magnet", but when I wear it I always have the pack side in front of me and not over my fanny AND I flip my shirt down over the whole thing to make it impossible for anyone but me to get into it without my knowing. That just makes me look fat to the casual observer rather than like someone that is even carrying a pack. But, obviously, that is something that is much too small for carrying any computing device larger than a mere calculator.

I think that JB is on to a better solution, at least for me. In fact, I've been starting to look into such "netbooks" (aka sub-notebooks). I have a great and powerful full-sized laptop (HP) which I use all the time (including right now), but along with all its features come not only greater bulk (for a laptop), but also greater weight and greater cost (ie more to lose if lost, stolen or damaged). If I could find something about half of my current laptop's 16"x12" size (or at least under 10"x7"), less than half of my current laptop's 7.5lb weight and less than half of my current laptop's $750 cost, then I'd probably buy it. I don't care if it has the largest clearest screen or the largest hard-drive and I realize I'll probably have to give up that CD/DVD reader in favor of just a simple SD card slot. But I do want something with enough RAM to at least run XP reasonably well, a keypad that I can still use with my fat fingers, and a battery life that doesn't mean that I'll have to plug in every 5 minutes. Like JB, I like HP's but I hear Acer has the most economical models in this category. I know this is now taking this thread WAAYYY off topic, but would be curious to hear recommendations by other members particularly by those who actually have purchased "netbook" sized laptops (or palmtops).

If I found something affordable and small that still satisfied my needs, I'd probably buy it, not as my primary laptop, which would still be my preference for DOMESTIC business travel, but as a secondary DEVELOPING country travel computer. I just can't see bringing my primary laptop to places where it makes such an attractive not so easily hidable object to steal.

Not to hijack the thread...

Prolijo, I use a padded laptop sleeve that fits inside of my usual backpack for transporting my machine around. It can't be much more discreet and cost less than $20.

I also acquired a small form HP 4010 laptop off of eBay for $275. It's a few years old, P4M, had 512M RAM (I added another 512M) and a 40G drive. It weighs 4 lbs and is a joy to carry compared to my old >7lb Compaq! On the down side, because of the small size, there is no internal optical (CD/DVD) drive. These drives are external to the laptop. Except for loading software or watching a movie, I don't use a drive much. If I need to transfer files I use a thumb drive.

In fact, I like the laptop so much, I'm sitting in my easy chair, watching the daily news and writing this!

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Women are like beers. I've never had one that I didn't like. Just some that I like more than others! --Western

I rarely pack my laptop for a long trip. Just too much to keep up with and worries about it being stolen. But as JazzboCR has mentioned, netbooks are a good alternative. Two of my co-workers bought the Acer One Eee. It has a 160GB hard drive, 1 GB RAM, XP operating system, 8.9 LCD screen and weighs two pounds. Cost was only $349 at Staples. Easy to put in carry on bag. The best part it should fit in most hotel room safes. The Atom processor used by all the various models makes these netbooks possible. But I'm waiting to buy one, Intel just started to ship a duo core version of the processor.

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"Guess what?! I've got a fever, and the only prescription... is more cowbell!"
Christopher Walken

Coincidentally, I just ordered the Acer Aspire 1 on Saturday. One configuration is the one SJ described (well actually it is more like 2.2lbs) that comes with a 3 cell battery that is supposed to last 2.5-3 hours and costs $349 like he said. I wound up paying a little more ($394 w/free shipping) for the upgraded model that comes with a 160GB hard drive and a 6 cell that is supposed to last up to 6hrs (though also ups the weight by half a lb). There is also a model that costs just $320, runs Linux and has 512mb RAM (though unlike XP thats all you need w/Linux) and all models come in a choice of 4 different colors.

I'd have preferred to find something even cheaper, not so much because I can't afford it but because part of the idea is to get something I'd be less concerned about having stolen but didn't think an extra $100 or so would make that much difference and figured the Acer computer was the best deal out there for what you get (wasn't quite willing to experiment with a different OS like Linux either even though I hear very good things about it). BTW, while I was at it, I also ordered a $60 6mp compact digital camera that would similarly be less of a loss if it were stolen during a trip.

Now that is settled, maybe we could get back to Safadino's original subject though I'm not sure what else can be said about searchcostarica's airport transfer deal

A netbook fits easily in most room safes. For example, an EEE PC fits in the safes at Hotel Castillo with a lot to spare. I've often thought somebody should make a netbook case that looks like a book. Thugs riding around on motorcycles are not as likely to look upon a book as a target as a cell phone or obvious laptop case.

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Moral indignation is in most cases 2% moral, 48% indignation and 50% envy.

VITTORIO DE SICA

Sorry for the hijacked thread. Somebody put a link to this one.

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Moral indignation is in most cases 2% moral, 48% indignation and 50% envy.

VITTORIO DE SICA

why would I BRAG about 12 bucks for a blow job?

I'd be complaining!






jeez, guys like Circus used to show up with all their shit in a plastic supermarket bag and $14.75 in their pocket!

and then hitchhike into town.

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