www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Mike I am not going to get into a "pissing match" with you over what constitutes a "raid"! BUT, these types of redados or incursions (Spanish words for raid and THAT IS what they have been referred as being by the media and the locals) are in no way "just an inspection"!! There are different levels of "raids"; but when the police enter with full head masks and armed with AK47s and are screaming and threatening everyone, when they break the doors in using ramming rods with no notice of even being there, when they push people that they do not know to be innocent or guilty, workers, or owners, or customers, to the ground and stand with a boot on top of them, and they threaten to shoot people, IN MY BOOK THAT IS A "RAID"!

What I just described is what has occurred on many of these "RAIDS". I do not know all the particulars of this case, but people who were present have refered to it as "another redado de la policia"!! And I do know (from being an eye witness) this is what occurred in an earlier "raid"!!! I have also been present during several "inspections" and I can tell you the two are NOT THE SAME!!!!!

And much of what occurred in your video is very similar to what occurred in the one "raid" I witnessed!!

You call it what you want!! I will call it a what it was, a "raid"!!!!

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Old and retired but still bang, and bang, and bang!!!

Greengo, WTF has any of your post which is mostly unintelligble garbage full of hatred and disgust for the country YOU CHOOSE TO LIVE IN (if you do truly live here ) got to do with the subject at hand The only two things I could see even remotely related was your comment about ownership of the MPs, and I do believe most here by now are aware that 90% of the MPs are owned or controlled by 2 "families". And secondly, your comment concerning "was it the CRT map"! It had already been explained that the government, thru reading different internet sites, but more importantly thru the licensing and issuing of permits is well aware of all the different places!!! And I might add, it is well known that (just as in the USA or any other country) certain officials ALWAYS have their hand in the till of illegal or semi-legal business!!

The topic here has to do with the raids and inspections that are, and have been, occurring, and the fact that in recent months there have been many more raids with no rhyme nor reason as to which ones are being targeted. That is as far as we outsiders can see!!! The places hit in recent months have been places owned or controlled by those two "families" and also independently owned and controlled places (if there is one that truly is)!! One of those hit was even very popular with the very people who supposedly make the decisions in the government here.

Are you so plucking bored with your life that you have nothing better to do than to read (and I quote) "egocentric horseshit" Again I ask, IF YOU HATE EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS COUNTRY SO MUCH, WHY DO YOU CONTINUE TO LIVE HERE? You obviously have one hell of a miserable life!!!! No, this country is not perfect!! Name one country that is!!!! Though many of us do not like everything about the country, we do not see it as being as bad as you make it out to be!! Most of us who have years of experience living or frequently visiting Cost Rica are well aware that much (most) of the hate garbage you write is just that-"garbage"! Many newer members here do not know that much of what you say is a total exaggeration of the negative part of CR. If they choose to believe your garbage it would be like telling them to not come to CR. IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT?

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Old and retired but still bang, and bang, and bang!!!

ignore him. "Greengo" is just a pseudonym for someone else on the board who likes to stir up trouble, as long as it's not under their own name. Classic troll bullshit.

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bypassin' kinky, and usin' the whole chicken!!!

BangBang wrote : "AM Costa Rica is know for misinformation, for stating hearsay as fact, and for posting anything they can negative about P4P."

I concur. Many moons ago I met one of the people over there, I forgot whether it was a manager, editor, writer, owner, whatever. He was a friend of a friend of mine who is Tico. This guy went on an obnoxious rant as soon as he found out I was a "perpetual tourist", living in Sabana but returning home every 3 months. He gave me a lecture on being a perpetual tourist, lecturing me on the evils of P4P, was furious when he found out I was working in CR, really really obnoxious.

I tolerated his admonishments out of respect for my friend, but it was an ugly uncomfortable situation, and this jackass made me feel like a criminal and pervert. Well the latter is true, but you get the point, I don't need it thrown in my face by a complete stranger....

Screw them, Ticotimes is a far more professional read and as far as I'm concerned, AM CR is a rag that if it were a physical paper, its only value would be placed on the kitchen floor for puppy training....

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Don't try to understand 'em, just rope 'em down and brand 'em...

I get your point ... just want to balance the story a bit ... it's technically 'his' country, and you are abusing the immigration laws, and the whole working without permission ... kinda highlights the current immigration complaints we are having here at home.

Don't hate on him. He's a patriot, same as us. He's just in another country.

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bypassin' kinky, and usin' the whole chicken!!!

Bashful, did Netgems say the guy was a Tico????? Many of the people there are Gringo!!! I have heard the same type of rant form more than one Gringo living here!!! One of the reasons I will never do business with ARCR!!!! Several years ago one of the owners there even tried to tell me 2 days after I had returned from Panama with no problems that CR had shut down the border to perpetual tourists 2 weeks earlier!! That "they" were going to "put a stop to the damn perpetual tourist"!! He said it like he was one of the "THEY"!!!

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Old and retired but still bang, and bang, and bang!!!

Maybe I wrote it a little confusing, my friend was the Tico, (who has no problem with Americans and perpetual tourists) it was the guy from AM Costa Rica who was an American who had legal CR resident status I assume, he really hated perpetual tourists and when I told him I had a job here, he was even more furious, he was trying to find out who I worked for, I suspect he would "rat me out" so I refused to tell him...I wanted to tell him, where I'm from, "snitches get stitches..."

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Don't try to understand 'em, just rope 'em down and brand 'em...

To Netgems and Bangbang57: what does it matter if he is a CR citizen or just someone that is legally allowed to live and work there? It is no different than the *legal* immigrants in the USA upset about the illegals' activities.

All I'm saying is that if we abuse the immigration policy of another country, we really can't cast stones at our own issues at home. Not trying to start a fight, just saying that you need to see both sides of the coin.

In all honesty, if I didn't have a K*D here, I'd be doing the perpetual tourist thing and looking for some under-the-table work in CR right now. So what does that say about me then?

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bypassin' kinky, and usin' the whole chicken!!!

Bashful, You might not want to consider the 'perpetual tourist route for a long term way of living here as I have. Word is out (AND I HAVE EXPERIENCED IT) that Costa Rica (at least some in inmigracion) are tired of perpetual tourists. They are beginning to really crack down by no longer giving us 90 days. My last two trips out when I reentered they looked at every page of my passport, then I got a lecture and stern warning and reduced days (80, then last week, 70). Guess I was lucky!! My friend who has only been living here a year only got 60 and we came in together this past week. I have been told that others after being warned a couple of times have only gotten 21 days. It looks like no matter what the law says individuals within the government have decided to eliminate perpetual tourists.

I have finally gotten tired (or maybe too old) of the trips out every few months, and was already planning to start the residency application in January. Now I am working on getting it started ASAP. Anyone have any suggestions (based on personal experience, not "he said, they said"!!) as to who to use that is fast, efficient, and that I won't have to hock my gold tooth in order to pay them!!! I have talked to a couple so far and neither impressed me as being overly trustworthy!!

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Old and retired but still bang, and bang, and bang!!!

I hate to violate your he said they said request but I met someone there who used this group and was satisfied, you probably have heard of them but just in case it can help...

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q= ... Wc&cad=rja

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Don't try to understand 'em, just rope 'em down and brand 'em...

Netgems, you obviously did not read my post from earlier this afternoon. I personally would not use them if they were the only firm in the country doing this service. I know a lot of people have had "good" experiences with them--"good" may well be based on a total lack of experience or knowledge of the process. Most who use them actually start the process while still in the states and have little or no knowledge of the facts of the process. You must join (and pay an annual membership fee) in order to use their service. I have known several who have used them and non have gotten their residency in less than a year resulting in having to pay another years membership!!

They on 2 occasions out right lied to me face to face and the second time when I called him on it (told him he was wrong based on personal experience just the week before) he got mad and essentially told me to leave (I was there with a friend that it took 15 months to get his residency!!! He had to go out to their office every few weeks just to get them to move off their ass. He even had to get his papers from the states a second time because of them dragging their feet and they went pass the 6 month date. he actually had to do most of the leg work himself (not sure just what he paid them for)!!! And at the time they were $200-$300 more than most other places here!!!

Thanks but NO THANKS!!!!!!!!!

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Old and retired but still bang, and bang, and bang!!!

BB57,
Not that it's any of my business but I met you a number of years ago and know you to be a good guy. But I have to ask, Why have you not gotten residency as a pensioner?

Just curious.

Wit

Why?/ For a couple of reasons I guess! I like(at least use to) to travel, especially to other countries and really enjoyed the trips most of the time. For most of the time I have been here being a perpetual tourist was really no problem. Also for a long time I was not really totally sure I would stay here ! Thought many times about moving back to Colombia or even Nicaragua. I really just never saw any reason (for me) to get my residency!! Having been here for so long I have slowly accumulated a lot of things that would be a problem moving to another country and I would lose a lot of money selling them here. Now that I am older I really do not want to move and start all over again. All of that plus the recent problems at the border has led me to decide it is finally time to get my residency!! Probably should have gotten it years ago but I didn't!!

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Old and retired but still bang, and bang, and bang!!!

Am costa rica has always ranted about perpetual tourists. And p4p even though they advertise for the del rey.
Not really a newspaper, more like a gossip rag. He always claims perpetual tourists are people who cannot get a clean police report to get immigration status. The owner comes into SL alot. Big old fat white haired guy. I guess he would not stand out.

ARCR is a joke. They out right lie to people. Scare people. Costs are high as they get a cut of everything. Buyer beware.

BB57 you speak enough spanish. You do not need a lawyer. Mostly a lawyer just slows things down. Do it yourself and save lots of money. It would make for an interesting thread also.

I assume you had problems at the panama border. Correct.

I recently crossed at Los Chiles. 5 hour bus ride from SJ, cost 2800c. No rest room on bus but stops for 10 min at san carlos. You get a good look at a part of CR rarely seen by tourists. Spent the night in san carlos, nicaragua. That is where the rio san juan exits the lake. Relaxed border crossing, they did not ask for a ticket out of CR, did not take the 7$ exit tax ticket, and 90 days no problem. Involves a 1 1/2 boat ride on the rio frio. Many people did it all in one day. It has always been a myth that you need to stay out of the country for 72 hours. That is for customs.

agree with the previous post

BB57 - I suggest that you do it all yourself (residency). You do not need a lawyer. You can locate all of the necessary info on the internet.

I have my residency now and I also had my lawyers help me out especially since their office has an "immigration" specialist.

The only difficulty that I had was the police clearance letter from the US needed to be signed by the chief of police and then notarized prior to sending it to the Sec of State of Calif. I am not sure how ARK handles this BUT for me, the signatures were very easy, the only major problem being that to get it notarized I had to be there in person (in Calif) and you know me, I love living in Costa Rica and did NOT want to fly back to Calif for a 5 minute notary meeting.

I did figure out a legal workaround where it was all completed without me ever leaving here. PM me if you are interested in more details on how I got this accomplished. good luck

Pura Vida

EdB

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"You will never run out of good things because there is more than enough to go around. Life is meant to be abundant"
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