www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Oh and BangBang didn't specifically say murder...he said major crimes. With regard to major crime....

USA.....4129 per 100k.
CR........984 per 100k.

So, the statistics do support BangBang's argument. Major crime rate is 4 times higher in the US.

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Just sayin'....Phalstaph

Thanks to Phalstaph and others for supporting my comments! I did make an error in my post. I inadvertently left off the word "Almost". It should have read "almost every major city has a higher CRIME RATE". So, yes my statement as written may or may not be correct. But at the same time, 67Supersport you need to learn how to read and quit mixing apples and oranges and trying to come up with gold!!!!!!!!!!! Alchemy is not your strong point

Nicarica: If you and others that are so outspoken and critical could maybe live here for a while and keep up with the things that are actually going on (enforcement and arrests, etc.) to reduce crime here, you might change your opinion somewhat. "Arbitrary law enforcement"??? Just what is your justification for this comment?? Are you basing it totally on "Ah, he is an American so it must be trumped up charges"? or "He is a wealthy Tico so he got off"?? Do you know all the circumstances. Or do you just believe everything you read in A.M. CR? As some one else mentioned, that is the best place to get lopsided, wrong info on CR!!

Loco Mike: Yes, I like Costa Rica a lot and have ever since the first time I ever visited here in 1994! Utopia? No! Perfect? NO! But then if you think the USA is, then you are a big part of the problems that exist there!!! Do I hate or dislike the USA? NO! But I am not blind to its problems nor am I afraid to openly discuss those problems!! And above all I am not about to try to cover them up as so many do!! And, YES, I have no desire to ever live in the States again- not that it is that bad, but that I much prefer living here for many, many reason; most of which would probably shock you and you might even find some of them hard to believe. I will say this, the chicas are NOT the #1 reason! The climate is!!!

As for San Jose being a "Giant shithole"! Just how much time have you spent in San Jose and more importantly, how much of San Jose have you actually visited?? It is a big city with a LOT of barrios, a lot suburbs and outlying communities, and unless you have spent months here, there is no way you can justify making such a statement!! Yes the gulch is a shithole, as is 15 de setiembre, and much of a couple of other areas. But there are other areas just as nice and peaceful and clean as most places in the States. And, how many large cities in the States do NOT have slum areas?????

As for preventative detention: Yes, it actually does exist in the states. Have you never heard of "refusal to set bail because of "flight risk"??? Do you really think CD would not be a "flight risk"??? Come on, get real. No I am not defending nor condemning the law here, just pointing out it is not an unheard of law and it has its reasons to exist (under different names) in many countries.

In the case of CD, I have been told by a couple of different lawyers here that the problem is that even the prosecutors have doubts as to the constitutional legality of the law under which he was arrested. Just as in any other country (including the USA) he is being held as long as possible (using whatever laws they can to do so) It is called "taking advantage of existing laws (even bad ones) to give you an advantage". The issue is "cleaning up their country's image as a sex tourist destination". This image is something that strongly concerns many powerful people here. And whether you, me, or anyone else likes it or not, THEY HAVE EVERY RIGHT AS AN INDEPENDENT COUNTRY TO MAKE LAWS TO END THE REPUTATION!!!

And before someone tries to point out that it (stopping sex tourism) would only hurt their economy "because sex tourism is such a big industry", let me once again point out that it is only about 1.5-2.5% of the total tourist dollar. To back that up somewhat: 50,000 hotel rooms but less than 500 that cater to sex tourism. And those "powerful people" could care less about the negative affect it would have on a few hundred chicas and hotel workers that would be affected.

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

BB57 please take a tranquilizer and relax a little. There is nothing you can say or write that is going to change my, and perhaps others, mind about the city of San Jose being one "giant shithole" I have been to San Jose on about 40 occasions and that is my opinion of the place. The fact you and others can point to other cities that are also shitholes or dumps does not refute the fact that San Jose really friggin sucks. BTW: a person can go somewhere once and come up with the same conclusion. My statement is just an opinion and like everyone else on this board I am entitled to express it.

Most of the stuff you posted about the CR legal system is pure self serving bullshit for a number of reasons. I have spent the last 25 years of my life dealing with the law and my opinion is that the legal system in Costa Rica is a sham and a fraud upon the citizens and residents of Costa Rica. A person who is arrested has a right to have the charges for which he is being held presented against him in a reasonable period of time. Nine months is clearly excessive. The activity that CD was promoting is legal in the big whore house known as Costa Rica. Therefore CD is being detained, indefinitely, for promoting a legal activity. In a legitimate legal system this would never happen. You state in your post there are other countries that have similar laws on their books but decline to state any particular country that has the same type of ridiculous statute CR has. If they do have it they certainly don't enforce it.

It has well documented on this board, an throughout the internet, that the CR criminal justice system is a sham. Big time thieves and scam artist barely get indicted (charged) and if they do their cases rarely go to court. The people who they steal from never get any restitution or any other form of justice. The same can be said for the victims of sexual assault, murder, domestic violence, robbery, drug dealers, ect... who are routinely let out of jail on pre-trial release while their cases languish endlessly is the CR legal system.

CD could be let out on some form of pre-trial release. In the United States, and other civilized countries, they take a persons passport and other travel documents, they use electronic monitoring ( ankle bracelets) to keep tabs on a person. They do not incarcerate someone endlessly for being a blow hard and posting on the internet a bunch of stories about an activity that is legal.

The punishment CD has received does not fit the crime. He was thrown in a hell hole of a prison for no legitimate reason. They could have just kicked him out of the country, and told him he is no longer welcome, like the Dominican Republic did. But rather than act like rational human beings they figure is better to torture him and not even present charges against him.

You always post that the CR is a sovereign country and they have the right to pass their own laws. That is obviously true. However, others have a right to criticize the laws that they think are unfair or wrong. That is what internet message boards are all about.

You also have stated on repeated occasions that if we do not like the laws there we do not have to come. Those of us who go back to CR go because we like the scene and the chicas there. While there we lay low and strive not to bring attention to ourselves so we do not end up interacting with CR’s bogus legal system. Most who stay in the hobby move on to other destinations like Colombia, Asia, Dominican Republic ect…as is evidenced, in small part, by the this board. I go to the DR because out of South Florida it works best for me. Others go elsewhere for similar reasons. However, I still go to CR once or twice a year when I can get a good deal on a flight or can use FF miles.

You end your previous post with a story about a group of Ex-Pats who languish away in a local bar and complain about CR all the time but never leave. IMHO you should be sitting with them. You have essentially been doing the same thing on CRT for the past 11 years. ( minus a couple of years when you had your temper tantrum and decided you didn’t want to play here anymore) , You bitch and rant about how stupid we are, you tell us how to dress, how much to spend, if and how much to tip, how to act in public and when someone does not do it your way you come on the board and rant. The only difference between you and the people you bitch about is the topic. Clearly you are all cut from the same cloth.

Finally I end my rant with one of my favorites quotes from Mr. Black “ You do CR your way…and I’ll do CR my way. “

Ohh...Mr. Bang Bang,
If your original statement had said "almost every major city in the US", I wouldn't have bothered to weigh in.
But you didn't...you said "every major city in the US", and that's just not true.
So my comment helped you to correct your mistake.
No need to thank me...just happy to help.

Tenga un buen dia,
Doug

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I am a citizen of the World...
All mankind are my brethren...
To do good is my religion.
(Thomas Paine)

He also said major crimes and you only used murder rates. You also used a national rate for CR compared to one city in the US. Hardly apples to apples. If you compare US to CR stats AND major crimes then you can see that the rate in the US is 4x that of CR. My point is that neither of you is specifically correct. BUT if you look at the whole picture then it would seem that CR is 4x safer than the US with regard to major crimes.

And if you want to get to the heart of this argument the US Department of State says:
"Violent crimes like murders, robberies, and sexual assaults are not committed frequently against U.S. citizens." Also it is estimated that 45% of the 400 murders in Costa Rica are directly attributed to an ongoing gang drug dispute. So, if you stay out of the Costa Rican drug trade you are 45% less likely to be murdered there.

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Just sayin'....Phalstaph

And you are choosing to ignore the huge difference in "Major crimes" which IS what I stated and "murders" which IS what you quoted figures for and which is only a relatively small part of the "Major crimes" total. Does this help you to correct YOUR MISTAKE???

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

Hypothetically speaking if one decided to post that a chica that is willing to perform a certain sex act and he states that he is "friends" with this chica and he will be at a certain location at a certain time for introductions,
couldn't that be considered pimping if some overzealous police officer or prosecutors decided to read these posts.

How could that gringo ever explain or prove he wasn't making money for these introductions?

The answer is the gringo wouldn't be able to prove he wasn't making money and potentially sit for up to two years of preventative detention.

What about a gringo that charges expats for walking tours while living in his chosen country as a perpetual tourist. Breaking the law because perpetual tourists are banned from earning money risking preventative detention.

By the way I started going to Costa Rica in 2006 and got residency in 2009. Certain others chose to live as perpetual tourists until the government that they love so much started threatening cracking down on perpetual tourists. So I don't have to be told to live in a country I obtained legal residency years before the perpetual tourist did.

Clearly some on this board think they are better than others and I suggest no one is better than anyone else.

Seems that certain"extremely " smart expats didn't plan very well for their "golden years" since living solely on an American Social Security check isn't a very comfortable way to live so to make up for their poor choices in life is to attack people on a blog who express opinions in extremely long "rants".

The hypothetical questions aren't aimed at one particular individual just my way of expressing that "let he without sin cast the first stone"

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nicarica

This applies equally to the USA. You could be arrested for promoting human trafficing, even if it's not within the borders of this country.

Get real and stop making up fringe arguments that make no point. CD is in jail for breaking a law in a foreign country. It isn't for you, me, or any other American to cry foul.

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

I happen to think that Escazu and the outlying Lindora areas are comparable to the nice areas in South Florida. I agree with BB57 that you need to use your 41st trip to get out of the gulch and see a little more of the San Jose area. If you ask on the board, I am sure that many experienced vets can give you a checklist of places in San Jose to visit, to change your opinions of the place.

Also, please stop comparing the USA to CR. Talking about taking passports and ankle bracelets is silly. CR does not have the kind of money or resources to match the USA. They do the best they can with what they've got.

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

Since when do you get to decide what other posters post about? Your arrogance is unbelievable ! If someone wants to make a comment about the CR legal system or the CD situation they should refrain from doing so because you said so?

Look" Mr. Arrogant Know it All", you do not know me or my experience in CR. I have been to many cities on the coast, Quepos, Manual Antonio, Jaco, Flamingo Tamarrindo ect... I have been to all of the cities you mentioned in the SJO area. Please quuit telling me or any other posters what to do, where to go, how to post or anything else for that matter. Just because you are a blowhard , who post 1,000 times per year, does not mean you know it all or that you should tell people with whom you disagree not to post about certain subjects.

GET A LIFE BEYOND CRT AND REMEMBER THIS IS JUST A HOBBY FOR MOST OF US, OBVIOUSLY NOT TRUE IN YOUR CASE

Speaking of unbelievable arrogance!!!!! Since you totally define the word, plus "my way or no way" "totally closed minded", "I know everything", "I have the right to express my opinion (to hell with whether it has any foundation or merit), but no one else does"!! Please tell us just what you would call yourself besides arrogant!!!! If you say it, it is your 'opinion'; if someone else makes a statement it is not their opinion (not sure just what you think their comments are if not also opinions)!!!

You profess to know SO MUCH about the laws and human rights, but you do not seem to be able to grasp the concept of "sovereign rights"-those rights to govern themselves the way they wish. Disagree with them, yes!! But to tell them they are wrong just because they do not agree with your way of thinking????????? No where in your "opinions" have you ever used the phrase "I think" or "in my opinion".

You and I are two totally different people (thank God) who will NEVER agree on anything! This is not the first time we have had disagreements on here. In every case you shout out the same basic garbage about how much you know the laws (of where, I am not sure). You state how you are entitled to your opinion (but no one else is), how Costa Rica (San Jose) is such a shit hole, how CR should change everything they do to the way YOU think it should be, how much you dislike everything (except the chicas, I guess) about CR. You say no one has a right to tell you what you should or should not do but you sure try to tell them what they should and should not do.

At times it really kind of sounds like you secretly really like CR and want to run everyone else off so you can have it all for yourself! Sure would not be the first time someone has tried that approach!!

I have been doing this thing (hobby)we call "mongering" for probably as long or longer than you have been alive. I have been traveling to other countries to monger since I was 20 years old. Does that mean I know everything about mongering or how to do everything the right way? NO!! BUT I have and do pay attention to what I see and what I hear; and I do try to learn from my experiences and from what I see other guys doing. No matter where I choose to go, who I may be with, or what happens while I am there, I try to look at everything with an open mind, with a happy attitude, without looking for fault in everything around me. Highly opinionated? YES I am!! Highly outspoken? For sure I am!! Open minded and open to change? Yes!! Happy and enjoying life? For sure I am; and which is something I think is a great big problem for a lot of guys on here- they are very UNhappy and want everyone else to be just as unhappy!!

Over the years I have seen things that I just could not accept and I did not go back. I have never continued to return, all the while constantly running the place down and certainly have never continually tried to tell the country I am visiting how they should change. There are too many places to monger, places with just as good quality of chicas for me to continue to go back to a place I do not like. Anywhere I have ever gone, I have ALWAYS TRIED TO LOOK FOR THE GOOD and ignored the bad as much as possible. As I said, if I could not overlook the "bad", I moved on!!! I spent a lot of time in Colombia and I love the country. I have a lot of good friends who love MDE and have tried to get me to move there. For personal reasons I do not like MDE and have no desire to ever visit there again so I do not go there. My friends know my "WHY" but do I try to tell them how bad MDE is, or that they should not go there?? NEVER!! And, yes, it does have beautiful chicas with for the most part, a much better attitude than CR.

Sorry, but I live by the rule "enjoy life to the max"!!! And I just can not understand people who look for the bad in everything, who are only happy when they are looking at the negative!!! I am not trying to tell you that you should stay away; I just do not understand why you keep returning since you obviously are so unhappy with things here, and there are chicas just as good or better in other places

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

Physician, heal thyself!

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

+1000
I remember when the dwarf first joined, used to be nice guy, till his head got so big. Even after getting his wings clipped by the CR immigration with that idiotic scheme he had to get a chica into the US on a student visa, To all you newbies this is what happens when you adopt BB57 as your new daddy, and just can't put down Kool-Aid. BTW his real handle is officially "Little Bitch Dwarf", I should know cause I named him.

Ahh ... so you're back. Like a toilet floater, it refuses all attempts at a flush. Welcome back.

What CR immigration stuff are you talking about? A US visa has nothing to do with CR immigration. You are still as dimwitted as you were on the last name you used here.

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