Americanized?
One of the things I do not like seeing here in Costa Rica is that the worst aspects of America popping up here. Usually that means, for me at least, seeing Ticos flocking to McDonalds and KFC. This morning I witnessed something very different, awful and oh so typically North American. Road rage.
Once church let out and Jim went to fetch the car from a nearby hilltop (no parking at the church) I saw a blue car and a tourismo bus drive by fast, side by side, ignoring the oncoming traffic until the tourismo bus had to fall back behind the compact car or be hit. This took place on the one road leading to and from Tamarindo, simple two lane blacktop.
This happened a couple of times as I watched. I could see that the tourismo bus was attempting futilely to get behind another tourismo bus painted exactly like it. But the blue compact car kept speeding up every time the bus tried to pass.
By the time Jim brought the car around things had actually escalated, the bus had squeezed by the car, coming closer to a head on collision than before, whipped in front of the car. The blue car sped up and rammed the bus. Everyone hopped out of the car and bus and engaged in a screaming match. We came up behind them moments later and everything just intensified. Ticos started stopped their cars on both sides of this narrow road to join the confloption. I was seriously afraid we were about to witness a stabbing, or a riot or worse. Thank Jebus that the average Tico cannot afford a gun or the permit to carry one.
This went on for a good ten minutes, screaming, shouting, gestures thrown in the air, cell phones brandished and video taken. We were stuck right behind the wreck. The ending was anti-climactic. Everyone climbed back into their various types of rolling scrap iron and rode away. We were stuck behind the blue car for quite some distance and were treated to more of their aggressive driving, tailgating people, honking, speeding.
Ticos are some of the worst drivers I've ever seen. I've driven in Mexico City, Rome, Munich and San Jose where the peddlers stand in the middle of fast moving lanes of traffic with their mango slices and bags of cashews, but this is the first time I've seen road rage here. You could barely see a scrape on either vehicle.
It's disconcerting to come out of a sermon on unity and not taking offense and run right straight into this. This is not what I would chose to be something from the States for the Ticos.
Once church let out and Jim went to fetch the car from a nearby hilltop (no parking at the church) I saw a blue car and a tourismo bus drive by fast, side by side, ignoring the oncoming traffic until the tourismo bus had to fall back behind the compact car or be hit. This took place on the one road leading to and from Tamarindo, simple two lane blacktop.
This happened a couple of times as I watched. I could see that the tourismo bus was attempting futilely to get behind another tourismo bus painted exactly like it. But the blue compact car kept speeding up every time the bus tried to pass.
By the time Jim brought the car around things had actually escalated, the bus had squeezed by the car, coming closer to a head on collision than before, whipped in front of the car. The blue car sped up and rammed the bus. Everyone hopped out of the car and bus and engaged in a screaming match. We came up behind them moments later and everything just intensified. Ticos started stopped their cars on both sides of this narrow road to join the confloption. I was seriously afraid we were about to witness a stabbing, or a riot or worse. Thank Jebus that the average Tico cannot afford a gun or the permit to carry one.
This went on for a good ten minutes, screaming, shouting, gestures thrown in the air, cell phones brandished and video taken. We were stuck right behind the wreck. The ending was anti-climactic. Everyone climbed back into their various types of rolling scrap iron and rode away. We were stuck behind the blue car for quite some distance and were treated to more of their aggressive driving, tailgating people, honking, speeding.
Ticos are some of the worst drivers I've ever seen. I've driven in Mexico City, Rome, Munich and San Jose where the peddlers stand in the middle of fast moving lanes of traffic with their mango slices and bags of cashews, but this is the first time I've seen road rage here. You could barely see a scrape on either vehicle.
It's disconcerting to come out of a sermon on unity and not taking offense and run right straight into this. This is not what I would chose to be something from the States for the Ticos.
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