OWNING A CAR vs Taking TAXIS in Costa Rica

DO YOU WANT EASE IN YOUR LIFE? TAKING TAXI’S VS. OWNING / DRIVING A CAR IN COSTA RICA

I'm a REALLY BIG picture kinda gal!!

What NOT having/owning a car (and getting to take taxi's) represents to me is 

FREEDOM!!!!!!:

From worrying about open manholes (and swinging into the next lane/oncoming traffic to avoid going down 10 or so feet),

potholes (and they're even in "Good" areas),

From killing some fool that ran out in the middle of the street between 2 suv type cars (I know TWO people that's happened to. Imagine the nightmares they're STILL having!!!),

From getting an ulcer (I drive like Mario Andretti so I KNOW if I had a car, within a week I'd have an ulcer AND kill someone!!!)

From worrying about if it's ANOTHER unmarked one-way street and/or if it's changed this week,

From worrying about someone slashing my tire at a light and then robbing me when they're trying to "help me",

From worrying about where I'm going to park,

From paying someone to "watch" the car (which isn't always an honest person),

From worrying about walking from my parking space to where I'm going and/or back,

From BAD/incomplete directions/descriptions (which they seem to be 95+% of the time),

From Insurance (NOT cheap),

From Registering the car (and getting it passed which surprisingly can be a QUITE challenging)

From Road Rage (from either side [normally pretty much a pacifist and a VERY considerate driver, it's amazing how much this side CAN come out when IDIOT/FOOL drivers get in my way!!!]),

From accidents and car dings (especially not unusual in rainy season),

From getting lost in the "wrong" part of town,

From hardly any signs (including the entrance to the pista/highway that takes you to the airport and even other MAJOR places - to say nothing if you're going back roads!!),

From NO addresses and VERY few street names,

From having to speak good Spanish (I'm learning but luckily I have numerous English Speaking Taxi drivers at http://LivingLifeInCostaRica.blogspot.com/2010/03/taxi-drivers-english-speaking-costa.html),

From needing to know where I'm going!! I just get in the taxi and tell the driver where to take me and 95% of the time they know!

From Traffic (being from Calif. I have ZERO tolerance for traffic and there is a LOT here in CR!!),

From Time - taxi's tend to know the backroads, etc. and can often get there faster. Flying is MEGA fast!!!

To say nothing of how EXPENSIVE cars are in CR, gas (isn't something like CLOSE to $6 a GALLON??), repairs (IF you can find the parts), taxes if you're shipping (REALLY HIGH!!).

When I want to go explore some place in CR I either hire a LEGAL driver/guide that can REALLY show me the ins/outs - things I'd NEVER see driving myself! I also get to REALLY ENJOY/take in the scenery (something people with cars RARELY get to do since they're tooo busy worrying about all above. Contact me at CostaRicaResourceGuide@gmail.com if you want any resources for that). Or I take http://NatureAir.com which often has AWESOME last minute airfares throughout CR!! (I just checked and they have some OUTRAGEOUSLY CHEAP Last Minute flights - like to Arenal/La Fortuna starting at $39, $56-$57 gets you to Nosara/Golfit/Drakes Bay/TamaGringo/Tamarindo, Tambor-near Montezuma $41, Torteguero $46 [plus about $20 in taxes though] and it's just 30 minutes of my time [my time is worth $$$ so this IS an issue for me often] vs. 3 1/2-5+ hours to MANY of these places, AND it's a BEAUTIFUL FLIGHT!!).

Of course it also depends on where you live (I live in Escazu so I have taxi's available to me 24/7 and 98% of the time they come within 5-10 min.) and your lifestyle (I am still working from home with an internet based biz).

This also allows me to go out with Purpose - not just to run up for a thing of paper towel which helps me do my part for the Environment/BIG PICTURE beyond me! I go and do a bunch of things at one time and at $10-$15 or so an hour for a taxi when they're waiting - it's STILL WAYYYY CHEAPER than when you add up ALL the costs/expenses involved with owning a car in CR! At least for ME!

MOST IMPORTANTLY - NO ulcers!!! CALM - Peace of mind (I drive like Mario Andretti - looking all over - NOT in CR!!! [and I've NEVER had/been involved in an accident!!) and I get to ALWAYS ENJOY the ride!! That's what I'm working towards in my life - EASE, CALM, ENJOYMENT and TRUE FREEDOM!!!

At the end of the day it's still WAYYYY more cost effective for me - again - when I'm looking at the BIG picture!!

As usual - here's a DIFFERENT way of looking at life (the BIG picture!!).

Vicki Skinner (aka the Sarong Goddess)

(another chapter in "The World According to Vicki"!)


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One of my Facebook•blogging buddies Jen did a GREAT blurb on
Buses vs Owning a Car in Costa Rica at
CostaRicaChica.com/pays-take-bus
(one day I'll write about that but after nearly 9 years, I'm still quite the taxi kind of gal - fiscal challenges and ALL!!)


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PLEASE "Share" this with EVERYONE you know that's thinking about moving to Costa Rica or getting a car!!
LivingLifeInCostaRica.blogspot.com/2010/05/owning-car-vs-taking-taxis-in-costa.html

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