Street vendors and street entertainers are the problem? Come on! I see many comments here that are more to the point like cars blocking the sidewalks, blocking the streets, driving on suspended licenses, etc. In a country where the per capita GDP is about $12k, you are going to nail your citizens for about 5% of their annual income for a relatively minor traffic violation? Who in the CR population can pay it or would pay it? Put your citizens in jail if they do not pay? Come on, at this moment the CR jails are at 108% capacity according to the UN. Could it be the fines are going to be directed foreign residents and tourists? Hmm…maybe.

Look it isn’t just CR with these problems related to traffic violations and such. Throughout South America traffic laws such as speed limit signs are just a benchmark of opportunity not a limitation. There isn’t going to be any consistent enforcement of these laws, there just is not the appetite for such work in the poorly paid CR police force. From my perspective, CR should lower the fines, get more realistic about what can and will be enforced, and then actually enforce the laws on the books. The people will see governments who put laws on the books they do not consistently enforce as one of three things: 1) Afraid of their constituents, which will lead to disrespect and loathing for the government; 2) Lazy and corrupt, which means people quickly learn anything goes; or 3) Both two and three and the outcome will be a combination of both two and three.

Ok, I am a foolish gringo and a total outsider here in CR, so let us see if the government will win out and be successful with these new laws or if the foolish gringo is right. This will take a 100% C-change in the Latin culture to enforce these laws, hmm…not likely. I hope I am wrong, let us give CR 6 months and then let us take another look at what has happened.