Comments on: Officers involved in shooting incident at Solís residence stick to their story

By: duke ster

duke ster — Sat, 19 Jul 2014 17:25:00 +0000

I know-it’s incredible ! Ticos just can’t understand how other countries work–how newspapers are for sale in a machine where anyone could reach in and take all of them, which is exactly what your average Tico on the street would do. It is just too much for them to take in. Imagine, a chance to steal and no one does it? They simply cannot wrap their minds around it–just like your story of showing them how some of the rest of the world lives. People living in honor of each other and having respect for each other’s possessions? This true statement of mhogan showing a photo of a civilized society to heathens is a cultural example which should really be studied by others so as to see just how the people of Costa Rica think and act. It is a complete other world to be sure. However I am not bashing the Ticos all the time. Just observing other people’s experiences with Ticos having the opportunity to see how other cultures treat each other with respect is proof enough of the low low low morals which are deeply ingrained in the peoples here. But AGAIN, there are good points to living in Costa Rica also. To decide that you have had enough of watching your back every minute or whether living here is worth it is something each person has to deal with. Someone just commented that they were afraid of being killed and having their property stolen, Sadly this can and does happen. Some who live here stay up in their walled in , mostly Foreigner occupied neighborhoods and don’t actually mix with real Ticos on a daily basis or even a business basis. These are usually the defenders of the Ticos, they have no real idea or reality of how life here actually is. When you have to deal with them up close and personal such as in business and see how sad the life here actually is–that’s when it hits home. Then I personally become saddened because I realize that I am truly living in a scary reality where I could be robbed and killed at any moment. An interesting story–I had stopped at a roadside home which had a sign making business and I saw a nice home across the street. I asked who lived in such a nice walled in compound? I was told it was owned by the former milk salesman who walked around the neighborhood selling milk from his cart and that the previous owner was an elderly gringo who had no family and who had “given” his home to the neighborhood milkman upon his death. I immediately said that I believed the old gringo was probably buried somewhere in the backyard of the home. How in the f*ck does a milkman inherit such a property upon the death of the Gringo? I would bet mybottom dollar that the milkman learned the old gringo had no relatives or loved ones and simply killed the old gringo and took his house. If any of you bleeding hearts want to investigate the story let me know. Just watch your a** down here-that;s all I have to say.

By: roberto

roberto — Sat, 19 Jul 2014 15:53:00 +0000

All aboard…get on the gravy train!

The National Scholarship Fund
(FONABE) has reported that 640 irregularly applied for
scholarships were allocated. 640 economic benefits were given to children of employees of the Ministry of Public Education (MEP).

This is stated in a report of May 7, 2014 of the Office of Grants Management FONABE
addressed to the former Minister of Education, Leonardo Garnier.

The report includes names and identification numbers of officials
who receive monthly salaries that are out of range to qualify if a family lives in poverty or extreme poverty, which is a requirement for assistance. The
breach of any of the conditions cancels the scholarship.

Of the total cases, 391 subsidies whose beneficiaries are relatives of people on the payroll of the Ministry, are already in process for the suspension of the scholarship. Jeez, I
hope that this does not fall into the category of “tabloid journalism.”

By: disgusted

disgusted — Sat, 19 Jul 2014 14:23:00 +0000

Forensic should be able to tell what gun the bullet came from. The one that was shot. OR does this bullet just disappear or become too damaged to find out? I only see one bullet hole in the car door going out and maybe the one bullet in officer leg so two bullets fired? So a hail of bullets where did they land. The officer shot will be getting his sick pay at least and roll that over to a “disability” of some sorts a long with some other honor. Jeez! Costa Rica.

By: mhogan

mhogan — Sat, 19 Jul 2014 13:22:00 +0000

Agree that a lot of theft and corruption is cultural but it’s also disrespect for others — it’s all about them. Coming from Canada, I had occasions to show Latin friends here different scenes of Canada — one was of a downtown shopping area where merchants had street sales. The comments were interesting: “how do they stop people from stealing the merchandise if it is out in the open like that?” “Where are all the security guards?” etc. I was left without words to explain that “civilized” people have a level of honesty ingrained in them (what I didn’t say was that just to notice this lack of thievery was an admission that there’s something wrong here).

By: mhogan

mhogan — Sat, 19 Jul 2014 13:13:00 +0000

You left Costa Rica 4 1/2 yrs ago … that’s about when it really started going downhill. We’ve lived here almost 20 years and the last 5 have taken a decidedly worst track. Thankfully, we’re out of here at the end of the month — to Panama. The only things we’ll miss are our Nicaraguan gardener and domestic worker … wish we could take them with us and they said they’d go in a heartbeat. Have to say there is no love or respect in our beings left for the Ticos in general.

By: Larry Worsham

Larry Worsham — Sat, 19 Jul 2014 12:43:00 +0000

Or, the door might have been open on the other side of the vehicle. Where was the officer when he was shot in the leg? Outside the car? Inside the car? The photo only shows a bullet hole in the door but doesn’t give any indication of the direction the bullet came from; was this door closest to the residence or closest to the street? Speculation without all the facts doesn’t help much.

I agree with your assessment of duo ster’s comments but I often wonder why he’s still living in Costa Rica. His animosity seems to have no bounds towards the Ticos. We moved from Costa Rica 4 1/2 years ago after living there for 12 years and completely understand the problems in dealing with the Ticos but never held this amount of disrespect for any of them. We returned to the USA only because we wanted to be nearer our growing grandchildren, not because we had become disenfranchised with Costa Rica.

By: SDPUS

SDPUS — Sat, 19 Jul 2014 05:08:00 +0000

What if the bullet traveled through a window on one side of the car and out through the door on the other side. Could that not be a possible scenario? Either way, it should be pretty easy to see where these keystone cops should have been working. I don’t think an investigation should have been totally ruled out, because now the state may be liable. Sadly, I agree with much of the characterization of duke ster, this culture is corrupt from top to bottom.

By: duke ster

duke ster — Sat, 19 Jul 2014 02:38:00 +0000

You are on the ball Roberto–if you were in charge of the investigation–I think the liars would have to confess immediately. with your questions and Tim’s photographic evidence
the liars would have no option but to fess up–well maybe. as we see–they continue to lie even though the evidence is there in plain sight to see. How do you deal with that kind of ,well, “Ticoness” for lack of BETTER term. Maybe I should just keep quiet as the reader Frank told me, “why don’t you talk about positive things”? Well Frank, it seems that I simply can’t find positive things to write about when I am faced with such staunch bullshit –in the face of facts yet! So I speak of what I see. And the tool told me I was “spewing vitriol”, well here again, I am speaking about what I see reported here on “inside Costa Rica” and giving my 2 cents worth. If it is not positive or if it fits into what one reader calls vitriol–so be it! I mean how does an ordinary somewhat intelligent North American who was brought up with values and brought up to NOT lie, steal, cheat and brought up to treat others with respect, deal with this “Ticoness” I ask you? It makes my soul sick, that’s what it does, it makes me sick to my very soul. Thank God for America–yes I said it and I mean it more and more every day and I am learning just how fortunate I really am to have been raised in a country, or at least the Midwest part of the country, where a man’s word meant something, where I was taught to open doors for women and the elderly and to respect others, Where I was taught that it is a VERY seriously bad thing to steal or to be less than honest in all dealings with my fellow man. I am soooo happy to be an American and since living in and experiencing living in such a morally bankrupt society, I appreciate where I came from -more and more every day.–Hey Frank–we are still waiting to read your new blog about the positive aspects of living among these fine people. Years ago when I 1st arrived in CR, I hired a man who was an “expediter” who helped me to rapidly obtain my drivers licenses etc etc. he was worth every cent I paid him and more. Robert was his name if any of you know him. Robert had a super direct “line” and insight on the people and culture of Costa Rica, he was really a gem and if he should be one of Inside Costa Rica’s readers. Thanks Robert-you really deserve a lot more than I gave you. Anyway I had seen the houses in some country towns -that they didn’t have so many bars on the windows and I said to Robert that these country people must be better people than city dwellers because they weren’t so paranoid. Robert replied that they were every bit the thieving bastards the city people were –the reason that they didn’t have so many bars was that since everyone knew each other–they would know who it was who stole whatever was missing–it was that small of a community. ha ha–so much for the country folk being better people–Robert was right. And I noticed that the people would chat with their neighbors from behind the bars of their individual home prisons and Robert told me it was because no one would allow a neighbor inside their home because everyone knows that they are thieves and don’t want to give their neighbor the inside info on what they had or give them the opportunity to steal something. Ha ha. I hired a neighbor to help me move and to do things and he would ride in my truck. I had some locks which I had left on the floorboard and thinking no one would steal a lock was surprised when they came up missing. One day –much later- I asked the neighbor what kind of a low down thief would steal a paddle lock because it was not worth anything without the key ( I thought) and he replied that it was worth about 1 dollar if sold to the locksmith who could make a key. So my neighbor who I would think would be thankful that I hired him, would steal even my paddle locks when he had the chance–just to gain 1 dollar! Again, what a piece of shit!. He got his small motorcycle stolen one day while he was visiting someone at the hospital. I asked him if he didn’t lock it and he said no. I asked why? He replied that he believed Ticos were honest people!!!! I was flabbergasted and got a laugh out of a Nicaraguan who was standing nearby when I replied to my neighbor that he was in error to not lock his motorcycle as the Ticos were known as the biggest thieves in the world, To be fair to the Ticos and so as to not bash them, The whole latin culture is known to be thieves. ALL LATINS– it is a cultural flaw I am afraid. I started learning this when I was first exposed to the latin culture ( Cuban) when I moved to South beach Miami beach.ha ha ha. Even an upscale developer who was touting his community in Ecuador said the same during one of his sales blods veered into the truth. he said stealing was a latin cultural flaw. I mean look around at the European fine culture– years–no, centuries of Classical music and fine art– fine culture abounding, fine wines and foods and music and dancing and architecture-etc etc. And what do we have here? Look around Costa Rica–what do the Ticos produce anyway? Any architectural individual influences? Any art? Any sculpture? Any music? Any fine or individual cultural influences? Not that I can discern. I was sooo disappointed when I first arrived here in CR. I was expecting some adobe architecture, some colorful buildings and culture, and what is the first thing I noticed? Small cramped houses on bare un interesting streets with bars on everything–right up to the street, bars and barbed wire and razor wire– WTF? But since I was a dog in heat and nothing more, I overlooked all that negativity in favor of the fine butts on the girls. I say that to interject an answer to the question sure to follow by someone as to why I even stayed on here. Well that is the answer–shamefully that is the answer. The women of Costa Rica are very pretty indeed. Vapid and hollow and selfish and greedy and uninteresting, but pretty. Now, after years of exposure to them, I wouldn’t touch one of them with your d**K. WHY? you might ask? Well they say hat usually a baby is born with his head coming out first but a Costa Rican is born with his hand coming out first. One very positive thing I CAN say about the Costa Rican wowmen is –well more than one thing actually. Ihave a lot of good things to say about them and the men also. For instance a Costa Rican woman doesn’t go out on the street wearing a sloppy T-shirt and sloppy shorts, smoking a cigarette ( like the typical American woman. The Tica takes care to dress up with a matching ensemble of color matched shoes and belt, color on her fingernails, nice high heels–even if she is going to the grocery store–she is cognisant of her image and steps out looking as fresh and sexy as she can. Now I as a man ,appreciate her effort. I really do and I sometimes–heck a lot of the time–I make a nice comment to her. This brings up another point I appreciate about the women of Costa Rica, I tell a woman to her face how pretty she is, how good she smells and more. I even sometimes say” Buenas tennies” which is “nice tennis shoes” but is really a Costa Rican colloquialism meaning nice breasts. And you know what? I get a nice smile–about 99.9 % of the time, which makes me feel even better about the women of Costa Rica. And I flirt like crazy with them–nothing serious but flirt andsmile and say some sexy things and you know what? They LIKE it! Thay show their appreciation with some innocent sexy remarks back or at least a nice smile. Not a nasty evil,”I am going to call the police” type of stare or such that I will most certainly receive from an uptight woman from the USA. And the guys here don’t take offence when I ogle their woman-heck I will go up to a couple ( when the girl is a knockout) and smile and shake the man’s hand and congratulate him on his fine choice in selecting such a beauty, and the guy usually smiles and shakes my hand and agrees. Fun had all around. All innocent. Well Frank you got me to write positive things about the Costa Rican people after all. So after some thought and extensive writing I see why I live here and why I put up with all the idiots and liars and thieves. It’s the relaxed attitudes of the people and the easy going fun to be had at every turn of the day. And the Beautiful women!!!! God Bless the beautiful costa Rican women and the easy going fun guys. After all– everyone has a lot of fun here at every opportunity and they don’t take things too seriously and they take all the vacations they can. heck there are many good points about living in Costa Rica after all.. I am sure nobody actually reads my lengthy posts anyway.

By: disqus_r8w0IwvvLw

disqus_r8w0IwvvLw — Sat, 19 Jul 2014 01:33:00 +0000

There is another explanation. Who here in CR expects gunfire? The CR police officers probably were making small talk and were taken off guard. One mis-shot but the others fired correctly a few times. Look at “Friendly Fire”done by the usa army and other forces who are taken by surprise. Things are never black or white. Somewhere in between.

By: roberto

roberto — Sat, 19 Jul 2014 00:51:00 +0000

Yea, a picture is worth a thousand words. In the original story on July 11th, “Initial reports indicate that the gunmen fired a “hail of bullets” at police.” OK, so where did all of those bullets go? Any spent casings found at the scene? Bullet holes in buildings or other vehicles?