Cost of Driving a Car in Panama

Snapshot of a 2011 automobile license plate of my vehicle. You have to buy one of these every year, or else, you can’t drive. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

I own a 2006 pretty good Toyota Corolla.  I acquired it second-hand about three years ago and it has resulted in a darned good deal.  It looks almost as new.

In order to drive through the streets of Panama City to do my things; I have to change a license plate every year, just like the one in the picture.  The cost of obtaining this piece metal is:

• Transportation Tax:  $26.00
• Certificate of Debt Clearance (Paz y Salvo):  $1.00
• Cost of two stickers:  $2.00 (One dollar each)
• Total:  $29.00

Every year the license plate and stickers change color.  The upper side of the metal plate indicates the color code.  In 2011, the color was blue.  The ribbon is blue and the stickers also have the same color.  Last year 2012, the color changed to orange.

One sticker is adhered to the windshield of the automobile and another one is placed on the bottom right hand corner of the license plate.  If a cop detects you don’t have these identifiers, your automobile will be detained, sent to a police corral,  and you will be fined.

In order to get the clearance for a yearly license plate, your vehicle must be inspected and approved by a government authorized car shop.  This inspection has a cost of roughly $12.00.  Transit authorities want to make sure you’re driving a safe automobile.  I have no problem with that.

In addition to the yearly inspection, the vehicle must be insured by a reputable insurance company.  I insured my Toyota Corolla with the National Union Fire Insurance Company which covers damages to third-party property, bodily injuries, and medical costs related to an accident.  I paid $121.26 for my car insurance for one year.

Not everybody has to renovate their license plate on the same month.  That would create a line too large to handle.  Instead you get your new plate on the anniversary when the car was originally sold by the car dealer.  In my case, I have to renovate my plate on the month of August of every year.  This month is indicated in the small sticker on the license plate.  If you look closely at the image above, you will see the letters AGO which means “Agosto“, or August in English.

Summarizing, the cost of driving an automobile in Panama is:

• Municipality of Panama Taxes:  $29.00
• Vehicle inspection cost:  $12.00
• Yearly car insurance:  $121.26
• Total Cost:  $162.26

I’m sure you’ll agree with me, this is a real bargain.  That’s why our streets are permanently overcrowded with cars and traffic jams (tranques) are our daily nightmare.  Good Day.

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Cruising Through an Airplane Fair

I recently forayed into a large airplane fair organized by the Panama government at the former Howard Air Force Base.  I found a large gathering of people including small children who were interested in watching the abundant number of helicopters, acrobatic planes, parachuting exercises, flying ambulances, speed boats, a large DHL yellow freight carrier and a whole lot more of interesting flying objects.

Amongst the visitors was a gorgeous small girl in a beautiful pink automobile.  She was one of the stars at the airplane fair at the former Howard Air Force Base.  She looked as cute as a button.  Take a look.

Snapshot of a small girl cruising through the premises of the former Howard Air Force Base during a recent airplane fair organized by the Panama government. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

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My Toyota Corolla on the Inside

After I sold my old 1985 Nissan Bluebird, I purchased a second-hand Toyota Corolla 2006.  It was in a very good shape, almost as new.  Paid for it $10,500 in cash.  Been using it for the last two years without a hitch.  According to my files the Corolla was purchased on April 26, 2009.

In order to avoid unnecessary inconveniences, I decided to use Toyota’s local dealer, Ricardo Pérez, S.A. to provide timely maintenance to the vehicle.  They have a service called, Taller Móvil (Mobile Shop).  The service consists in providing regular maintenance to their customers through a fleet of eighty trucks.  These trucks are really mechanic shops on wheels.  Everything a mechanic needs is inside these trucks:  hydraulic jacks, air compressors, electric generators and a lot of other stuff too large to list here.

Once you order a maintenance service by phone, the mechanic will visit your house and service the car.  Everything is done in approximately 1.5 hours.  They are as clean as a pussy cat and extremely courteous.  You have the option of paying either with a Visa credit card, or cash.

After using my Toyota Corolla for a little more than two-and-a-half years, I’ll have to say I’m a satisfied customer.  The vehicle looks almost like a new car.  There are a few dark spots and slight dents on the doors, but there are almost unnoticed unless you have keen eyes and you are a good observer.

Below are several pictures of how a Toyota Corolla—automatic transmission— looks like from the inside.  Here we go.

Snapshot of the automatic transmission stick of my ole 2006 Toyota Corolla. Photo ©Omar Upegui R.

Snapshot of the cigarette light which I have never used, since I don't smoke. Photo ©Omar Upegui R.

Snapshot of the control buttons to modify the position of the side mirrors (left and right). Needless to say, they are electrically controlled. Photo ©Omar Upegui R.

Snapshot of the handle that takes care of turning on/off the lights, activate the windshield wiper or squirt water to the windshield. It's well located and enhances comfort to driving in the city which gets pretty difficult in our usually congested traffic. Photo ©Omar Upegui R.

And now you know how my car looks like on the inside when I take “The Twisters” for a spin in the city.  Good Day.

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Cartoon: Texting and Driving

Texting while driving...a lose-lose situation. (Credit: Bits & Pieces)

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Joke: Cooking and Driving

A wife was making a breakfast of fried eggs for her husband. Suddenly, her husband burst into the kitchen.

—”Careful,” he said. “Careful! Put in some more butter! Oh, no. You’re cooking too many at once. Too  many! Turn them! Now. We need more butter! Oh my God, where are we going to get more butter? They’re going to stick! Careful, careful, careful! You never listen to me when you’re cooking.”

—“Now salt them. Hurry up! Are you crazy! Have you lost your mind? You need to salt them! Use the salt, use more salt!

The wife stared at him. “What in the world is wrong with you? You think I don’t know how to cook a couple of eggs?”

The husband calmly replied, “I just wanted to show you what it’s like when I’m driving.”

Source:  Old Horsetail Snake

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Joke: The Stressed Tailgating Woman

A man was being tailgated by a stressed out woman on a busy boulevard. Suddenly, the light turned yellow, just in front of him. He did the right thing, stopping at the crosswalk even though he could have beaten the red light by accelerating through the intersection.

The tailgating woman was furious and honked her horn, screaming in frustration, as she missed her chance to get through the intersection, dropping her cell phone and makeup.

As she was still in mid-rant, she heard a tap on her window and looked up into the face of a very serious police officer. The officer ordered her to exit her car with her hands up.

He took her to the police station where she was searched, fingerprinted, photographed, and placed in a holding cell. After a couple of hours, a policeman approached the cell and opened the door. She was escorted back to the booking desk where the arresting officer was waiting with her personal effects.

He said, “I’m very sorry for this mistake. You see, I pulled up behind your car while you were blowing your horn, flipping off the guy in front of you, and cussing a blue streak at him.” I noticed the “What Would Jesus Do” bumper sticker, the “Choose Life” license plate holder, the “Follow Me to Sunday-School” bumper sticker, and the chrome-plated Christian fish emblem on the trunk; naturally…I assumed you had stolen the car.

Source:  Bits & Pieces

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How to Treat a Female Driver

I was riding to work yesterday when I observed a female driver cut right in front of a pickup truck, causing him to have to drive onto the shoulder to avoid hitting her.  This evidently angered the driver enough that he hung his arm out his window and “flipped” the woman off. 

“Man, that guy is stupid,” I thought to myself. I always smile nicely and wave in a sheepish manner whenever a female does anything to me in traffic, and here’s why…

I drive 48 miles each way every day to work. That’s 96 miles each day. Of these, 16 miles each way is bumper-to-bumper. Most of the bumper-to-bumper is on an 8 lane highway. There are 7 cars every 40 feet for 32 miles. That works out to be 982 cars every mile, or 31,424 cars.

Even though the rest of the 32 miles is not bumper to bumper, figure I pass at least another 4,000 cars. That brings the number to something like 36,000 cars that I pass everyday.  Statistically, half of these are driven by females.

That’s 18,000 women drivers! In any given group of females, 1 in 28 has PMS. That’s 642. According to Cosmopolitan, 70% describe their love life as dissatisfying or unrewarding. That’s 449.

According to the National Institute of Health, 22% of all females have seriously considered suicide or homicide. That’s 98.  And 34% describe men as their biggest problem. That’s 33.  According to the National Rifle Association, 5% of all females carry weapons, and this number is increasing.

That means that EVERY SINGLE DAY, I drive past at least one female that has a lousy love life, thinks men are her biggest problem, has seriously considered suicide or homicide, has PMS, and is armed.

Flip one off?… I think not.

Source:  Bits & Pieces

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