something you want to change in panama?

[ankuranks]

Is there something that you want to change in panama??if yes,what and why?

[nuaeman]

I'm not sure since I've never been there but as far I heard about it I most probably would change is the corruption issues and perhaps racial issues as well although that would be pretty difficult I think.

[zhinghur]

I didn't find anything wrong there. So I don't think I want to change anything there except the practice of bribing to the police.

[MRWOOHOO]

Since police are paid an absolute minimum, police bribery will be around for awhile thank goodness. WOOOOHOOOOO!!!

[nuaeman]

How much is the pay over there for those policemen? What about others like those government servants and so on?

[MRWOOHOO]

Police is usually $5-$10, government workers also charge depending on what you are needing done. There seems to be a movement to clean up the system and that is good.

[nuaeman]

Originally Posted by MRWOOHOO

Police is usually $5-$10, government workers also charge depending on what you are needing done. There seems to be a movement to clean up the system and that is good.

I mean their salaries, I believe those are bribes and yeah I heard news about the government cleaning up the system but then it's easier said than done.

[MRWOOHOO]

I dont think it is much more than $400-500 a month.

[Panamax]

There are a few things I'd like to see change in Panama, (mostly in Panama City), but I'll limit my pet peeves to those below:

• I'd like to see them (the powers that be) divert the raw sewage from and clean up the bay at the Balboa Ave. promenade. The stench, particularly at low tide is overwhelming.
• I'd like to see them pick one name for each street, stick to it, post street signs at every intersection, and print a comprehensive street map for visitor orientation.
• To address the traffic gridlock, I'd like to see them install a metro rail system (subway) and a fleet of state-of-the-art public transportatation buses. The "Red Devils" are cute, but it's time reduce them to token relics.
• Finally, I'd like to see the government clean-up the squalor and poverty of Colon (city). As the second most important city (Free Zone) of the country and Atlantic terminal of the Panama Canal, it is a disgrace! It's time to stop sweeping this once-fine city under the rug...

[panamaoffshorelegal]

Originally Posted by Panamax

There are a few things I'd like to see change in Panama, (mostly in Panama City), but I'll limit my pet peeves to those below:

• I'd like to seem them (the powers that be) divert the raw sewage from and clean up the bay at the Balboa Ave. promenade. The stench, particularly at low tide is overwhelming.
• I'd like to see them pick one name for each street, stick to it, post street signs at every intersection, and print a comprehensive street map for visitor orientation.
• To address the traffic gridlock, I'd like to see them install a metro rail system (subway) and a fleet of state-of-the-art public transportatation buses. The "Red Devils" are cute, but it's time reduce them to token relics.
• Finally, I'd like to see the government clean-up the squalor and poverty of Colon (city). As the second most important city (Free Zone) of the country and Atlantic terminal of the Panama Canal, it is a disgrace! It's time to stop sweeping this once-fine city under the rug...

Those are some great ideas and I agree with all of them... some I would add to the list:

• more garbage cans so people will have less of an excuse to throw their trash on the ground out of laziness
• recycling
• some sort of minimum exhaust standard for the cars.. as a pedestrian during peak hours trying to walk by the roadways is almost unbearable due to the exhaust
• universal healthcare especially for the poor people of this country
• increased minimum wages (is there even a set minimum?)
• rewards for environmental projects in terms of cash or incentives
• COMPLETE AND TOTAL OVERHAUL OF CASCO VIEJO SO IT IS THE SHINING STAR IT SHOULD BE. this should be the top priority of the Ministry of Tourism. If it is and the government is ignoring them get a new government that listens to the Ministry of Tourism

[miracle]

Originally Posted by panamaoffshorelegal

• COMPLETE AND TOTAL OVERHAUL OF CASCO VIEJO SO IT IS THE SHINING STAR IT SHOULD BE. this should be the top priority of the Ministry of Tourism. If it is and the government is ignoring them get a new government that listens to the Ministry of Tourism

I agree, that would be extremely important. I first went there 10 years ago and there has been some progress but far from enough!!!

Another thing I'd change is the weather. It's a bit too heavy and humid for my taste.

[panamaoffshorelegal]

Tourism is the future of this country after the real estate market corrects itself. Getting the road infrastructure in place and fixing Casco Viejo is going to make this country money... it may cost money now, but in the long run it's good for business.

[PanamaInsurance]

I agree with most of the ideas here. I would add reducing the noise pollution. It can get very noisy and its annoying the way people honk the horn for any reason. This all adds to the noise pollution in the city.

I love this country and feel its a great place to live though.

[Mackenze]

- pull the diablo rojos and replace them with updated, 35 passenger mid-size buses with smog controls, no horns and professional drivers (not these children that are driving the red devils) like virtually every other Latin American country. Assign a lane to buses that they can't turn out of and fine the company, not the driver (so they actually get paid). Take the bus off the road if the fine isn't paid in 30 days.

- Overhaul the taxi system and require vehicles not more than 3 years old, 4 doors with A/C and music of the passenger's choice. Add meters and make it a legal requirement to pick up passengers, no matter where they want to go. Failure to do so results in immediately revocation of the license.

- MOVE your damned cars off the road in case of an accident except when there's a serious injury or the vehicle cannot move itself. People do not do this now because the police won't judge who's at fault if the vehicles have been moved. Instituting extremely basic traffic accident investigation classes (1 day) would fix that (I used to be a traffic accident investigator).

I just fixed traffic in Panama.

[pikunka]

I would want to change 1 thing for sure:
make Panama being closer to my place, so, it would need a never ending flight, and I could save up a cheaper ticket much faster

[No-Non-Sense-Matt]

I agree with all of Mackenze's points.

I would also change:

- People going insane with their horns for no reason.

- Add a Sky train like Vancouver (this was the recommendation given to Panama by a Japanese transit expert. Let's see if this gets implemented in the next 50 years).

- Attitude about working.

- Attitude about SERVICE. I've waited as long as 15 minutes for a bill... and 15 minutes to get change from a restaurant.

- The "quega vivo" mindset. You better learn: QUEGA VIVO, which means "the game of life" -- which means "I'm scamming you and it's fun." I'm not kidding. This is a word that's a BIG PART of the Panama culture.


Matt