Thread: Please help save Panama Cities Diablo Rojo

I hope you will help us to save the Diablo Rojo. These important cultural symbols are in danger of disappearing forever. Together we can make a difference.

Put one or two in a museum and send the rest to scrap metal yard.

I agree with Balabeacher!
The first few visits here to Panama I was enamored with the Diablo Rojos! I even bought a mini bus made of clay and took tons of photos of all the crazy paintings, lights, and pipes!
Now that I live here I say good riddance. The drivers are insane. They rule the road and drive these buses as if they were scooters. The maintenance of the buses is horrific, nevermind what they're doing to the environment, but to the people. None of them have safety standards. Did you read how one caught on fire and noone could get out because they had permanently sealed the back emergency exit? (They did this so noone could get off the bus without paying their fare).
These buses aren't even that inexpensive. To ride from Colon to Panama it is $2.75. For a dollar more you can get an air conditioned bus with a movie.
I welcome any improvement to the roads and driving conditions in Panama and I think getting rid of these buses is a great place to start.

Good video

Originally Posted by MRWOOHOO

Good video

Thanks WooHoo. I keep telling you we need to get together and film something next time you are in David.

You have got to be kidding me! Good riddance to these ugly vehicles and their mostly dangerous, irresponsible drivers! If you want Panama to stay 3rd world, then by all means keep these ugly scourges of Panamanian society.

The red devils did have their advantage in that the Panamanians seat themselves 2 on the left side (normally for 1 school kid) and 3 on the right side (normally for 2 school kids) -- the rest is armpit avoidance techniques that the local population has learnt to master over several decades. I am fairly sure they can pack close to 75 guys into one bus. The new Metro Bus on the other hand probably hit the limit at 40 so in the end they will have to buy twice as many to replace them. I would rather have half the number of buses.

The best move forward would be to rip out the seats from the Metro bus and paint them as per established culture.

Originally Posted by halfthrottle

Thanks WooHoo. I keep telling you we need to get together and film something next time you are in David.

Yeah we do. I have just started a couple of projects that will need my immediate attention over the next month or so (this is Panama) but I really would like to get together and do somethings. I still have a bunch of video from this years Carnival I haven't edited yet either. I think it would be fun to do a short movie and I actually know a place in Chiriqui that would be good to shoot and they would be most appreciative.

Absolutely loved the paint jobs, but the buses are death traps and the drivers are not exactly safety conscious!

The Diablos are no doubt dangerous, loud, and belched nasty fumes. They did add some touristic flavor to the city. Maybe they should take some of the more talented air-brush artists and paint up the new ones? Btw, last time I was at the Albrook terminal I saw a Diablo with "Wild Bill's" picture on the front window, no kidding.

There is one in the city with a full size painting of Hitler on the back as well.

Originally Posted by MRWOOHOO

Btw, last time I was at the Albrook terminal I saw a Diablo with "Wild Bill's" picture on the front window, no kidding.

As far as I am concerned they can send them all to the junk yard.

One of my favorites was Rambo with an M-60 in each hand.

Originally Posted by EdBowers

There is one in the city with a full size painting of Hitler on the back as well.

That is one of the things that I like about this country. Panama take "Political Correctness" and throws it right outside window. Can you imagine a full size portrait of Hitler on the back of public transportation cruising around any major metropolis back in the USA (or Europe, Cananda, etc)?

Paint the new ones with local culture related things and get rid of the old ones.

The tourist will still have nice buses to take pictures of without the old and dangerous diablos rojos...

Originally Posted by Thegreatoggy

Paint the new ones with local culture related things and get rid of the old ones.

The tourist will still have nice buses to take pictures of without the old and dangerous diablos rojos...

As long as the paint jobs are good, why not? Have department of tourism help decide themes (maybe exclude Hitler?) for each bus, etc. I think it would add a lot to the city.

I've been to Panama at least 5 times the last few years, and I can tell you that I love the artwork on those buses, and I would support the idea of keeping the tradition going.
"As long as the paint jobs are good, why not? Have department of tourism help decide themes (maybe exclude Hitler?) for each bus, etc."
Right church but wrong pew, I say don't change a thing.Let them express themselves the way they've been doing all alone. No need to designate a section of Big government telling them what is considered "a good paint job", and for that matter the theme(s).

Maybe some one can start a blog about their history, their destinations, and so on. By the way, my girl in Panama would not be caught dead in one of them.....I never ask her why.

Originally Posted by zobolo

I've been to Panama at least 5 times the last few years, and I can tell you that I love the artwork on those buses, and I would support the idea of keeping the tradition going.
"As long as the paint jobs are good, why not? Have department of tourism help decide themes (maybe exclude Hitler?) for each bus, etc."
Right church but wrong pew, I say don't change a thing.Let them express themselves the way they've been doing all alone. No need to designate a section of Big government telling them what is considered "a good paint job", and for that matter the theme(s).

Maybe some one can start a blog about their history, their destinations, and so on. By the way, my girl in Panama would not be caught dead in one of them.....I never ask her why.

The thing is that these new buses are government property and I really doubt it would be permitted. If the dept of tourism got on board it would be a great way to promote their website(s) as well.

A bare chested woman riding a tiger holding a beer in one hand with the words "Dios es mi copilot" takes the cake for me.

Actually I made that up but I'm pretty sure it exists somewhere.

Originally Posted by snohobo

A bare chested woman riding a tiger holding a beer in one hand with the words "Dios es mi copilot" takes the cake for me.

Actually I made that up but I'm pretty sure it exists somewhere.

Jajaja. you had me going there for a while.

These things are so offensive the noise is horrendous, I lived on Balboa avenue and had to listen to them first thing in the morning.

The quicker they get rid of these monsters the better.

However I did see a very busty picture on 1 once. I kinda liked it (lol)

I agree, Tom. I've noticed that it is usually the tourists and/or people who don't drive much who tolerate the diablos rojos. It's very different when you drive/live everyday in Panama City and have to deal with the noise, fumes and foolish driving habits of their drivers on a daily basis.

Originally Posted by EdBowers

There is one in the city with a full size painting of Hitler on the back as well.

Is this the one that has Hitler, Osama, and Noriega on it?

Originally Posted by halfthrottle

I hope you will help us to save the Diablo Rojo. These important cultural symbols are in danger of disappearing forever. Together we can make a difference.

Who in their right, sane, and moral mind would ever help you save these things?

It's the nature of engines that a poorly adjusted one can be 100x worse than a good one, pollution wise. Replace them - have contests to decide who gets to paint the new ones (although I expect the space will be auctioned off for ads).

They are very quaint. But would not set foot on one myself. Don't know whether the fire story was true but don't fancy testing it out.

But good sarcastic movie. To be fair, they are very artistic, but nothing is stopping all the new buses being covered in art.

I've ridden them up and down Via Espania and really liked the guys getting on peddling cold drinks--not that I bought one. Once I was on one and a nice Panamanian girl saw me struggling to navigate where we were by map and she kindly pointed where we were at the time. Very nice experience. So, I decide to try out my Spanish and ask her if she's going to work. She apparently thought I asked her if she was a "working girl" because she abruptly got up and left our seat. She's still the first person I've met in Panama that knew how to read a map.

My favorites are the buses with Naked images or a big F... You followed by a bible quote or a Jesus and Virgin Mary image.

I am just thankful these Diablo Rojos are not still used as school buses here.

MM (www.xpatescape.com)

I recall last year driving to the airport in a cab. We passed this bus, and it had a 6" barbed spike sticking out of its front hubcap, mad max style. It makes a cool story and all, but...it's bad enough driving in PC without that.

Originally Posted by davidp

Who in their right, sane, and moral mind would ever help you save these things?

Just wanted to point out that I don't really think the Diablo Rojo should be saved. I made the video as a joke. Had you clicked on the link at the end of the video to "save" them, you would have been "Rick Rolled." A long standing internet joke. Rickrolling - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia