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June 8, 2003
Dear Editor,
Does Puerto Vallarta have casino
gambling?
William G.
Dear William,
There are no casinos in Puerto
Vallarta, yet. To the best of our knowledge, casinos
will not be permitted for another while as the federal
government recently voted against their legalization.
The Ed.
Dear Editor,
....and another letter about banning
buses from downtown!
Señor Cervantes says that
he needs to 'get to the bottom of the problem' (he doesn’t
know what the problem is after years of study?)!
Why does the Dept. of Transportation
need to reach a consensus with the three bus companies
involved? (I have to chuckle every time I read about
the administration "trying" to get businesses
and individuals to "cooperate" with regulations.
Either you have laws or you don't - either you inforce
them or you don't. It really doesn't matter how many
regulations/laws you have - if you don't enforce them,
it's moot).
Why can't the southbound 'El Centro'
buses end their routes at Parque Hidalgo instead of
Olas Altas? If the city efficiently licensed buses and
annually renewed those licenses, they would have enough
money to fund an environmentally friendly fleet of free
shuttle buses around a loop from the Park to Olas Altas.
(Why are many buses still not licensed?) Not only would
this solve the transportation and pollution problems,
but the city would get all the good publicity (what
tourist wouldn't like to get a free ride?) And, the
city-owned buses could be used for advertising upcoming
events, a win - win situation.
This system was implemented almost
immediately after Kenna struck (granted - more buses
were needed in peak hours) and it worked. Why does every
article in the paper say they will need six more months
to implement a system?
M.M.
Dear Anna,
Just FYI, I live in Col. Emiliano
Zapata and “that” woman seems to be making
the rounds again.
She appears to be Mexican, with a
light complexion and red hair. She goes to every door
and knocks on it and says “I’m your neighbor,
I have a sick child, please lend me 55 pesos and I’ll
bring it back later.”
Sometimes she first asks for medications
then dinero....
We saw her walk down the street knocking
on doors, then up Jacarandas. The police were here.
We talked to them and explained, but they seemed uninterested
unless she actually stole something.
My neighbor, an older lady, was alerted
to the situation because she had read in the papers
about such a woman.
Thanks…
Paul
Dear Anna,
It has been two years since my last trip to "home",
after coming every year since 1989.
I look forward each week to your
column, I place myself in your shoes, seeing, breathing,
eating, and hearing all the activities you describe.
You make me feel connected to a part of my heart that
wishes to be in PV.
I am making plans to come visit all
my friends who do live there, sometime in December...
until then, I will live through your columns.
Thank you! Sincerely,
David
Dear Editor,
This letter pertains to our wonderful
Transito Police and their efforts to collect funds from
the innocent.
I am not saying that I never break
any laws here in PV, but the other day I was actually
doing less than the 60 KPH speed limit while coming
into PV just North of the airport. I had heard earlier
in the day that the transito police had a radar in operation.
Knowing this, I made very sure I was doing less that
60 kph. A red pick-up with Mexican plates flew by me
and this radar trap officer. I will give you one guess
who the police waved over. Yes! You got it right, they
let the pick-up sail right on by and flagged me over.
Since this was the second time in
a year of getting flagged over for doing the speed limit
I decided that I was not going to just hand over my
requested funds and drive on. Instead I asked the officer
what the problem was and he said I was doing 85 kph.
My wife and I went ballistic and I told him that he
was wrong. He asked for my license and said he was going
to keep it and write me a ticket. I said he could write
the ticket but he wasn't going to keep my license. I
told him I would go right then and there with him to
the police office and talk to his commander, but that
I was not leaving without my license.
During all this, my lovely wife was
yelling at him about the other pick-up flying by. He
told her to be quiet but she kept on. I then picked
up my cell phone to call a local lawyer friend I know
who is Mexican to help me. Once the police officer saw
me dial he handed me my license and said he was giving
me a warning and that the next time I will get two tickets
if I am caught speeding again. He actually had a stack
of driver's license in his pocket. He showed me several
actual licenses, all American or Canadian and all I
could think about was those tourist who fell victim
to this type of legal scam.
Why do they choose to ticket American/Canadian
vehicles? The office of tourism should get involved
to spot this kind of scam. You can bet that many of
those unsuspecting tourist will not return here ever
again. Who wants to visit a place and get ripped off?
These officers should be fired! They should go after
the taxis and buses who run the red light and kill.
Sooner or later tourism will dry up here in PV. It is
just a matter of time.
Thanks
Really Frustrated Now in La Cruz
Dear Editor,
I will be moving to PV next year.
Currently, I am taking all the steps I can think of
for such a move ...here's my little problem(s).
BANKING! I wish to open a bank account in PV...one that
will allow me to pay my US credit card bills online...
any info as to which Mexican banks in PV offer such
a service... or are there other non-Mexican banks in
PV that can do this as well?
Also, with regards to my FM3, can/should
I apply for it while still in the US, or wait 'till
I move to PV? What costs can I expect in getting the
FM3?
Thanks for any help.
Michael S.
Dear Editor,
Re: A Field of Screams
"If you build it they will come."
However, they will also leave trash which you must clean
up or they will not come back! Evidently the city of
Puerto Vallarta did not think about the trash part.
Directly behind Mega and Coppel Department
store is an area now known as "Casino Flamingos".
Adjacent to this "casino" is the beach at
Las Glorias. This used to be one of the most beautiful
areas in Puerto Vallarta and certainly one of the most
pristine beaches in the city.
However, in the last few years this
area has become the new bus depot for all of the tourist
buses. It has also become the area where most of the
events and concerts for Semana Santa, spring break and
summer holidays are being held.
How is it possible that the city
is allowing this area to be used as a bus depot? We
have a perfectly new, modern bus depot on the other
side of the airport. Why are the buses not being forced
to use the bus depot that was built at the taxpayers'
expense? This field is located between the Sheraton
Hotel and Canto del Sol (Plaza Las Glorias). Many other
hotels and expensive apartments surround the area. Buses
arrive and depart at all hours of the day and night.
The concerts begin around 9:00 pm and conclude around
4:00 am. How would you like to be staying in one of
these hotels or apartments, paying hundreds of dollars
per night for a room? The city and the people involved
refuse to pick up the trash or monitor the noise level.
I know, because I live directly across the street from
this "dump".
Only once, since April 1st, has anybody
bothered to collect the trash! The lot is filled with
trash and human waste (there are no working bathrooms).
It smells and looks worse than the city dump. The beach
is so full of trash that the locals don't even bother
using it any more. Dirty diapers, and even an old used
broken toilet seat are common sights. I personally talked
to some visitors who were here from Colima, during Semana
Santa, who asked where else they could go because the
beach is so disgusting.
Has the city ever wondered why more
and more people are not coming back to Puerto Vallarta
on vacation? Have they bothered to check the beaches
and natural areas in say Cancun, Florida or Hawaii?
Even the beaches in the neighboring state of Nayarit
are kept clean.
I wrote almost this same letter to
your paper a year ago. It is obvious that either no
one in city government reads this paper or if they do
they pay no attention to ANY of these letters. Please,
if you know of any way to remove these buses and clean
up this trash I would appreciate your help! I have called
every department in the city, more than once. Written
letters and attended meetings. The neighbors even circulated
a petition all to no avail. The city’s answer
is always the same: "It is not our responsibility,
but we will look into it." Summer vacations are
about to start and the
situation will only get worse!
A Disgusted Neighbor
Hi Anna,
I read an article you wrote last
June about Total Fitness. I didn’t see a phone
number.
Would you be able to help me get in touch with the fitness
center?
Thank you for you help,
Nancy W.
Dear Nancy,
The only phone number we could find for the “Total
Fitness” gym in Marina Vallarta is 221-0770. You’ll
love it.
Anna
Hello,
I have been reading your articles
with great interest, as myself and my boyfriend will
be travelling out to Puerto Vallarta this Monday for
2 weeks’ holiday.
Please could you tell me about any
special events that are on between 09 June and 24 June
(especially the summer solstice) as we would be interested
in seeing as much of Mexico, etc. as possible during
out stay.
Thank you. Regards,
Sharon
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