Long Lines at Banks, Institutions, and Supermarkets

At banks (where you can still get 5% interest on your money) and at government institutions such as the electricity and telephone company Kölbi, the municipal office, and the insurance institution INS, long lines always form. This is because there are often more service counters than employees. And who is really in a hurry anyway?

Often, it is also due to the friendliness of the staff, who simply take their time and engage in all kinds of personal, human conversations with customers. My 90-year-old mother complains about this, but once she is at the counter, she is delighted when the employee asks about her dog—or when little Blacky is even brought into the store by the supermarket manager at Zamora in Tilarán, with the remark that Blacky doesn’t need to wait outside, even though my parents had tied him up there.

The Solution

Slow down – PURA VIDA. You are now in Costa Rica, and you are here to enjoy life. Bring a book, smile, and be happy! A smile will get you much further than getting angry. Simply take more time. Let go of the stress and efficiency you were used to in your former home. You only live once, and you certainly won’t be taking anything with you.

And if you later relax on a leisurely boat trip across Lake Arenal, you won’t even think about the time you “lost” waiting at the bank.