Had a taxi driver in Medellin get mad at me when I slammed the door slightly hard, but when he realized I was a foreigner he was chill and understood, we had an enjoyable rest of my ride. haha
that is true! I never thought about it, but now that you say that I remember taxi drivers always telling me not to slam the door even before I got out, and often they'd insist on closing it themselves. 😂.. I forgot about that. My favorite was always the "Hasta luego!" when getting off the elevator. Americans would think you're insane if you said, "See you later!", to a complete stranger when you got off the elevator 😂
Yeah man every single time the welcome and the goodbye in the elevator, it's great for building a sense of community. but definitely would be very strange in other countries lol
I've been in Bogota, Colombia for almost 2 years now and it is sooooo true what you say here with time, being late, and lack of responsibility. I am still not used to the stupidity here lol
I think Bogota is the best in terms of being on time since it's more of a work culture there lol I'm pretty sure you'd lose your mind if you went to the coast where nobody cares about anything lol
Great video! One thing that came up on a recent visit was not having the right wallet. About a year ago I started using a phone case that has slots for my debit/credit cards and ID, but no place for cash since I rarely use cash here in the U.S. In Colombia the preferred payment method is cash, “en efectivo” for anything under $100 so. Consequently you need to have a wallet with you at all times. You could probably do an entire video about handling money. I put my larger COP bills, 20 mil, 50 mil into the back cash pocket in my wallet and then try and order the smaller ones from smallest to largest in the front pocket. I also have found that it can be a good idea to get cash out for a taxi ride before it is over, and even pay the driver a few minutes before the end. This way the driver doesn’t have to wait when he/she drops you off.
To be honest I've never had to do this type of thinking about how to coordinate my wallet lol Also I use Uber 100% of the time so I never have to use cash - bonus tip: you can now order taxis from the Uber app!
It's "unregulated" not "illegal" - I've been pulled over when I was in an Uber before and nothing happened lol every expat living here takes multiple Ubers every week.
Cars in the U.S. come with heavy, reinforced doors to prevent major injuries during a side collision. As a result, we gringos are used to applying force when closing them. Colombian cars don't have these socialist life-saving protections, and our door-closing habits slam their paper-light doors, which (understandably) is interpreted as being disrespectful or just plain rude.
Yeah, that’s sort of what I was thinking cars here or more heavy duty, wood, heavy doors, and the doors. They are super light so when we use the force is here to close the door, they think we won’t break their doors.
@@AKJoel what really? People should know that cars are different in other countries even if they are the same make and model as in their country but also that the door mechanisms, weight and installation of those doors are completely different?! It’s almost like people don’t know they can’t close doors there like they do here. Maybe somebody should make UA-cam videos about Colombia. But what would be the point because people know the whole planet isn’t the same right. Un poco pasivo agresivo no amigo?
Good point, each country has different automobile pollution and safety requirements, and I'm not sure how manufacturers customize their cars for each market. One consideration for a country such as Colombia is that cars with fewer health and safety features are more affordable -- that is, in the short run.
All 3 will come but unfortunately you've been catfished. One is an obese black lady with hair that wasn't washed in a month. The second is 15 years older than her picture. The third is a guy in drag. You must pay for all their cocktails and entertain them.
hahaha or just pick your dates better - another subscriber said in the comments of this video that it's usually the "low hanging fruit" that arrive super late and have no concern for anyone but themselves.
I always thought the service was very good and the people are incredibly nice in Medellín.. one thing you should always do is greet people. Colombians don't like it when they said " Buenos días, or buenas tardes...Ect and the person doesn't answer back..
On the last topic you spoke on. I got off the plane and hopped into a taxi and the driver immediately offered me coca when I hopped in. My guest and I looked at each other and laughed it off. "Estoy bien, eso no es necesario" LOL.
your first comment, getting yelled at slamming the taxi door. I barely even made a sound last month in medellin and the taxi driver started telling me off not to slam it. lol
Dont expect food at any place whether its fast food like kfc or an empty restaurant with more chefs than customers, dont expect it to come quickly or in a reasonable time at all. Idk why theyre so slow at food
1 about closing the car door with force and noise. The car for Latinos is like the house, it is not cheap nor is it a gift and it is very cared for, just like at home; If you treat someone's car badly it is like disrespecting that person and all the effort to take care of that vehicle. 2. Regarding money, it doesn't matter where you come from or how long you've been living here, if you are a foreigner they will try to get as much money as possible using every trick imaginable, so the only way out is that you have a local friend and they do everything for you. you. Otherwise you will always lose, always. 3. Regarding dating, you will see that for Colombians dating does not exist as you see it. If you want to date people, you must go home and pick them up, whether it is a man or a woman, otherwise there may be no date. We're usually more used to being "made to leave" by showing up at a friend's house and saying "let's go out." We function very differently from you and it has nothing to do with responsibility but with culture, here everything is taken lightly and if you want it to be different then you must act differently when you go to this person's house, this fact makes that person understand the seriousness of the situation, that's why girls who want to be treated seriously take you to their house. Regarding the consequences in business and other things, brother, that depends on what part of the country you are in; The paisas, the coastal people and the rolos are like that. The Llaneros, Santandereans and others are much more serious in that sense and one wrong step can lead to very serious problems, even putting your life at risk. I recommend that you do not generalize so much, clearly you do not know the entire country or the gigantic cultural differences and so on that exist here and that ignorance in this regard can lead other people in other places to have problems that they will not like or may even end up very badly with Pablo, well you see the only ones who loved Pablo were those who directly benefited from him, the rest of us Colombians only carry that burden on our backs and we don't like it.
while i agree with most of what you say here, the concept that it is culture is something i cannot accept. Colombian culture is very beautiful but to blame bad behavior as culture is demeaning to a beautiful culture. I feel like people here don't like to complain so it never gets better.
Yeah your comments about the differences in behaviour depending on region have been an interesting read - I'm looking into doing a complete video on this. Thanks for the suggestions.
I live in Medellin. You guys say that not to talk about Pablo. You go to community 13. You see a shit load of tee shirts and paintings with his face on it when he was caught by the police . I don't know what to think.
Comuna 13 is a poor place and one thing I've heard from a lot of the lower income areas is that they had more of a liking towards Pablo, because he built neighbourhoods and houses for them etc. it's a very contentious issue, to understand more about how hurtful the topic of Pablo is to the people of Medellin, you should do the El Centro Free Walking tour
Would be interesting if you dug deeper into the differences between the different cities/regions of Colombia. Do all the things you mention apply to the rest of Colombia, or is it more specific to Medellin for example?
Colombia is very diverse in terms of how people act, some things apply to the whole country but other things are definitely specific to some regions. Great idea for a video 👍
Everything in Latin America is flimsy or not installed with precision, true that. Guys, like he said, dating is often going to be lack of consideration for time and many times transactional. You can test this by asking to take them out to coffee the first date, the Colombian guys can do that, not the Gringo… lol if an affluent looking 60 year old in Laureles is asking me to gift them money on the streets randomly, i can just imagine the mentality of most Younger women. It’s not impossible but you are going to struggle to find chicas that even want to pay for their transportation to you on the 1st date (yes I know it’s not that much but it says a lot about the gal’s character and how she views you). The game has been ruined here in Medellin by the simps. Don’t be fooled, if gold digging and being advantageous is part of the culture, then make a decision guys. I’m probably going to pass on Medellin, we’ll see about the rest of Colombia. You only need about a month in each city to decide the vibe for you, everyone is going to have their unique experience. Some will be robbed, drugged, screwed over, played. None of that has happened to me but I’m over it.
Also you should never assume that taxi drivers will admit to having change for your notes - if you are going to need change, ask before you take the ride 👍
Good point! I had that issue when I first arrived here - I had to go to a little shop and buy something and get change to pay the taxi driver lol - that's why I just use Uber and I never have to worry about having cash !
In Medellin Uber would accept my request, made me wait and cancel at the last minutes. Just like you were talking about when you make an appointment with someone basically. This happened three times, and every since I was just using Taxi. They are everywhere, quick and easy to flag them down and they were friendly too. This was opposite of Mexico by the way, I can get kidnaped by flagging taxi there and Ubers are much reliable and safer.
I understand your last point, but it’s complicated. When I was there this summer, we had a taxi driver who had a laminated photo of Pablo fixed to his dash and he talked at length (and with pride) about all of the historical places we were passing that connected to Pablo. My teenage children were very confused because I had already given them the same advice. 🤷♂️
I've had this happen early in my travels to Medellin. I was told to leave the taxi by angry driver. Fast forward 20 years I always intentionally close the door SOFTYLY. Recently a driver commented how unusual to see an American so door courteous. Ha ha
Ha, "Don't slam the door" is so true! My Colombian wife is always reminding me of that when we take a taxi, Uber, Didi, etc. And, I leave my jewelry, gold watch, etc. behind in the US, when I go to Colombia...just in case, after being warned by my Colombian family so many times. Although I have not encountered any problems. Possibly because, I look like a local Paisa because I am short and dark skinned, so I don't stand out like a "gringo". And, yes "American" Customer Service definitely does not exist. And, I agree that I have learned to be more patient overall back in the States after spending so much time in Colombia - having patience is the only way to stay same there!
Had a taxi driver in Medellin get mad at me when I slammed the door slightly hard, but when he realized I was a foreigner he was chill and understood, we had an enjoyable rest of my ride. haha
Haha that's good! On the other side of this they are super surprised any time I tap the door closed super gentle
Appreciate the content guys! Aussie here just arrived in Medellin today to explore and do my work. I'm largely here thanks to your channel. Cheers
Cheers Dan, glad we could have that impact! Enjoy Medellin :)
that is true! I never thought about it, but now that you say that I remember taxi drivers always telling me not to slam the door even before I got out, and often they'd insist on closing it themselves. 😂.. I forgot about that. My favorite was always the "Hasta luego!" when getting off the elevator. Americans would think you're insane if you said, "See you later!", to a complete stranger when you got off the elevator 😂
Yeah man every single time the welcome and the goodbye in the elevator, it's great for building a sense of community. but definitely would be very strange in other countries lol
Hahaah the door is true. It took me a week to get used to it and now when I'm back in Australia I'm still doing it.
LOL I've never seen it anywhere else!
I've been in Bogota, Colombia for almost 2 years now and it is sooooo true what you say here with time, being late, and lack of responsibility. I am still not used to the stupidity here lol
I think Bogota is the best in terms of being on time since it's more of a work culture there lol I'm pretty sure you'd lose your mind if you went to the coast where nobody cares about anything lol
Great video! One thing that came up on a recent visit was not having the right wallet. About a year ago I started using a phone case that has slots for my debit/credit cards and ID, but no place for cash since I rarely use cash here in the U.S. In Colombia the preferred payment method is cash, “en efectivo” for anything under $100 so. Consequently you need to have a wallet with you at all times. You could probably do an entire video about handling money. I put my larger COP bills, 20 mil, 50 mil into the back cash pocket in my wallet and then try and order the smaller ones from smallest to largest in the front pocket. I also have found that it can be a good idea to get cash out for a taxi ride before it is over, and even pay the driver a few minutes before the end. This way the driver doesn’t have to wait when he/she drops you off.
To be honest I've never had to do this type of thinking about how to coordinate my wallet lol Also I use Uber 100% of the time so I never have to use cash - bonus tip: you can now order taxis from the Uber app!
@@AKJoelis Uber not illegal any more in Columbia or are people still sneaking around using Uber?
It's "unregulated" not "illegal" - I've been pulled over when I was in an Uber before and nothing happened lol every expat living here takes multiple Ubers every week.
The car door thing is huge
And it's "brown" time always.
Meet at 8 is probably 9 or 10
Did you change your name to Luis Figo after watching the Beckham documentary? haha
Cars in the U.S. come with heavy, reinforced doors to prevent major injuries during a side collision. As a result, we gringos are used to applying force when closing them. Colombian cars don't have these socialist life-saving protections, and our door-closing habits slam their paper-light doors, which (understandably) is interpreted as being disrespectful or just plain rude.
Yeah, that’s sort of what I was thinking cars here or more heavy duty, wood, heavy doors, and the doors. They are super light so when we use the force is here to close the door, they think we won’t break their doors.
What REALLY? they make cars different for different regions?!
@@AKJoel what really? People should know that cars are different in other countries even if they are the same make and model as in their country but also that the door mechanisms, weight and installation of those doors are completely different?! It’s almost like people don’t know they can’t close doors there like they do here. Maybe somebody should make UA-cam videos about Colombia. But what would be the point because people know the whole planet isn’t the same right. Un poco pasivo agresivo no amigo?
Good point, each country has different automobile pollution and safety requirements, and I'm not sure how manufacturers customize their cars for each market. One consideration for a country such as Colombia is that cars with fewer health and safety features are more affordable -- that is, in the short run.
I honestly had no idea that they made car doors different for different countries - I was legitimately surprised.
Great video bro, keep ‘em coming every Sunday
Absolutely, I already have 10 more filmed, edited and scheduled haha
A saw a video where a guy said in Colombia you make 3 dates at the same time at the same place. You'll have a good chance 1 will show up.
All 3 will come but unfortunately you've been catfished. One is an obese black lady with hair that wasn't washed in a month. The second is 15 years older than her picture. The third is a guy in drag. You must pay for all their cocktails and entertain them.
hahaha or just pick your dates better - another subscriber said in the comments of this video that it's usually the "low hanging fruit" that arrive super late and have no concern for anyone but themselves.
I always thought the service was very good and the people are incredibly nice in Medellín.. one thing you should always do is greet people. Colombians don't like it when they said " Buenos días, or buenas tardes...Ect and the person doesn't answer back..
I love that part of the culture, how every time you see someone you acknowledge them. It's great!
On the last topic you spoke on. I got off the plane and hopped into a taxi and the driver immediately offered me coca when I hopped in. My guest and I looked at each other and laughed it off. "Estoy bien, eso no es necesario" LOL.
hahaha I've heard of that happening, however nobody has ever asked me.
@@AKJoel lol those taxis be having everything though I will say that much 🤐
your first comment, getting yelled at slamming the taxi door. I barely even made a sound last month in medellin and the taxi driver started telling me off not to slam it. lol
hahaha yeah they go crazy - it's like the have PTSD or something!
Hello Joel. Another very good vlog. I am moving to Medellin on the 24th. Would be great meet you.
Glad you enjoyed the video mate, enjoy Medellin!
Slamming doors in Colombia is a sign you are ungry! Also in a car, they think is no necessary to slam the door.
Did you mean to say hungry or angry? lol
@@AKJoel hungry
Dont expect food at any place whether its fast food like kfc or an empty restaurant with more chefs than customers, dont expect it to come quickly or in a reasonable time at all.
Idk why theyre so slow at food
They are slow at everything lol
1 about closing the car door with force and noise. The car for Latinos is like the house, it is not cheap nor is it a gift and it is very cared for, just like at home; If you treat someone's car badly it is like disrespecting that person and all the effort to take care of that vehicle.
2. Regarding money, it doesn't matter where you come from or how long you've been living here, if you are a foreigner they will try to get as much money as possible using every trick imaginable, so the only way out is that you have a local friend and they do everything for you. you. Otherwise you will always lose, always.
3. Regarding dating, you will see that for Colombians dating does not exist as you see it. If you want to date people, you must go home and pick them up, whether it is a man or a woman, otherwise there may be no date. We're usually more used to being "made to leave" by showing up at a friend's house and saying "let's go out."
We function very differently from you and it has nothing to do with responsibility but with culture, here everything is taken lightly and if you want it to be different then you must act differently when you go to this person's house, this fact makes that person understand the seriousness of the situation, that's why girls who want to be treated seriously take you to their house.
Regarding the consequences in business and other things, brother, that depends on what part of the country you are in; The paisas, the coastal people and the rolos are like that. The Llaneros, Santandereans and others are much more serious in that sense and one wrong step can lead to very serious problems, even putting your life at risk.
I recommend that you do not generalize so much, clearly you do not know the entire country or the gigantic cultural differences and so on that exist here and that ignorance in this regard can lead other people in other places to have problems that they will not like or may even end up very badly
with Pablo, well you see the only ones who loved Pablo were those who directly benefited from him, the rest of us Colombians only carry that burden on our backs and we don't like it.
while i agree with most of what you say here, the concept that it is culture is something i cannot accept. Colombian culture is very beautiful but to blame bad behavior as culture is demeaning to a beautiful culture. I feel like people here don't like to complain so it never gets better.
Yeah your comments about the differences in behaviour depending on region have been an interesting read - I'm looking into doing a complete video on this. Thanks for the suggestions.
@@AKJoel NP man i hope it will help you understand better this crazy nation
I live in Medellin. You guys say that not to talk about Pablo. You go to community 13. You see a shit load of tee shirts and paintings with his face on it when he was caught by the police . I don't know what to think.
Comuna 13 is a poor place and one thing I've heard from a lot of the lower income areas is that they had more of a liking towards Pablo, because he built neighbourhoods and houses for them etc. it's a very contentious issue, to understand more about how hurtful the topic of Pablo is to the people of Medellin, you should do the El Centro Free Walking tour
Would be interesting if you dug deeper into the differences between the different cities/regions of Colombia. Do all the things you mention apply to the rest of Colombia, or is it more specific to Medellin for example?
Colombia is very diverse in terms of how people act, some things apply to the whole country but other things are definitely specific to some regions. Great idea for a video 👍
😂😂 Well, what happens is that people here are 100 x cent certain that if you slam the door it will break down 😅
That’s right I live in USA work as Uber Specially, American I think the culture
Everything in Latin America is flimsy or not installed with precision, true that. Guys, like he said, dating is often going to be lack of consideration for time and many times transactional. You can test this by asking to take them out to coffee the first date, the Colombian guys can do that, not the Gringo… lol if an affluent looking 60 year old in Laureles is asking me to gift them money on the streets randomly, i can just imagine the mentality of most Younger women. It’s not impossible but you are going to struggle to find chicas that even want to pay for their transportation to you on the 1st date (yes I know it’s not that much but it says a lot about the gal’s character and how she views you). The game has been ruined here in Medellin by the simps. Don’t be fooled, if gold digging and being advantageous is part of the culture, then make a decision guys. I’m probably going to pass on Medellin, we’ll see about the rest of Colombia.
You only need about a month in each city to decide the vibe for you, everyone is going to have their unique experience. Some will be robbed, drugged, screwed over, played. None of that has happened to me but I’m over it.
I getya, Medellin isn't for everyone but there's lots of people living their best lives here.
A car made in u.s. or Japan are the same they don't make seperate cars for different cars for Columbia or export
That's what I thought, but I've never had an issue with slamming doors in different countries
I have noticed they don't complete things they said they would do.
Yeah it happens all the time lol no accountability.
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Also you should never assume that taxi drivers will admit to having change for your notes - if you are going to need change, ask before you take the ride 👍
Good point! I had that issue when I first arrived here - I had to go to a little shop and buy something and get change to pay the taxi driver lol - that's why I just use Uber and I never have to worry about having cash !
Oh yeah! Another banger!
absolutely!
In Medellin Uber would accept my request, made me wait and cancel at the last minutes. Just like you were talking about when you make an appointment with someone basically. This happened three times, and every since I was just using Taxi. They are everywhere, quick and easy to flag them down and they were friendly too. This was opposite of Mexico by the way, I can get kidnaped by flagging taxi there and Ubers are much reliable and safer.
I understand your last point, but it’s complicated. When I was there this summer, we had a taxi driver who had a laminated photo of Pablo fixed to his dash and he talked at length (and with pride) about all of the historical places we were passing that connected to Pablo. My teenage children were very confused because I had already given them the same advice. 🤷♂️
There's definitely some people that love Pablo, but you'll find that the overwhelming percentage of the population hates him.
I've had this happen early in my travels to Medellin. I was told to leave the taxi by angry driver. Fast forward 20 years I always intentionally close the door SOFTYLY. Recently a driver commented how unusual to see an American so door courteous. Ha ha
Yeah they're always super surprised and grateful when you close it soft lol
Ha, "Don't slam the door" is so true! My Colombian wife is always reminding me of that when we take a taxi, Uber, Didi, etc. And, I leave my jewelry, gold watch, etc. behind in the US, when I go to Colombia...just in case, after being warned by my Colombian family so many times. Although I have not encountered any problems. Possibly because, I look like a local Paisa because I am short and dark skinned, so I don't stand out like a "gringo". And, yes "American" Customer Service definitely does not exist. And, I agree that I have learned to be more patient overall back in the States after spending so much time in Colombia - having patience is the only way to stay same there!
Yeah you're right, the fact that you don't look like an obvious gringo definitely helps. I've noticed that too.