Cultural Faux Pas in Costa Rica

I thought I would bring to your attention a few cultural faux pas in Costa Rica that we gringos are often guilty of and that aren’t very endearing to the typical tico or tica.

10 that quickly come to mind are:

1. Slamming doors – this is especially the case with taxi cabs. You should know that most cab drivers are “packing” and will not hesitate to reach for it if you slam that door hard enough. This is a habit I am still trying to get my kid Zack to relinquish when he visits…before he gets shot!

2. Being rude – We gringos have a tendency to take politeness less seriously that folks do down here. Case in point: you will get approached by street vendors wanting to sell you all manner of things you haven’t the slightest interest in, as well as beggars who just want some of your spare change for whatever reason. Here is a tip…refuse politely…with a “no gracias”…not a get the f*** out of my face attitude…others will notice.

3. Being impatient – related to the above. Ticos are many things, but “in a hurry” ain’t one of them. And they don’t appreciate in the least gringos who try to rush them.

4. Flaunting wealth – In general Costa Ricans don’t enjoy anywhere near the level of material excess that most gringos, even poor ones like me, enjoy. It is just bad form to show off when you are down here. And it is an invitation to get robbed, or worse. A good rule to go by is “never tempt a poor person.”

5. Flirting inappropriately – This one is for the guys. Yes, Costa Rican women are beautiful. I am sure you have heard about that and may suffer from the mistaken assumption that they are “easy” as well. That would be woefully incorrect and acting on that assumption can get you in a whole heap of trouble with the ladies. Now I am not talking about the ones in places like the infamous “Hotel Del Rey.”

6. Being overly suspicious – I have seen many times, even with my own customers, an overly suspicious manner of dealing with the ticos. It usually surfaces mainly out of confusion about currency exchange, but it comes off very offensive. As if you are insinuating that every commercial exchange is an opportunity to “rip the gringo off.” That’s not true. Get clear on the currency math (it’s not that difficult) and lighten up on the economic paranoia.

7. Vulgarity and General Bad Manners – Costa Ricans (and Latin Americans in general) are not vulgar and don’t appreciate vulgarity…not with speech nor in other forms. Burping and worse, definitely a no no…even among friends and family.

8. Drawing Undue Attention – Loud and obnoxious is not the way to win the hearts and minds of the ticos…sure, they can be that way, especially during a heated fútbol match, but this is their country…so they kind of have a right to be that way here, we don’t.

9. Expecting people to understand your English (or poor Spanish) – I have to admit this one tripped me up quite a bit back in the day (when I couldn’t muster up the fluency to ask where the bathroom was). If you don’t speak Spanish, communicating in a place where that is the language spoken will be a challenge. Accept it as such with a light-hearted attitude and you’ll have more fun and get by just fine. If you take every communication mishap as a personal affront it will be much more difficult to win friends or influence anyone.

10. Calling ourselves “Americans” to the exclusion of the rest of America – Oh this is a big pet peeve of mine. Here is a geography lesson for you. America actually consists of two continents (North and South) joined by a “land bridge” (Central). All of the inhabitants of those three land masses have the right to call themselves “American”. Technically, Central America (including Costa Rica) is part of the North American continent, just as is the U.S.A.

I am definitely playing the role of “black pot” here and don’t mean to sound as if I am preaching to the kettle. If so, just take it as coming from someone who has been here and done many of the above more times that I would want to freely admit. It is not endearing to the folks down here, so best to avoid all 10 of the above cultural faux pas in Costa Rica.

Oh and note that the term “gringo” is not used pejoratively in Costa Rica…so don’t take offense to my use above, nor to the frequent usages you will definitely encounter upon arrival…Costa Ricans are quite fond of us actually, as long as we act in the manner of a gracious guest.  And, after all, you would demand no less from them, correct?