#1381 – Life in Latin America: Propane, Safety, and the Future of Transportation

Automatically transcribed from the original recording; names and wording may contain errors.

[00:00] South of the border down Mexico way That's where I fell in love when the stars above came up to play and now I wonder Hello there all you ex-pad wannabes. I'm Johnny Mueller and you're listening to the expat files living in Latin America The show that tells you just what it's like to live work play and or retire down here in Latin America It's a mix of the good the bad the ugly and the great and it's all right here. So let's get started Alright, just a few facts of life when you find yourself living here in Latin America You will be cooking with gas propane gas at least 99% of gringles next pets do You'll have little other choice, but it's okay. Believe me

[00:46] Keep listening and you'll hear why So then what about electric stoves? Well, when you go to any one of the big hardware stores They call them fair to the US down here or you go to Costco Walmart or an appliance store You'll find for every I'd say 30 gas stoves. You'll find one electric one for sale Yep Just one electric stove out of 30 gas ones So why is that because electricity down here is much more expensive than it is up in the states and the locals know that That's why everyone uses propane. It's all about the money By the way, I have mentioned to a couple of Latinos and Latinas that certain states in the US are banning the use of gas stoves Because of the carbon monoxide and outgassing and all that guess what?

[01:33] They give me the strangest look they think I'm making it up that I'm lying to get a rise out of them They just don't believe it man. I'm telling you very very few Latinos and Latinas know what's actually happening up in the states that it's Absolutely imploding on itself. They don't want to hear that They've got this Disneyland view of what the United States is and you can't dissuade them They certainly don't understand why so many gringos are hoofing it down to Latin America Why so many people with a half a brain are getting the hell out now remember in the past shows I told you they're really poor folks down here cook with firewood. They collect called Lenya Though a step up from that is a tiny little hot plate electric stove You've probably seen those in old movies You know when people are living in a dingy ghetto apartment in New York or Chicago

[02:20] They call them cold water flats people have hot plates. Yeah plug them into the wall. They're just a little electric coils Well down here a lot of people use those things not the extremely poor. They're using firewood So people who are just a bit poor not dirt poor will use those hot plates people that can't afford a big full stover range Oh, and here's a tip I think you should get one go to a hardware store and buy one of those things for like 20 bucks Put it in the closet for a rainy day What I mean is this you're gonna cook with gas Propane gas and you just might have one tank like most all people do now I personally I kind of over design things so I've always had two tanks one goes out switch over the next one right away It takes about three minutes The average Latino even the average American living down here does not have two propane tanks like I do

[03:08] They just have one tank and when it's empty. It's empty Then normally you can call up the gas service and he might come out within the next four hours But during that time you won't be able to cook no gas And what happens if your gas goes out at let's say five at night Well, you're screwed till the morning Maybe even till noon the next day unless you have one of those little hot plates At least you can cook up some breakfast in the morning. So anyway, I'm a guy who believes in overkill I have two tanks of gas and one of those little hot plates I think I've used it twice in my life, but I used it Oh and I have another thing I haven't seen anyone down here use It's a little gauge for my propane tank that tells me how full it is man. That thing comes in handy Was about 15 bucks on Amazon if you want to know which one I use send me an email the expat files at gmail.com

[03:58] Why more people don't have them? I'll never know they're so handy Who wouldn't want to know how full or empty their tank is? I guess almost no one Now you may have heard me say this before but I think you should always have your propane tank or tanks in your garage or outside your house They can be out in the open. And if you haven't been a closet, let's say closet in your garage You should have some ventilation because lots of those propane tanks I'd say more than half that exists here in Latin America are not in good condition They've been banged around lots of dents rust the fittings often banged up to and the hoses kinked So often tiny leaks are inevitable and if you've got some ventilation that it's no big deal By the way, you can go down to the propane dispensary yourself. Bring your tank down there

[04:43] They'll exchange it or fill yours up Now if you've got a decent nice new tank You ought to do that because otherwise if you call up a company and say come on over, please I'm out of gas They'll come over and trade your tank for one of theirs, which will inevitably be a wrecked piece of crap That's all rested out. And if you've got a nice one, that's in really good condition. You won't get it back You'll never see it again. That's how it is down here. Most people do it that way now me my tank Or I should say tanks are nice So I'll throw it in my car and go down to the dispensary and they'll fill my empty tank right there I'll get my own propane tank back the one I bought new by the way a new 100 pound Propane tank and that's what I think you should get a hundred pound tank Last you a long long time if you don't use it for anything

[05:30] But cooking and for your gas dryer if let's say you've got two people in the house That could last you a half year. Anyway, a new 100 pound propane tank. You buy them empty Of course, it'll cost you about a hundred bucks Of course, they sell them used on the Latin American Craigslist That's in cuentro venti cuatro for 50 or 60 bucks. You can get a good one there, too But the tank itself is yours That's why I suggest if you've got a new tank go down to the dispensary when it's empty and fill it up and get it Back. The other thing is if you go to the dispensary, you'll always get a hundred pounds of gas put in your tank Pay attention now. This is important. Remember you want your empty 100 pound tank filled with a hundred pounds of propane And if you've got a 50 or 25 pounder, you'll want them filled to capacity too

[06:18] You'll be able to read on the meter with your own eyes as they're filling it. So why am I bringing this up? Well, I spoke about it. I think probably eight or nine years ago on this show It's worth repeating lots of new listeners since then being an engineer in a past life I'm sort of a precise and accurate guy when it comes to weights and measures So I happen to have a nice balance scale in my garage When I first got down here to Latin America and got a propane tank first time it was empty. I Called up one of those propane gas companies that came over a little truck and a lot of tanks and they replaced mine with another 100-pound tank what happened next sort of shocked the driver of the truck You see I put the tank on my scale and it didn't read a hundred pounds. It read

[07:04] 97 or 96 pounds. So first time I had a delivery right off the bat They screwed me out of three or four pounds of gas and he shrugged his shoulders He says I'm not the guy that fills him. I just deliver So I phoned up the company and got through to the secretary and said this is not good You screwed me out of three or four pounds. She apologized and said oh that won't happen again By the way, the companies have a fixed cost if it's a 25 pound 50 pound or hundred pound tank You got to pay the fixed rate and hand the dough to the driver if I would have calculated and subtracted to three or four Pounds I was screwed out of he wouldn't do the deal. It was take it or leave it Now remember, like I said those tanks could last just six months and so six months later same thing happened. I weighed the tank Screwed again short three or four pounds. Well, I needed the gas so I wasn't gonna quibble. I said shit

[07:55] I'm just gonna change companies screw these guys. There are lots of competitors So next time six months or so later called another company same thing. They too screwed me out of a few pounds. I Assume then they were screwing everybody. I mean, no one's got a scale except this idiot gringo Johnny picky picky picky So then I started thinking all the propane companies must be in cahoots They're all screwing everybody but nobody cares. Nobody knows cuz no one weighs the tank except a certain loan troublemaking gringo By the way, if you're gonna do what I did, you just don't weigh the tank The tanks are made out of steel and every tank is slightly different. So somewhere in the tank There's a stamp of what that thing weighs empty. Let's say it weighs 18.6 pounds. So what you do is when you get a fresh tank delivered you put it on the scale

[08:43] Look for that stamped number and add that to it. That should be your weight for example for a hundred pound tank a hundred pounds plus eighteen point six hundred and eighteen point six pounds if they filled it to Capacity which you assume they did you'll find out of course If you've got a 50 pound tank lots of people do you figure it out based on 50 pounds? Along with the weight stamped on the tank for that matter most middle-class Latino homes have a 25 pound tank Sitting in their kitchen in a cabinet. Yep sitting in a kitchen cabinet I believe me in lots of these middle-class homes. There's a whole lot of cooking going on So a 25 pound tank might not last a month or even two weeks Of course, all that back and forth and hassle could be alleviated by having a 50 or a hundred pound tank

[09:29] But people just don't buy him I don't get it or at least for a while I didn't get it But I get it now because if you go down to the depot have your tank filled as mentioned before You'll notice a large proportion of people don't put 25 pounds in the tank. They put only five or ten pounds Seems strange, but it's about the money So obviously it would do no good to get a bigger tank when you haven't got the dough to fill a 25 pounder up completely But back to the business of every company ripping you off to the tune of three four or five percent The easy way around that as mentioned is to go to the depot with your empty tank and have them fill it up in front Yeah, and you'll see just like at a gas station the meter Registering before your eyes as the tank is filled

[10:14] The question is though if they've been screwing everyone on home deliveries Could they be jacking around with the accuracy of the metering to who knows but hey just saying and who's gonna check? The question is though Is it worth it to you to take that big empty gas cylinder throw in the back of your car? Drive down to the depot which could be who knows five miles away Waste the time and the gas and the hassle just to save let's say five percent that you may have lost on a hundred pound tank Again, if you do the calculations do the numbers it might cost let's say 50 bucks to fill up a hundred pound tank 5% of that two dollars and fifty cents. That's what they screwed you out of So is it worth it to save two dollars and fifty cents making the run to the depot

[11:02] Probably not so I guess see just let the delivery boy stiff you for five percent However, if you're thinking about the principle of the thing and you've got the time by all means go to the depot and watch Them fill it with your own eyes Which brings us to another point about having propane tanks in your house That's not often discussed and should be let me stop by saying when I first got down here to Latin America and visited some Latin American households there it would be times I'd be sitting in the kitchen shooting the breeze with the family or a girlfriend or a friend and I'd notice a beat-up old dented propane tank right under the counter about three or four feet away from me Maybe three feet from a stove where all four burners were cranked up high I have to admit at the time the thought of that beat-up old tank three feet away from me I'd be thinking man. There are no safety precautions here somewhere to go or wrong

[11:51] We'd all be screwed many times. I thought how could this be happening? But you know, you don't say anything to the family I mean, that's the way they've been doing things for years and years decades Last thing you want to do is come off as the know-it-all gringo. That's not a good look or good first impression Made me nervous though. How almost everyone's setup Consisted of a beat-up old 25 pound propane tank connected to the stove by a kinked Dented copper line or worse yet a flexible plastic line like a plumbing line behind your sink or a garden hose Nothing could go wrong there, huh? Now, you know how it's often said that God protects drunks children and idiots That certainly seems to be the case here in Latin America because you almost never ever hear of one of those tanks blowing up

[12:41] People never seem to talk about kitchen fires or explosions, etc. Etc Same thing goes for many of the obviously bad electrical wiring jobs here in Latin America You'd think with all the electrical code violations and practically every house You'd see and hear people getting shocked and electrocuted all the time, but you just don't Now that's not to say I haven't had electrical shocks here in Latin America. I get them on occasion I've had many of them though most exclusively in bathrooms with those also common suicide showerheads Sure, I've had a few electrical shocks, but nothing serious You just feel a little tingle and you say who better get some shoes or sandals on in a hurry The point is considering all the electrical wiring mistakes and violation of safety codes

[13:29] Regarding propane gas in the kitchen and basic common-sense violations. Yeah, that's right Most of the stuff is common sense, but you know what they say these days that ain't coming. It's just amazing to me You don't read or hear about any fatal incidents. And when you do they're in some other country far far away For example, just about I'd say two months ago You may have heard the news too because it went viral Where a husband and wife were at a resort in Mexico and they got electrocuted In an outdoor pool in front of a about a dozen other hotel guests Do you remember hearing about that went viral cuz they caught it on video Anyway, I'm giving you a heads up if you're gonna live down here in Latin America Eventually, you're gonna get electrical shocks not all the time, but you're gonna get them sure they can be uncomfortable Mostly annoying little ones. They'll scare you a bit but almost never fatal

[14:19] Yeah. Yeah, I know you don't like that word almost There's always that possibility but take it from me and I've been down here for 30 plus years now I've never once heard a story first hand or second hand about anyone at all getting electrocuted Yeah, I know hard to believe but it's true Oh and as far as those propane tanks, the good news is they're surprisingly much less flammable than gasoline And personally, I'm of the opinion You should not be afraid to have one of those things near you at all as long as the tank itself and the connections are In good condition. I mean look how many people up in the states have an outdoor barbecue with one of those 25 pound tanks attached under it Most people have those things filled or partially filled with gas 24-7 sitting in the patio all year round and all the while when you're cooking your steaks under a high flame that tank is two

[15:08] Or three feet away and you're not worried about it, right again Just saying as long as the tank and the feed lines are in good shape Oh and one last thing when I have a guy come over and change my tank I still do that sometimes. I know I know they're gonna short me They're gonna rip me off for three four or five percent But hey, sometimes you just don't want to fight the traffic and head to a depot Anyway, here's an important tip Like I said, sometimes the tank will leak just a little bit at the joint of the regulator or where the tube connects You won't know it at the time But you'll know it the next day or two because you'll get a little whiff of gas as you pass the tank That's why I always have a glass of water on hand with a little liquid dish soap in it just a tiny bit So when the guy hooks up the valve, I just toss the water on that

[15:54] And if there's a tiny little bubble around the seal where the valve or tubing connections are I know there's a small leak That's the best way to tell point it out then to the gas man and wait there till he fixes it Don't worry. However, if there's a small leak It's not dangerous unless you're doing like most Latinos do and have your tank inside the house not recommended The saving grace though, is that most Latino houses leak like a sieve. There's airflow everywhere Nothing sealed the windows the doors you heard me say that before no one's got weather stripping So even with an indoor tank and a small leak oftentimes, no one will notice it. You can't smell it Of course, that's not a good thing because you are losing gas little by little but it's not really dangerous Oh and related to that a lot of people will get a brand new tank of gas do a check for the leak

[16:42] Everything's okay within a couple of days or weeks you happen to walk near the tank and it smells like gas Just a tiny little essence of gas, but you know, there's a leak and you're thinking why is it leaking? I checked that was okay just a week or two ago Well, the easy explanation is that most Latinos and even gringos and expats who have tanks outside Don't have them completely isolated from the weather or worse yet the Sun Down here the Sun and the rain wreak havoc I can't tell you how many apartment houses and parking lots I've driven by here in Latin America where there's a row of propane tanks because you know one tank for each apartment and there They are sitting in direct sunlight that intense sunlight now

[17:27] Of course those tanks are designed and built to take that much more than that Except they do expand and contract a bit with the extremes in temperature in the shade It might be 80 degrees and in the Sun 130 You know how metal heats up in the Sun? Well, those brass and copper joints that connect the tank to the hoses valves and hoses expand and contract at different rates Depending on the Sun in the shade So you're just asking for trouble you're asking for leaks if you don't have your tanks shaded They should be in the shade at all times by all means have them out in the open Bolted up against a wall somewhere, but in a place where they're not exposed to the Sun or the elements Oh and one more thing about electric cooking stoves I know some people like them man They do look nice and are so easy to clean completely flat

[18:16] Especially those newer induction jobs where you have to use a metal pot and pan Well as mentioned you can find them at appliance stores They're far and few in between but you will find them So you're not truly forced to switch to gas But there aren't many options if you're up for an electric stove again Just to remind you if you haven't figured it out already There are no gas companies or gas lines piped throughout Latin America like up in the states There's no natural gas as you know it up there. It's all propane gas in Bottles cylinders and tanks. Oh and to be totally complete about the subject if you live in a residential tower People with money down here do because they're very secure I've lived in a few residential towers most of them are very well-built first world standards

[19:02] They usually have a nice gym a pool underground parking The fact is the condo regs or the building regs will not let you have a tank of gas propane in your kitchen Or in your house anywhere totally against the rules So then if there's no municipal gas company piping it in and you can't have gas cylinders in your place Where do they get their gas from if you keep your eyes open? You will notice somewhere on the premises a gigantic propane gas tank Restaurants will have them out back to they are giant tanks Oftentimes as big or bigger than a minivan So it's a common tank that everyone in the residential tower uses you pay a monthly gas bill Like you would up in the states if you were on pipe natural gas from the municipality

[19:50] Only in this case you're paying it to the housing or condo Association. They're in charge of keeping that thing filled Speaking of residential towers most of them have their own big generator in case the power goes out like a hospital generator And most all of them have their own well They're not on municipal water so they don't have to depend on that remember though if the power goes out the water does not get Pumped that's why they have such a big diesel generator just in case So anyway if you're in a residential tower here in Latin America, you will be on metered gas But you won't be paying a company you'll be paying your own condo Association Which is actually a pretty good and safe system because I don't think you'd want to live in a residential tower where Everyone in every apartment is responsible for his own tank of gas That would be nuts delivery guys showing up 24-7 replacing those things you get the point

[20:40] Alright moving on you know just lately this week Elon Musk has been all over the news with those new robo taxis that he's developed And of course here in Latin America since they're all tied into first world media and first world news everyone knows about it Why wouldn't they be everyone's on tick-tock and fake book? Instacrap, etc and Elon Musk he's big news down here too with his robots and his SpaceX And you know Latinos are aware of the big fight. He's having with corrupt Brazilian officials President Lula trying to get him to censor his opponents, but the man on the street the general Latino population They just love him. It's very odd. I never hear a negative word about him. They just love him down here Meanwhile up in the States half the population almost all Democrats hate him

[21:28] You know they think he's a radical Trump or and they want him in jail, but they still buy Tesla's right anyway Just two days ago I was in a discussion with a bunch of Latinas and a couple of educated and not so educated Latino guys, too They were talking about those robo cars and man Latinas are chomping at the bit for robo taxis to finally arrive here in Latin America I can't tell you the excitement those things have generated. It's the oddest thing, too But it makes sense Latina ladies that I've spoken to are extremely happy There's an alternative taxi system in the works. Well. I mean extra happy. They were already happy think about it Can you guess why I bet you can it boils down to the fact that no Latina feels a hundred percent safe riding the public?

[22:16] Transportation system or being in an uber or taxi of course most of the cars public buses and chicken buses are crap I mean just riding one once sit down take a deep breath the smell the torn seats the Deterioration though that the ladies aren't too bothered by they're used to it It's the drivers the so-called Pilots the pilots. They're put off by the ladies explained it to me themselves They said look as soon as those robo taxis come we'll be on them right away first day For one they'll be absolutely safe and obey all traffic laws whereas human drivers in Latin America will take all kinds of chances Everyone who's ever been in an uber or a private car or a chicken bus has had any number of hair-raising experiences Whether the driver's in a tentive or just on his phone jam into the music just plain thick or just plain drunk

[23:07] Yeah, that's right drunk here in Latin America guys who drive public buses and chicken buses and such are notorious Drinkers in fact with most every major bus crash where people have died The so-called pilot or driver has been under the influence of alcohol That is if they can find him to test him because in most cases the driver will just run he'll take off and disappear Don't laugh it happens all the time Anyway, while I was talking to this little group of 20 and 30 something Latinas They said it will be a relief to get into a taxi. They're talking about Tesla robo taxis now where there's no music Blasting from the driver's radio. There's no stale BO or bad breath coming from the front seat No guy plying her with small talk and stupid questions trying to get her phone number

[23:54] They said they'd like to get into a taxi where they weren't overwhelmed by a cheap cologne for once They said they'd like to be in a taxi that didn't weave dodge and swerve for once They said they'd like to be in a taxi where all systems were operational the brakes the lights the air conditioning everything worked No broken mirrors cracked windshields or fast-food wrappers on the floor a car that went directly to its destination with no Unwanted detours most of all they said they'd appreciate getting into a car where they weren't hit on by the driver Oh, and by the way, there have been many stories of young ladies taking an uber or using uber's competition here in Latin America Where the driver will pick up an accomplice later on in the trip and he'll rob her or worse You know down here uber's got lots of competition and it's not well regulated There are many many small companies with fares lower than uber and you know the cheaper the ride the crappier the vehicle

[24:46] Less control in general and more risk. So anyway in recent conversations. I've heard latinas chomping at the bit for robo taxes In fact, there's a morning Joe sort of internet news show a panel of ladies All in Spanish, of course, and they were talking about this very subject The ladies on the panel and the lady newscasters said exactly the same thing They said they'd pay extra to use a robo taxi more than an uber or a lift It would be worth it for the security of it to which one of the guys on the panel said that won't be necessary He said lots of big company entrepreneurs are already thinking about buying a whole fleet of robo taxis Once they're available people are already predicting within three to five years All human driven taxis will be out of business by the way

[25:31] The price tag supposed to be around thirty thousand bucks, which is less than the average price of a new car in both the states and here In Latin America. Oh and a Latino guy in the panel went out to say with no driver to pay in far far fewer accidents and thus Lower maintenance and insurance premiums, too It's a virtual guarantee that the price for a ride will go down compared to uber not up anyway Just to let you know Latin America is not as disconnected from the first world as you think they are keeping up with the trends And waiting on a robo taxis down here, too So how are you with robo taxis? Just take it from me if you ever drove a car here in Latin America, especially in the big city It can really be a frustrating and harrowing experience now. I have to admit as for me I've been lucky I drive a lot But I've only been in one accident where I had to call my insurance company and the cops came and everything

[26:20] Though I consider myself lucky because I've had countless near misses. I bet once maybe twice a month I have to hit my brakes really hard excessively hard and you know when that happens. It's a risky proposition Driving should not have to be like that. It shouldn't be that stressful But then again, this is the land of motorcyclists who have a personal space problem And it's the land of the perpetual tailgater. So when you're out on the road, there's always an accident waiting to happen In fact, I don't think there's been a single day when I have driven into a big city in Latin America where I haven't Seen a little pile of broken glass on the road meaning someone earlier that day had a fender bender. Oh And don't tell me you can handle it because back in Cleveland. You never had an accident or even a ticket

[27:05] Sorry, that won't cut it driving down here You have to get used to guys with no lights broken mirrors and windshields cars with bad brakes and drivers constantly on the phone In fact just the other day. I was at an intersection About ten motorcyclists pulled up at the light at least half of them even as they were pulling up and slowing down to stop We're texting away on their phones and the other half just buzzed on through they ran the red light So are you ready for that? You've been listening to the expat files living in Latin America If you need some help with your own plan B We can schedule a one-on-one phone or Skype consult Just send me an email the expat files at gmail.com And if you want to get on the waiting list for my next week-long expat Insider seminar in Central America where you're guaranteed to get a two to five year head start on your plan B

[27:54] Send me an email the expat files at gmail.com