Episode Summary
In this episode of The Expat Files, Johnny Mueller explores the theme song of his show, 'South of the Border, Down Mexico Way,' and its connection to expat life in Latin America. He clarifies that while the song's lyrics reference Mexico, he does not recommend Mexico as a destination for expats due to security issues like crime, drug cartels, and kidnappings. He also explains that the song's title is not meant to be taken literally, as most Latin American countries are accessible via Mexico. Johnny then briefly mentions a second runner-up song for his theme and invites listeners to suggest their own. The segment ends with a transition to a discussion about propane gas usage for cooking and hot water heating in Latin America, contrasting it with experiences in North America and Europe.
Johnny Mueller discusses the use of propane and natural gas for refrigeration, highlighting that it's a common practice in many parts of the world, including Latin America, Canada, the United States, and Europe. He notes that some refrigerators and freezers operate without electricity, using gas to power the cooling system. He also mentions that Albert Einstein patented this system in the 1930s. However, Johnny expresses concern about the safety and conditions of propane gas setups in Latin America, where tanks are often stored in unsafe locations, and the tubing is typically made of cheap plastic, which is not acceptable in the first world. He also points out that the propane tanks themselves are often in poor condition and would not meet safety standards in more developed countries.
In this segment, Johnny Mueller discusses the dangers of propane gas tanks in his current location, highlighting the poor quality of the tanks and the lack of regulation. He describes the tanks as being defective, often so bent and twisted they need to be tied down to prevent them from falling over. He also mentions the common practice of using these tanks in the kitchen, near hot stoves, which he finds alarming. Johnny notes that locals seem to accept these risks without question, attributing it to a lack of government oversight and a culture of complacency. He contrasts this with the first world, where regulations are stricter, but he acknowledges that expats might be overreacting. Despite the hazards, he concludes that people in his location still live long lives, possibly due to a combination of luck and a relaxed attitude toward safety.
Johnny Mueller discusses the prevalence of first-world appliances, particularly clothes dryers, in Latin America. He highlights that while these appliances are seen as status symbols, they are often rarely used due to a lack of familiarity and proper maintenance. He contrasts this with the experiences of expats and upper-middle-class individuals who are more likely to use such appliances, while local families often outsource their use to unskilled cleaning staff, leading to underutilization and eventual abandonment of these devices.
In this segment, Johnny Mueller discusses the challenges expats face with propane gas tanks in Latin America. He highlights the common issues with gas tanks, such as them being dented, rusted, and dangerous-looking. He suggests that expats can avoid these problems by purchasing new tanks and taking them to the gas company for refilling. Johnny also recommends storing the tanks safely in a separate room to prevent accidents. Additionally, he mentions the availability of affordable hot tubs in the region, made with high-quality parts, which many expats own.
Johnny Mueller discusses the importance of safety when handling propane gas tanks, emphasizing the need for proper storage and ventilation. He outlines practical steps such as using a steel door with a padlock, ensuring adequate ventilation by leaving a gap in the storage room, and using copper tubing for gas lines. He also warns about the dangers of driving behind trucks carrying propane or cattle, highlighting the risks of overloaded vehicles and the unpleasant experience of being behind a cattle truck.
In this segment, Johnny Mueller discusses the dangers of transporting propane in Latin America, highlighting the risks associated with both personal and commercial transportation methods. He describes a real-life incident where a propane tank was dislodged from a delivery truck and caused a dangerous situation. He also explains how the practice of offering discounts for self-serve propane delivery leads to unsafe transportation practices, such as carrying large propane tanks on motorcycles. Johnny emphasizes the potential for disaster and advises expats to avoid such situations.
Topics
Theme song and its meaning, Security concerns in Mexico, Propane gas usage in Latin America, Propane gas refrigeration, Safety concerns in Latin America, Einstein's patent, Comparative electricity costs, Cultural differences in gas usage, Propane gas tank safety, Regulatory oversight, Cultural attitudes toward safety, Expatriate experiences in Latin America
Chapters
00:00:00 Opening 00:00:52 Why Johnny Doesn't Recommend Mexico for Expats 00:03:57 Propane Gas Usage in Latin America vs. North America 00:04:18 Propane Gas for Refrigeration: A Surprising Fact 00:04:51 The Counterintuitive Use of Fire to Create Ice 00:05:14 Gas-Powered Refrigeration in Latin America 00:05:34 The Common Use of Gas Refrigeration in Europe 00:05:50 Cost Efficiency of Gas-Powered Refrigeration 00:05:55 Einstein's Patent on Gas-Powered Refrigeration 00:06:10 Safety Concerns with Propane Storage in Latin America 00:06:40 Unsafe Tubing and Storage Practices 00:08:16 The Dangers of Propane Gas Tanks 00:08:24 Defective Tanks and Their Placement 00:09:03 Lack of Regulatory Oversight 00:09:27 Experiences with Defective Tanks 00:09:45 Expats' Reactions to the Situation 00:10:24 Longevity Despite Hazards 00:11:44 The Status of Clothes Dryers in Latin America 00:11:51 Understanding the Climate and Its Impact on Appliance Use 00:12:18 The Role of Expat and Upper-Middle-Class Appliance Ownership 00:12:25 The Status Symbol of First-World Appliances 00:13:10 The Cultural Significance of First-World Appliances 00:13:37 The Lack of Familiarity with First-World Appliances 00:14:33 The Natural Integration of Appliances in First-World Cultures 00:14:55 The Outsourcing of Appliance Use to Cleaning Staff 00:15:30 The Problem with Propane Tanks in Latin America 00:15:53 Why Most Expats Use Gas Propane 00:16:05 The Dangers of Reused Propane Tanks 00:16:28 How to Avoid the Problems with Propane Tanks 00:17:13 Affordable Hot Tubs in Latin America 00:17:49 Returning to the Propane Gas Issue 00:18:08 Johnny's Recommended Solution for Propane Tanks 00:18:30 How to Handle Propane Tanks Safely 00:19:14 Propane Gas Safety and Storage 00:20:49 Driving Behind Propane and Cattle Trucks 00:23:39 Propane Transportation Risks in Latin America 00:24:03 Real-Life Incident with Propane Tank Dislodgment 00:25:10 Unintended Consequences of Discount Practices 00:26:04 Dangers of Carrying Propane on Motorcycles
Transcript
Automatically transcribed from the original recording; names and wording may contain errors.
[00:01] South of the border, down Mexico way That's where I fell in love When the stars above came out to play Hi everybody, I'm Johnny Mueller And you're listening to the Exped Files Living in Latin America The one of a kind show that tells you what it's like To live, work, play and or retire in Latin America So let's get started He was a picture in old Spanish lays I've had some people ask me about my theme song South of the Border Sung by Frank Sinatra of course And actually the words go South of the Border, down Mexico way
[00:46] And that's where the controversy is Because anybody who's been listening to my show For any length of time knows That I'm not recommending Mexico as a destination for expats And I'm not going to go into all the reasons now But it should be obvious to you At least as far as security issues go When you read any of the newspapers up north I mean a day hardly passes When you don't read about the murders And the drug cartels And the kidnappings And the beheadings I mean come on When's the last time you had a beheading up in Cleveland Or Boise or Montreal I don't know Maybe if you like slasher movies You'll love Mexico But let's just say If you want to live, work, play and or retire in Latin America Mexico is not the place to do it But as for my theme song The lyrics say South of the Border, down Mexico way
[01:32] And you know to be precise To get to maybe 80% of the Latin American countries You do have to go south of the border Down Mexico way I mean to get to any of the 20 Latin American countries Except Cuba, Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic Anybody coming from North America at least Has to come by Mexico way So for all you nitpickers out there Who accuse me of having a double standard With a song like Down Mexico way When I don't recommend Mexico Find me another song That's more to the point And with somebody like Frankie singing it Then believe me I'll use it Now when I selected my theme song When I first started this show There was a second runner up And I'll play that one for you right now And if you like it better Or if you have another suggestion Just send me an email Theexpedfiles at gmail.com
[02:19] And we'll vote on it So what do you think of this one? Way down among Brazilians Coffee beans grow by the billions So they've got to find those extra cups to fill They've got an awful lot of coffee in Brazil You can't get cherry soda Cause they've got to fill that quota And the way things are I'll bet they never will They've got a zillion tons of coffee in Brazil No tea Or the tomato juice You'll see No potato juice Cause the planners down in San Jose Say no, no, no
[03:06] The politician's daughter Was accused of drinking water And was fined The great big fifty dollar bill They've got an awful lot of coffee in Brazil So do you like that song better? If you do, shoot me an email But anyway, let's get on to some of today's topics Now in one of last week's shows I was talking about How a little less than half the population of Latin America Around 250 million people Use gas propane for cooking And how a much smaller percentage of them Mostly people with money Use gas propane for central hot water heating And down here I'd say that less than 5% of the population Has central hot water heating at all And I doubt if anyone up in the United States or Canada
[03:52] Has any experience at all with heating hot water With a tank of propane gas Now for most people up north That's a completely foreign experience In fact if you ask a first world person If he'd consider using a tank of propane gas to heat his water He'd probably think it was pretty dangerous Unless you happen to be talking to someone Who owns an RV like a Winnebago It's just not common anywhere up north But it is common in Europe And you'll see it almost everywhere And in fact I bet 99% of all you first world people Didn't even know you could use propane gas for that You probably thought propane gas was just for Sunday afternoon barbecues Anyway, did you know that you could use natural gas Or more commonly propane gas To power a freezer or a refrigerator Without being hooked up to any electric power supply at all
[04:39] In fact there's some excellent refrigerator and freezer brand names That come from Europe That use propane or natural gas exclusively Now if using fire to create ice cubes Isn't counter intuitive to you I don't know what is Imagine having a tiny gas flame going at all times That somehow cools your refrigerator And eventually turns water into ice And that's exactly what a refrigerator like that does Now many people who live way up in the hinterlands In Canada, the United States and in Europe They actually do use that system As do some people down in Latin America In fact I've run into quite a few people Down in Chile and Argentina Who use that kind of refrigeration system And they're very happy with it Though I haven't run into any systems like that in Central America
[05:25] North of Columbia that is But down in South America Where the people have a lot of European ancestry They seem to have their fair share of these kind of systems And that's certainly because The system is pretty commonly used in many places in Europe So these gas propane refrigerators and freezers That use no electricity at all Well believe it or not They're actually much cheaper to run Than your average refrigerator freezer Especially down here Where the price of electricity per kilowatt hour Is about twice what you pay up in the United States And what's even stranger is the fact that Albert Einstein himself Was one of the guys that patented this system Back in the 1930s So who says he never did anything remotely practical? So what about all those bottles of propane gas That you see in about half of all the Latin American homes
[06:10] Now I'll be honest with you The first time I ever saw one of these propane gas setups In a Latin kitchen I wanted to run for the hills Because in most of the kitchens down here You'll see that beat up dented rusted bottle of propane gas Right out in the open It'll be wedged in a corner Under a shelf or a sink Right next to the dog's bed Or worse yet Jammed right up against a hot oven or stove So what you got is a couple of gallons of extremely flammable liquid Under very high pressure Hooked up to a rusted out hulk of a stove By a short length of cheap plastic garden hose Which is for a first world person A very scary thing to see So the first time I saw a setup like that My eyes bugged out And I couldn't believe it
[06:55] First of all Up in the first world You'd never be able to keep that gas propane tank In the house at all It's against all fire codes And would void any insurance policy claim If anything ever did catch fire Not that anybody in Latin America even carries fire insurance Well I've never met anybody who has Rich or poor But we'll talk about that on a future program Anyway, back to that propane tank in the kitchen In the first world Any of the tubes or pipes that you use to hook up the thing to the stove Or another appliance Must be made out of solid metal Like copper or galvanized steel Any kind of plastic tubing or rubber hose Is completely out of the question It's just too unsafe But that's what most people use down here Because it's dirt cheap
[07:41] And finally we have to take into account The deplorable condition of the propane tanks themselves Now the way it works down here When your propane tank is empty The company takes it away and trades you for another one And I'm not lying when I tell you I've never seen a brand new tank down here Every single one that I've ever come in contact with Would never pass muster in the first world And that includes all the tanks that you see Loaded on trucks driving down the road any time of day When you're behind one of those trucks If you're not looking closely You'd think it was a load of scrap junk metal Going to the dump But no These are trucks loaded with propane gas under very high pressure Headed for consumers' houses Now doesn't that make you feel good? In other words The vast majority of propane gas tanks down here
[08:27] Are so noticeably defective That you have to wonder why anybody in their right mind Would accept one of those things And worse yet They don't end up in the garage Or outside on the patio Or in the garden Where if it burst or leak It couldn't do that much damage They end up in the kitchen Usually right next to a hot stove And if you know anything about Latin families You'll know that the kitchen is where most people hang out all day And what really disturbs expats Is how the locals recycle these horrible tanks over and over again Without a single comment And without batting an eye And I guess that's because there's no government agency Regulating anything like that down here I take that back There probably is such an agency But inside There's two fat inspectors sitting on their dead asses
[09:13] Watching a soccer game And all the secretaries and ladies Are sitting around filing their nails Or on the phone talking about their soap operas And that's what the public is used to So they don't know any other way And to give you a good idea In my case In the last four deliveries Of 100 pound gas propane tanks that I've had None of those tanks Would actually stand up on its own In other words The tanks were so bent, twisted and lopsided They actually had to be tied to something Or they'd fall over But you know Sometimes when expats get together And discuss things like this We think maybe we're being a bit over reactive And that the regulations in the first world Just might be a bit too strict That's because after all I've told you Still You just don't read in the paper Or hear any stories About explosions
[09:59] Or catastrophes Or fires Or pretty much anything negative Associated with the gas propane industry Even though To us first worlders It looks like they're breaking all the rules Well maybe it's just dumb luck But I don't know how dumb luck could go on forever It beats me how dumb luck Seems to play such a huge part In the lives of common men down here Even with all these multiple hazards That we just don't have in the first world The people still seem to live a good long life Beats me how they do it But it does look like There's a good masters thesis in this somewhere This subject really needs studying It seems to me The people down here have learned how to chill out Before us brilliant first worlders Even invented the word But down here Any casual observer would just have to say
[10:45] Dumb luck seems to play a huge part In the daily lives of the common man And I'd say There's no better example of this Than the way they do their half ass Electrical hookups down here In fact I'd say that at least 50% Of all the electrical wiring jobs down here Wouldn't come close to meeting First world wiring codes Yet you rarely read about people getting electrocuted Though there's no one down here Including me That doesn't get the occasional kick in the pants electrical shock So what can I recommend to expats As far as gas propane goes Well first of all I do recommend you use it Because it's so much cheaper Perhaps 50% cheaper Than using electric service For cooking For centrally heating your water And for drying your clothes
[11:31] And about drying your clothes down here You know If you have a live in cleaning lady Or a lady that comes a few times a week She'll do your laundry And hang your clothes outside on a clothes line to dry Just like your grandma used to do back in the day And there's absolutely nothing wrong with that And it will save on your energy bill But in most of Latin America You have to remember They only have two seasons That is the rainy season and the dry season And some people just say winter and summer Anyway during the rainy season It rains practically every day And when it rains It comes down in absolute sheets So as you might imagine It's very difficult to hang your things out on a clothes line And expect to be able to predict When the sun will be out long enough to thoroughly dry them And that's why nearly every upper middle class person
[12:18] And most every expat Has a clothes dryer And the thing is There really aren't too many clothes dryers In Latin America at all It's pretty much a status item And when a local person finally buys one It's almost always the electric model Because they have no idea And nobody ever told them They can buy one that uses propane gas In fact if you go to any appliance store For every 10 or so electric models You'll see just one lone propane gas model And it's always about 20% more expensive Maybe 75 bucks, big deal The fact is Most people who buy clothes dryers down here Are the same people who buy a lot of other first world appliances That in the end they rarely use Because they mostly give up on them They buy these so called high end appliances
[13:04] Because one, they have a little extra money And two, because everybody up in the first world has them Because down here it's considered a status symbol And that you've really made it If your kitchen looks almost first world And like I said before Latin Americans love anything and everything first world Even if they don't know how to use half of the junk they've accumulated And basically The average Latin American who buys his first dryer Or buys his first electric dishwasher Or buys his first garbage disposal Or trash compactor Well chances are He doesn't know the first thing about how to use the thing Much less do the maintenance In other words A socially and financially ascending Latin person Or Latin family Will buy these first world appliances That they themselves have never had before
[13:50] Or were even exposed to as children Because down here The up and coming Latin middle classes and upper classes Never had that stuff as kids Only your basic washing machine, refrigerator, television and stove So as children These Latins never had that kind of exposure We first worlders did When we were kids at home We all knew by the time we were 12 years old How to rinse a dish and shove it in the dishwasher and turn it on And by the time we were 16 We probably even knew how to take the coins And the gum and the condoms out of our pockets And actually run the clothes dryer The fact is We grew up with dryers and dishwashers And trash compactors And garbage disposals and cuisine arts And we watched our brothers and our sisters and our parents use that stuff Having that kind of stuff around the house was second nature to us
[14:36] I mean We never had to pull out the dryer or the dishwasher manual And read it and learn At least nobody I ever knew had to But down here It's different The upwardly mobile Latin family Buys that stuff that they never had before Usually on credit of course And they have it delivered to the house And the first thing they do Is turn it over to the cleaning lady Who has about a fourth grade education Who herself More than likely came from a family that lived in a tin shack And cooked with wood And that's why All those latin upscale families that I visited They've got all those first world appliances But a good percentage of them Are sitting there doing nothing In other words It's like that Abflex machine you bought And now it's stuffed in the closet or the garage With the rest of your exercise equipment that you never use
[15:22] So after clogging the dishwasher With massive chunks of food Burning out the garbage disposal By dropping a few forks in it And melting a few plastic bags in the clothes dryer Not to mention Never once emptying the lint filter Because nobody knows what a lint filter is Well generally After a few disastrous episodes like that Most of the time The cleaning lady Goes back to doing everything by hand And all those new machines in the kitchen Well they stay put but unused Okay but let's get back to the fact That most expats will end up using gas propane Now like I said before The propane gas tanks That you're going to be swapping back and forth With the gas company Are going to be dented, rusted and dangerous looking So what can you do about that?
[16:07] Well you could go out and buy a brand new tank And the gas company will surely sell you one But when that tank runs out And you do your first trade You're going to get a tank back That looks like a piece of junk And your brand new one Is going to get recycled off to another person So you can kiss that one goodbye That sounds like a bad idea, right? But here's what you can do to avoid that You can go ahead and buy a brand new tank And when that tank's empty You drive it down to the gas company And they'll fill it right in front of you And you get your nice new tank back And better yet You buy two brand new tanks And when one's empty You just switch over to the other tank And at your leisure Drive that empty tank down to the gas company And have them fill that up in front of your face And you got that brand new tank back too
[16:55] And it's nice to have an extra tank on hand Because your gas tank will always seem to run out At the most inopportune time Like a Saturday night Right in the middle of taking a hot shower Or a Sunday afternoon When you're filling up that jacuzzi And don't laugh There are a fair number of expats down here Who do have jacuzzis And believe it or not Down in Latin America There are any number of companies That actually make a pretty good hot tub And they come in all sizes and shapes And although they're really not brand name jacuzzis They use all first world brand name parts The stuff that counts Like the jets and pumps and heaters And down here You can get a really nice hot tub For less than half of what you'd pay in the first world And that's why so many expats have them The fact is
[17:40] The Latins have become pretty good at plastics That includes injection molding and fiberglass too After all it's not a new technology And it's not brain surgery Okay but let's get back to that propane gas issue And how expats should deal with it Well like I mentioned One way to feel very safe And go by first world standards Is to buy your own brand new tank And that way you can take it down to the local gas company And they'll fill it up right in front of you But better yet Here's what I highly recommend Instead of going out and buying new tanks And having to haul those big things yourself In your nice clean car And remember A 100 pound tank of gas actually weighs about 130 pounds Or even more That's because you have to count the weight of the metal in the tank too
[18:25] And that tank's about 5 feet high And it's not easy to maneuver Believe me So how do you get around that without getting a hernia Or dropping the damn thing on your big toe Don't laugh I've done it Well here's what I recommend By all means let the gas company come And trade their junky beat up dented lopsided tanks with you But make sure you store your tanks outside In a separate little enclosed storage room Far away from your living areas and your windows and doors In other words You do what a lot of expats do You have a local handyman come over And tell him you want a small cement block storage room Built inside or adjacent to your garage Now a room like that only needs to be about 4 foot wide by 6 foot deep
[19:12] And if it's made out of cement block Which is really the only way to go And there's a light inside and it has a steel door It's probably only going to set you back about 250 dollars And 50 of that is going to be that cement worker's labor cost And then you're completely safe It doesn't really matter what happens to those tanks Because even if there's a leak It's just going to vent to the outside And oh yeah Do leave a vent high up in that little room Just in case there is a leak And you do that quite simply By telling the guy who's building it To leave out one cement block in the top course Now that'll give you plenty of ventilation And there's nothing more cheap and simple than doing that And if you do all that It doesn't matter how crappy those tanks are sitting in that little room And don't make the mistake
[19:57] And follow the local spat example Of using a plastic tube or a rubber hose To run the gas from that room to your appliances Instead spend the extra 30 or 40 bucks And have that handy man run flexible copper tubing From the regulators on your gas tanks to your appliances And make sure he puts the shut off valve on the copper line to each appliance And in that little 4x6 storage room that you have with those tanks in it Make sure that steel door that I was talking about has a padlock on it That way nobody can go inside that room and screw around with your tanks Not that they would But who knows what your security's like around there I mean if you're in a gated community there might be kids around And once being a kid myself I remember me and my friends opening doors
[20:43] And getting into places that we shouldn't have And turning valves and knobs and pressing buttons that we shouldn't have And just one more thing about this gas propane business Before we go on to something else Ask any expat who drives a lot down here And he'll tell you that one of the most unnerving things about driving Is getting behind a truck loaded with propane gas bottles Now in my mind there are only two things worse than that on the road One is when you get behind a big truck loaded with cement culverts Because they're almost never tied down properly And the ropes they use are almost always thin Terribly inadequate and horribly frayed And if one of those trucks hits a pothole And a half ton culvert snaps a rope And drops off the back of that truck Well let's just say you wouldn't have to worry about the hazards of propane gas anymore
[21:31] And that's another reason why you want to keep more than the recommended distance Between you and the driver in front of you Not to mention the fact that so many trucks down here are dangerously overloaded That means the driver couldn't make an emergency stop if his life depended on it And speaking of driving fears There's one more kind of truck you never want to get behind And that's a cattle truck And that's because down here nobody enforces regulations on that stuff either And if you've ever been behind a cattle truck you'll know exactly what I'm talking about Now bear with me while I give you a few of the gory details I know you'll appreciate this Now driving through most big cities Eventually you're bound to get behind a cattle truck on its way to the slaughterhouse Now I don't want to gross you out here But if you're into tailgating I can guarantee you that not only is the smell going to kill you
[22:20] But soon enough your windshield is going to have a fine coating of atomized feces Yuck! And not only that When that truck pulls up to a stop and takes off again A cascading sludge of liquid feces is going to drip off the back end of that truck Hit the pavement and splash back up on your car So need I tell you You never want to get behind a truck like that And if by some twist of fate you are There is no safe distance between you and that dripping tailgate And you're going to wish you to stay in bed that day And when you get back home there's going to be another little surprise waiting for you Your car is going to deposit a little of that stuff on your garage floor And if you take a deep breath when you're there you'll know what I'm talking about And if you have a dog watch out
[23:06] Because with his sense of smell you won't be able to get him out of that garage for lover money You know it's funny how we love our dogs and they love us but they also love poop I don't get that Ok I repeat you don't want to get behind a cattle truck But you don't want to get behind a gas propane truck either And down here there's any number of overloaded trucks Filled to the brim with gas propane tanks And when you get behind one of those there is some cause to worry Every big city down here has hundreds of trucks like that Delivering tanks door to door Just like in your grandma's day the milkman delivered milk Only milk is not explosive nor highly flammable Now the problem with this is that it's every man for himself With so many people running around with beat up old pickup trucks
[23:53] Loaded to the gills and stacked every which way With dented, rusted and twisted old propane tanks Well you don't want to get behind one of those guys and I'll tell you why A few months ago I got to see for myself one of those mom and pop gas propane delivery trucks As it hit a bump and took a bad turn I watched with my own eyes two propane tanks pop out of the back end And land on the hood of a guy's brand new Honda And but of course the guy was tailgating Well when that happened I watched the guy in the Honda go into a ditch and hit a tree And one of those loose propane tanks that hit his car breached on impact And it was hissing and sputtering And let me tell you people cleared out of there because no one wanted to get near it And when the cops finally came they shut down that road completely for about two hours
[24:40] Now that propane tank never did ignite But man it would have been chaos if it had But if you think that's bad here's something that's even worse Now remember I told you before that you could take your own tank Throw it in your car and go down to the main distributor And have them fill it up right in front of you Well a lot of places down here will give you a small discount if you do that That way they don't have to come out to your house Use their vehicle and pay their men In other words they'll give you a discount in lieu of home delivery Which sounds like a good thing but it's not believe me Now that little savings of let's say five dollars on a hundred pound tank of propane Which might cost sixty or seventy dollars to refill Well to you and me and most expats it's just not worth five dollars
[25:25] To throw that thing in the back of your nice car Possibly get a hernia out of it And drive through all that crappy traffic to the distribution center Which could be some miles away Then sit around there for an hour and wait your turn and fight the traffic on the way back But for the little family man down here making two or three hundred dollars a month Now five bucks is a little more than a half a days pay for him And for a guy like that it's well worth it for him to take that trip But you see by the law of unintended consequences there's a big problem with that Now there isn't an expat that's been down here a while Who won't tell you that one of the scariest things to see Is a guy in a tiny motorcycle held together with chicken wire and duct tape Toting a hundred pound tank of propane gas
[26:12] Strapped to the passenger seat with bungee cords Now a hundred pound tank like that doesn't ride tall in the saddle It rides sideways barely balancing on the hump of the seat And that means it's sticking out two feet on either end of that motorcycle And as that guy's puttering along he's weaving through traffic Like every motorcyclist does down here But he's got this propane bomb strapped to his back seat Sticking out two and a half feet on either side And believe me you don't want to be near that guy Because he's such a danger to him and everybody else on the road If he takes a spill he just might take you and everybody around you with him And though you got a 50-50 chance that he's carrying an empty tank Believe me expats you don't want to take that gamble In fact I watched a guy with a 25 pound tank
[26:59] Which looks fairly manageable compared to the hundred pounder Anyway I watched him take a spill on a slick road in the rainy season And his bungee cords snapped And his gas tank went rolling down the street like a bowling ball on a slick alley And I don't know where that thing ended up or what it hit But I'm sure the results weren't pretty So the bottom line is every time I see a motorcycle With a tank of propane gas strapped to the back I get the hell out of the way real fast Because I don't know about you But I don't feel like playing chicken with a human torpedo You've been listening to The Expat Files Living in Latin America And don't forget you can email me on anything at all about Latin America The Expat Files at gmail.com
[27:47] That's theexpatfiles at gmail.com See you next time! Nos vemos!