Many a time I have heard people on this board warn against driving. The risk, it is so much easier to hire, etc. In my case driving is part of the thrill of our travels. I would not know how to hire a driver for a day trip because I would not be able to tell them what my itenerary was, how do you explain taking a road because it is there and you have never been on it before. Another reason is that although I love riding with a Jamaican friend and hearing local lore, I want to discover and figure out things for myself, a driver would be a buffer to my learning technique. Plus just the freedom w/o having to get in a taxi, even in town, let's run down and grab some beer, oh you are out of hand lotion, now where is that doctor, let's run up to Hammock Park, let's drive real slow and people watch, let's check out that place for supper oh to hard how about that place oh to soft now that place is just right,,,,,,, Having a driver pick me up for an excursion or dinner would be too much like an appointment and I go to jamaica to get away from appointments
I have paid $6,000.00 traffic fees (yes they do enforce speed limits), I have driven to the end of roads, I have driven to mountain tops, I have left the sea on the south and found it again on the north, I have experienced people and places that I could never have imagined until I ventured out. By myself, with a van load, with only 1 exception years ago in MoBay I have never put myself in a situation where I felt at risk
I use U-Cals (Wayne Lewis or Mr Brown/owner) (p) 876-952-6798 (c) 876-386-8511
Up on the hill above the airport - will p/u at airport - nice a/c office to
do paperwork in - drop off at office on way back out and they'll run you to
airport
Nice fleet - the best cars I've rented in Ja - prices at
www.ucalscarrental.com
Old rambel I wrote years ago, but may help some
These are my observations and not a tutorial
You must understand the risk at all times
be safe
_________
Insurance - if you stay away from 4 Wheel Drive:
Your credit card may cover CVM (check in the states before you leave -
it changes constantly) or ask Mr Brown when you make reservation – it always
cracks me up to see CVM covered except in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Israel and
Jamaica - Travelgaurd has a product that you can buy in the states which
covers not only CVM but has some medical tied to it, be sure to carry
paperwork from states with you at all times - MAKE SURE YOU HAVE COVERAGE -
road hazard coverage is a nice plus
When you pick the vehicle up:
1. Put all of your paperwork in 1 accessible place - you will get pulled over
(more later) and you will need the paperwork
2. Do a walk around inspection and note every nick and ding - don't just
look for scratches, look for pieces of missing trim etc. - get up in the
wheel wells and note undercarriage damage - kick the bumpers - I've video
taped before
3. Check every tire and spare, you will have a tyre failure in Jamaica
guaranteed (years ago I just looked at spare, later after a failure I
realized it had a blem on the backside, I wouldn't have made it 10 miles on the spare - if
you have a tyre problem get the flat fixed ASAP - you will have tyre failure
in Jamaica)
4. Make sure you have tyre tools - some tyre repair joints don't have tools
they use yours
5. check the tool kit, pliers, screwdriver etc will come in very handy
(carry 2 nice Gerber Mechanical Multitools - not campers -I have taken a car
apart in Jamaica and St Lucia with a multi tool - usually to an admiring
crowd of spectators that didn't realize tourist could do such things)
6. Spend a couple minutes learning stereo - light and windshield operation
before you start driving, your going to busy enough w/o looking down to
operate instruments (I carry a cassette adaptor and FM modulator for my
i-pod but most cars now have AUX jacks, sure is nice if you lose IRIE FM) A car coming at you with windshield wipers on on a sunny day in Jamaica is a tourist getting ready to make a turn - the windshield wipers and turn signals are backwards - check the operation
Always drive with eye on verge way out in front of you, you may have never driven in a situation with as many pedestrians, dogs, goats on the roadway. This goes for 80 KPH open roads as well as in town.
There are 3 distinct types of traffic stops in Jamaica:
Ambush 1 - a road hazard out on road - with a surprising group of people right there to help you change
tyre - pay a few bucks and share a beer and make the best of it (get tyre
fixed ASAP) - stuff happens (this was more prevelant years ago but with the straightening widening of the main roads I have not seen it since the new millineum).
Ambush 2 - our local radar type speed trap carried out by red stripes with radar guns (the person not wearing a seat belt gets the ticket $500.00 J - so driver and passenger could get seperate tickets)
Ambush 3 - JDF forces - very serious M14's, military fatigues, jump
boots - they are looking for guns, drugs - comply completely - yes sir no
sir I understand sir (which is why you should never carry any contraband while driving)
There is no pride lost in yielding the road to an oncoming passing car, I have watched Jamaican drivers and it is somewhat undertood that a 2 lane highway is really 3.
When I was a youngster in the states before interstate highways etc oncoming traffic would flash their lights to tell you there was a patrolman ahead - in Jamaica they
still practice this art - flashing lights mean cops ahead - flashing lights
hand held out means speed trap - flashing lights finger pointed down means
JDF - heed the driver signals
honk horn means I am coming - flash lights means you come first
Keep gassed up at all times
What looks like a 4 way stop to you is a round-a-bout (downtown Negril is
large with a center Island many don't have center Island but same rules) swing left and rotate/circle through intersection until your lane turn
Cars are precious in Jamaica and locals know every pothole - do not follow a
route taxi, he is Mario Andretti one moment and slam on brakes for a fare the next - do
follow a local in a nice blue plated car, when they are slowing down it's
because there are bumps or potholes ahead
remember where turn signals are - a car coming down the road on a sunshiny
day with wipers on is a tourist getting ready to make a turn
Do pull over to the verge and let traffic pass
Do not watch the person in the left hand seat of the car ahead of you
thinking they are driving - the driver is on the right
1/2 of all tourist dents I have seen in Ja involve backing into something -
when you go into a car park (hotel - store - where ever) pick your parking
place and back in it makes it much more manageable a couple hours later when
the sun has gone down and you have downed a couple drinks.........
Please please remember your entire driving career you have conditioned
yourself to dodge right to the ditch when you get in a tight spot -
Jamaicans have been taught to dodge left - the middle of the road is to your
right - see the problem
Have a ball - stop the car, buy a cold drink, set on a stoop/tree stump/rock
somebody is going to come up and ask you what you're doing, buy them a cold
drink, conversation will evolve.....
recommended stuff in car - cooler with bottle opener, water and soda's for
kid's and me plus those little bottles of coke and a split of rum for me -
dog treats - those little Halloween type hand out candy treats
(non-melt able) or packs of gum for kids - little crayola packs for kids
