Wear your vest in Colombia
Motorcyclists are required to wear a bright orange or yellow vest with reflective numbers of their license plate, and to have the plate number on the back of their helmet. DO IT!
While coming from the airport in Bogota after flying the bike from Panama we were actually on the way to get vests made. They are cheap, and available from about $8. Without the vests, we were suddenly surrounded by eight police with drawn weapons, and patted down. A bit disconcerting, to say the least!
Evidently there is a history of assassins and robbers on motorcycles, which is why the identification is required. If they see people on bikes without the vest or numbers on the helmet they assume the worst. After an explanation that we were just coming from clearing the bikes from customs they were friendly enough and let us go (showing my old police identification didn´t hurt either), but it´s not something you want to take a chance on.
As the ad said ´´Don´t leave home without it¨¨ !
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Steve Barnett
Panama City, Panama
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