There’s a long tradition here in Costa Rica of street vendors lining the streets.

A truck will come to town or a car trunk will unload its cargo to show off.

So when the A-boards started showing up on the sidewalks, it didn’t seem much different.

The shops and restaurants want to announce their specials and help tourists find them.

Increasingly, though, the A-boards are moving off the sidewalks and into the street.

They monopolize parking, which is at a premium in High Season.

Our streets are already so narrow, it’s hard for two cars to pass.

For Christmas, the streets are lined with A-boards.  I dread going downtown to shop.

And how many A-boards does one business need?

Some businesses are even expanding their businesses into the street, but where else are you going to park 25 cuads?

This guy has taken “sidewalk café” to the next level, adding a wood floor in the parking strip,

Leaving this other guy to park in the traffic lane. He might be new to town but it’s hard to believe he thought this was a parking space.

Here’s at least two parking spaces lost to A-boards.

And if you want to grab more territory in front of you business, don’t limit yourself to A-boards. Anything on hand will do the job.

A concrete bollard works for a while, until someone gets mad enough to take a sledge-hammer to it.

I’m just asking, “How much is enough?”