The Richter Scale^®

Bonaire, the island I live on, is not a typically Caribbean island - it’s actually rather arid. Our primary native flora are cactii and other thorny plants. The terrain is more reminiscent of Arizona than the lush jungle one typically envisions in conjunction with “Caribbean Island”. We have no real big sandy beaches - it’s mostly iron shore or small bits of coralline rock here.

Part of the reason for the lack of “lush-ness” is the fact that our annual rainfall is only about 20-22 inches a year.

So, when rain falls (our rainy season is typically November and December, spreading outward into October or January on occasion), the parched soil does not absorb the water real well. Nor have the civil engineers who designed roads and other man-made structures taken rain much into account.

This is obvious by the 6-12 inch deep puddles on what we call major roadways here (ones that fit two car side by side with a margin for safety). And the puddles are everywhere after a rain shower.

Now, back in New England or Florida, when it rains, and there are puddles everywhere, what do folks do when driving through them? They make sure their windows are rolled up tight.

Not on Bonaire. This morning, for example, over half the vehicles passing by me heading in the opposite direction, while driving through these deep puddles, had at least their driver side window open. We drive on the “normal” side of the street here, so that puts their driver side window facing the center of the road.

Being trained to drive in New England, I find puddles a delight to drive through, and whenever possible do so at the highest speed I can. On Bonaire this produces rather unhappy results, particular when passing by someone with said open window.

But today, all those people who appear not to have a shred of self-preservation (at least with respect to puddle water) were saved by virtue of the slow vehicles in front of me. As for me, I make sure my windows are alway rolled up when hitting these puddles.