I took my youngest in to get a booster shot at the pediatrician today. Yes, I vaccinate my children. I also happen to live in a country that has a Meningitis season.
Anyway, my pediatrician had just gotten back from the states and had a gripe to share with me.
Apparently he got a $165 ticket. He was horrified. Him and his family were driving around Orlando and he didn't realize that his turn was coming. Being the Carioca he is, he went ahead and turned right while in the second lane because otherwise he would have missed it.
He was actually surprised that the police officer wouldn't let him explain. "I was lost. I tried to tell him that but he didn't seem to care. He didn't even give me a chance!"
I almost felt sorry for him at that point. I told him that in my country rules are rules. The police officer really didn't care why you did it. You were supposed to have taken the next right and double back.
You should have seen the eyebrow raise on that one. What? Double back? I think most Cariocas would rather wait until things are all clear and drive half a block in the wrong direction down a small one-way street just because it was a tad quicker.
Then I told him that I miss that driving in Rio. You know, rules and organization. By the look on his face I think he just may think I'm insane.
He then informed me that he had almost bought a GPS but decided against it because it was $150 and he wouldn't need it in Rio. I just laughed. To think, he could have saved himself $15 and walked away with something.
I explain Carioca drivers to visiting friends this way: Ayrton Senna is alive and well behind the wheel of virtually every vehicle in Rio. Of course, Ayrton sadly received his last ticket some time ago. But, once the City of Rio realizes what a cash cow traffic violations are, things may change in terms of enforcement, just as parking on sidewalks is no longer tolerated near the beach on weekends and the City makes a fortune off towing those who find old habits difficult to break.
ReplyDeleteYou should have seen me trying to teach my husband how to drive here. "What do you mean I have to stop at the stop signs. WHY?!" And then there's me while in Brazil, who keeps my eyes closed the entire time we are driving (in SP at least) in order to prevent a heart attack at my young age...
ReplyDeleteTiffany, if you're scared of driving in Sao Paulo, don't go to Rio. It's a lot worse over there :).
ReplyDeleteA while back I was driving in the US and being Brazilian, I did a rolling stop at a stop sign (I slowed down enough to see that the street was dead, not a car or pedestrian in sight) and an American passenger promptly told me off for not completely stopping. While I could understand the good intention, it seemed like taking the rule to an unnecessary extreme. It certainly didn't help when a few days later, this same friend attempted to demonstrate that his brand spanking new Jeep Wrangler could climb a steep grassy bank (not meant for driving!) after we'd spent a few hours drinking in TGI Fridays...
rules are rules except when the driver has a pretty smile and a nice rack.
ReplyDeleteGood point, a nice rack or smiles from a beautiful woman might prevent a ticket in the US where you must stop and sign the ticket.
DeleteNot the case in Sao Paulo where a heartless, brainless, computarized camera that takes your picture commiting the infracture and mails you the ticket.
Ray
Rachel,
ReplyDeleteOrlando has one of the largest number of foreclosures in the US.
Florida has been loosing population every year since 2008 because it has no jobs.
Speed traps have become their main stream of revenues, Florida has the largest number of speed traps in the country.
Cops are not so strict in other states and cities that are not so desperate for cash. They usually give a warning to first time offenders of minor infractions.
Ray
By the way Sao Paulo is vicious and super strict with traffic violators.
ReplyDeleteI got 2 tickets on my last trip, 1 mile a part, for driving on an exclusive truck lane (while looking for an address).
110 Reais each!
It was a Sunday night, 11pm, no trucks or cars anywhere to be seen...
Annon: Good point, a nice rack or smiles from a beautiful woman might prevent a ticket in the US where you must stop and sign the ticket.
Not the case in Sao Paulo where a heartless, brainless, computarized camera that takes your picture commiting the infracture and mails you the ticket.
I might add that there is little to no room for appeals.
NO MERCY in Sao Paulo!! ;)
Ray
This post, and the subsequent comments, brought back memories from Driver's Ed class in High School.
ReplyDeleteOur instructor, a fat ol' gal, would scold us - 4 pupils to 1 car - endlessly for a rolling stop. This after slamming on the passenger seat brakes and giving everyone whiplash, lol. Anyway it was really funny when my classmates where driving, not so much when I was the one behind the wheel. Specially since Mandy (hottie) was in the car and I didn't appreciate being embarrased in front of her, and her rack.
Sorry for the colorful comment Rachel; but c'mon: it's almost Carnival.
I'll be listening to this :-)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRIylF76-wc&feature=related
My husband and I are notorious for getting pulled over and stopped in the US. Name the violation and I have gotten a ticket for it... once I got four tickets in one day :( It only works if you are pretty, nice rack and KEEP your mouth shut. I have a problem with that!
ReplyDeleteSeems in Brazil we also have a record for tickets and being pulled over. We have had to stop at three different road blocks while we were questioned. Now, we are currently trying to figure out how to pay of the 12 tickets for violations we have from the cameras. My husband even has one from talking on the phone that was hand written :)
I believe Rio is already on board with traffic violations!
Hey, you should look up my old Driver's Ed teacher. You two would have a major whiplashfest.
DeleteIt's funny because we are both great drivers and never get in a wrecks and only a few of the tickets are for speeding! The four in one day were for registration, no signal lane changing, and not having my insurance card on me x2. I even had a cop ready to write me a ticket because he didn't believe I was wearing my contacts!
DeleteI have only witnessed horrible driving when I was on a day long layover in the Miami Fort Laurdale area. My little nicece lives there, so my sister and law picked me up from the airport and in the little time we were in the car. I saw cars cutting people off in a crazy way on the highway while driving at high speeds. Thankfully my niece is still young so she has to be seated in a car seat. Those seats are extremely protective. My sister in law said that what I saw wasn't out of the norm, people drive crazy there. Not crazy, I am in a hurry (which is how people drive in NYC and in Boston) so I will be defensive and drive fast, but crazy like I will probably accidentally kill you if I loose control or if you get in my way. The swerving and speeding was out of control.
ReplyDeleteI was just amazed by it, not surprising there are many car accidents. In her opinon this is caused by the first generation immigrant population, in some Latin American contries. Road regulations are lax, that culture gets passed down, then they move to Flordia, and subject people to craziness.
Jerry Seinfeld jokes that it's due to all the senior citizens who insist on driving big old Cadillacs but can't see properly over the steering wheel any more. :)
ReplyDeleteThe speed traps here are ok by me, they tell in advance you when you need to be at a certain speed and that there's a camera ahead (in my experience in Rio at least)-beats having a cop with a radar gun hiding behind any random bush! What gets me here are the cameras at intersections. I swear, the sensors must trigger at the moment the signal goes yellow because I don't blow red lights. I know two of these in my neighborhood and now when I approach these intersections, I slow DOWN, because I know if it goes to yellow when crossing, I'll get a photo ticket. Dislike. If you are at a normal speed, it seems you'd need to slam on your brakes, risking getting rear-ended. But c'est la vie. Who's gonna even try to fight that? Not me.
ReplyDeleteHE was horrified? I live in Orlando. We have to tolerate the most ridiculous and eye-popping maneuvers on the road. If you are traveling in an unfamiliar area, wouldn't you be more cautious? Not to mention respect for someone's home and their laws. Tell your pediatrician I have three children and I don't want to hear his "explanations" for putting them in danger. And to the poster who claimed that writing tickets has become a main stream of revenue because we "have no jobs", tell that to everybody I know who is employed and very well paid. Also, tourism in Florida for 2011 was off the charts. Look it up.
ReplyDelete