Kaaapooooom*
nnnghuh nnnguh*
rooaaarrr*
vooRRRR, vooRRR, vooRRR*
beep*
All these sounds at the same time mixed with others in
a busy city. Ahhhhh! It makes me feel like screaming as I wait for the
crosswalk light to turn green. Noise pollution swirled with air pollution, and
could we even say people pollution?
Recently I have become aware of the fact that driving
in Sao Paulo stresses me out. People drive as if they were playing a video
game. They zigzag from one lane to the other just to get on the other driver’s
nerves because in the end you end up where they have to go almost at the same
time as those who stayed put in the same lane. Some of them are quite good at
it while others cause pretty ugly incidents and accidents.
What about those tailgaters? They really drive me
crazy and raise my blood pressure. The other morning there was a woman driver
who was so close to my rear bumper that I was tempted to suddenly step on the
brakes, however, she just kept on pushing me; mind you, I was already at the
speed level. What did she want? Anyhow, I managed to let her pass me, of course
I waved at her as she did (behind the wheel, the evil within manages to come
out). I managed to calm down and continue on my way. All of a sudden there was
a gigantic traffic jam, everyone slowed down and traffic became bumper to
bumper. There had been an accident. Who did I see in the middle of a four-car
accident in tears? : The tailgater. She had hit a car and she was hit. Once again I waved as I drove by her. Cruel,
maybe, but she was asking for it, wasn’t she?
There are some drivers here in Sao Paulo that do not
know that their car is equipped with devices called signal lights that must be
used in order to communicate to other road users what they intend to do. Signals
give advance warning to other road users that you intend to perform a maneuver,
which means they must be used. However, here in Sao Paulo, drivers either do
not use them or turn them on all of a sudden and immediately switch lanes,
therefore you need to have psychic powers to try to figure out what they intend
to do. Developing ESP in Sao Paulo is a must! Likewise going to a cardiologist
is also required to make sure you will not have a heart attack when lanes are
switched suddenly without prior warning.
People say that if you can drive in Sao Paulo, you can
drive anywhere in the world. I realize that there are worse cities in the world
where traffic is just as bad or even worse. Hopefully one day this issue will
be resolved.
Every day I pray that I will hit the lottery jackpot
just so I can hire a driver therefore reducing my stress level.
(Written: February 25, 2014)todos os direitos reservados a Meire Marion.
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| Google Images: Traffic on 23 de Maio, Sao Paulo, Brazil |
*Onomatopoeia dictionary
on line: http://www.writtensound.com/index.php?term=car+
