It´s that time of life again. Streets decorated in green, yellow, and blue; hopeful people roaming the streets; referees at every barroom table; family and friends gathering to cheer, drink and dine together. It is truly a magical time. Oh, and then when a goal is scored, the whole country erupts in fireworks and horn honking and people screaming. It is an unforgettable experience for sure.
All is super except for those who have other commitments, don´t drive and need to take a cab or uber somewhere in the city. Let me tell you about my experience that took place on Saturday, June 13, at the end of the day just before Brazil´s match.
I needed to go to a seven-day mass which started at 5pm. (keep in mind that the game would start at 7pm). Getting a cab to the church was easy. Being worried about the return trip, I asked the taxi driver his opinion. He assured me that it wouldn´t be difficult to get a cab back.
Little did he know that no one wanted to work after 6pm. I used my app to call a cab and nothing. 20 minutes had gone by when I decided to check the Uber listings. The cheapest run was 180 reais (a lot of money compared to the cab which was 61 reais). The electric Uber was 260 reais. I took a deep breath and counted to 10 (and prayed) clicked on the 180 uber. The driver accepted the run.
Taking the highway would be a fast ride. I had imagined no one on the streets at that time. Living in a metropolitan city leads to a rollercoaster of events. There was a car and motorcycle accident which jammed up the highway.
I made it a point of telling the driver that I was in no hurry and besides we´d be able to listen to the game on the radio. Lucky for me he had just started his shift and hadn´t planned to watch the game at all. Go figure. If I were an Uber driver and with skyrocket prices, I would also start my shift at that time.
Living and learning.
Lessons learned: DO NOT leave the house when there is a Brazil World Cup Match and relearn how to take the subway.
Written: June 16, 2026
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