In fairness to brasilians that I observe here, the majority comport themselves in that manner. A minority seem to think they can do as they please. Human nature in action, I guess.

                         Pat,

            A while back I saw a truck driver carelessly hitting a "Walk/Don´t walk" traffic light. I wrote down his license plate number and headed to a police station. I told the officer what happened and gave him the license plate number. He told me it would be hard to prove that the truck driver had actually damaged the trafic light and I said that I could recognize him and that I would testify and that if they investigated right away they could probably match the paint on the side od the truck to that of the traffic light. I gave him my address and phone number and he asked why I bothered so much with this. I told him that I pay IPTU and that in the end my money would be used to fix the damage if they did not get the trucking companies insurance to do it.

       The Police Officer never called me.

        If this truck driver does the same thing in the United States I would bet that he would be held accountable and the police would pursue the matter. The thought of this happening is no insult to me just because the truck driver is Brazilian.

       I remember a few years back when a russian diplomat who was driving drunk ran over and killed a brazilian pedestrian in New York City. The russian tried to play the whole diplomatic imunity card but it didn´t stick. He is now rotting in jail. Exactly where he should be.

     If only things worked like that over here.