Driving a Car in Porto Alegre is an Art

One thing you should know about driving in Porto Alegre is that roads belong to people, like if it was their kingdom. One different kingdom for each one on the road. It seems to have some kind of feudal rules applying and others present on the roads are seen like the villein.

What does that mean in practice?! For example, Friday morning, I was on the road guessing that I could, in my own right, continue straight my way, although suddenly one of these lords appeared from a road on the left and entered into this 3-way road like a missile and almost threw me away of the road. Fortunately enough, I was not checking the radio nor reading my emails on my iPhone nor twitting something and I've brake enough to avoid an embarrassing situation. I admit, I've tried to - as gently as I could at that time - tell the driver how I've been disappointed by his behavior. You know, the kind of names I can't mention here because I've not asked if you are above 18 years ... When I told you here above, that it seems that some feudal rules applies in Porto Alegre, it is because these kind of guys are not trying to excuse themselves. Why would they? They are the lords! And what is doing a lord with their villeins? Oh yeah, they're just telling them how much the villein was wrong and next time, they'll do exactly the same way!

Oh, I already see some telling me : "C'me on, it happens from time to time!" Of course, it might! Although, words do not relate the story so well as reality and the way it happened should already be a sign of complete inaptitude to drive a car but ... Problem is that these lords are everywhere in Porto Alegre.  I could have mentioned tenths of these stories where one lord is driving like a ... lord! And who will tell you how you, the villein, should have driven to let him reign on his kingdom quietly!

That's why, in Porto Alegre, it's an art of driving a car. Not the art of driving but the art of Zen. Indeed, you have to open your mind, meditate a bit, relax and above all, take a deep dive into philosophy of life.