As many have been discussing, the rampant crime in Brazil has led many to avoid the country as tourists and many others to criticize the selection of Rio de Janeiro for the next summer Olympics, the Soccer World Cup, and other huge venues. The local media was covering the growing crime wave in interviewing this woman . . . who was promptly mugged on television as if to bring home the point.
The picture to the right gives a better view of what the thief was after: a gold chain. He did not get away with it. He did break it but he out ran the reporter and got away. In August of last year loan, there were 406 killings in Rio and surrounding areas and 629 robberies on public transport; in just one month.
In the meantime, various sports, including sailing officials, are expressing alarm over the pollution in and around Rio.
Years ago, I stayed at a hotel along the Copacabana. One night I went to one of the best known Churrascarias in the city — just a couple blocks from the hotel. The hotel insisted on driving me but I decided to walk back. I was met from both ends of the street by alarmed hotel and restaurant employees who scolded me for not calling for a car or taxi. I explained that I saw little reason since I could see the hotel roughly a block away and the hotel said that I was lucky to get as far as I did. (I was later pulled off the street by Brazilian police in Sao Paulo for some heated questioning next to a police cruiser. They were clearly seeking a bribe, which I declined to give. A government officer later said that it would have been wiser to just hand over the bribe).
Blame it on RIO….
Paul, Absolutely. It was a blue collar beer like Pabst. But now, like Pabst, it’s a hipster beer. Old Style has always been a big seller @ Wrigley, not so much @ Comiskey.
Nick – are the demographics that different between the two parks?
oops, I left out the link in my previous comment.
Chicago is a code word for “majoring in the minors” or “straining at a gnat but swallowing a camel” it would seem:
(The Fleets & Terrorism Follow The Oil – 2, links removed). Many reading this will probably think that “The 4th Fleet” is a Chicago police squad.
Dredd, Here is a classic Chicago Cop story. When we lived there we would go there to smelt fish. Smelt fishing is just like crabbing where I grew up out east. You get a case of beer, go out @ night, and drop a rope for crabs, or throw out a net for smelt. Mindless, no talent needed, and you can drink beer. We were smelting on Montrose Harbor in Chicago. Now, drinking is illegal but hardly enforced. Usually, if you are not idiots, cops just look the other way. This particular night 2 cops wanted to make money. The usual bribe to a cop for a minor offense is $20, it may have been adjusted for inflation. These 2 cops did everything but ask for the $20. The others were going to give it up, but I kept giving them the “no way” look. The cops kept saying, “I hate to have to take you in” which was pure bullshit. After a solid half hour of them threatening in the form of pleading, they finally realized they had not run into rubes. They had to settle for ~7 Old Style beer confiscated as contraband. That is the consummate Chicago cop bribe story.
Nick – as I remember, and my memory is fast fading now, Old Style wasn’t that bad and it was cheap. 🙂
They are in the amateur stage of bribery evolution.
In sophisticated countries highly-evolved bribery involves real money flowing from the 1% plutocrats to the billboard government officials.
The heaven-scent lobby runs the game in the religious sentiment realm, while the security-scent lobby does it for the secularists.
Natch.
I guess Nick is saying that Rio is the Chicago of Brazil.
Any good cities down there?
“They were clearly seeking a bribe.” Just like Chicago cops. You shoulda felt right @ home.
You don’t have to go to Rio to get mugged. In Carson City CA the cops will do it
Rogue, Mafia, Russia. Brazil, flooding soldiers into crime lord slums, and still nowhere near ready for prime time. What has the Olympic Committee been drinking?
We can only hope this goes world wide. 🙂 I am not planning on attending either event.