I’m lucky. I don’t have a set schedule. I come and go pretty much as I please. Anything that is part of my routine is in walking distance. So I do everything I can to avoid the notorious Sao Paulo rush hour traffic.
But today… today my altered plans led me to experience something most Brazilians do on a regular basis. I came back late from a lunch which made me miss that delicate deadline to avoid bumper to bumper conditions. Instead of getting in a cab at 4:45, my daughter and I got into a cab at 5pm.
Holy hellfire. Halfway to our destination I realized this was not going to be pretty. Had I not been with my daughter and had it not been 100 degree Fahrenheit with 200% humidity, I would have just gotten out and walked.
And I had one of those chatty cab drivers. Cab drivers often ask you weird, personal, totally out of context questions, like how much do you pay for your apartment or where did you get married? (If a cab driver in NYC asked me questions like that, I would have just jumped out of the moving vehicle.)
Next time, I’ll seriously consider rescheduling before sitting in a hotbox (because god-forbid they turn on their air conditioning – it is always “broken”) for 40 minutes after 5pm.
Only 40 minutes? You’re lucky
HA. But it usually takes 10 min.
I’ve heard its SUPER BAD in SP……
From what I’ve seen they are constructing a new beltway around the city and they are constructing new highways (Aguas Espraiadas)to help. It’ll help, but how much remains to be seen.
If the project gets done will remain to be seen.
You should not be so skeptical. Of course the East extension of the beltway is under construction. It’s easy to verify. However the traffic is going to get worse as more people can afford cars everyday.
Under construction is far from complete. Let’s see how this particular project goes. Not skeptical, just realistic (because now I’m more Brazilian!)
Now you’ve had the full São Paulo experience!
I think you are right.
Oh, B.A.B., I think Houston is right up there with Sao Paulo, Houston is a freaking ridiculous nightmare when it comes to traffic jams.
I have never seen it this bad, well, unless the President of the United States is visiting New York city, than the entire New York metro get’s paralized beyond comprehension. The last time I got stuck in Manhattan when Obama was visiting, I missed my 6pm Acella and every other train after that until I finally made it to Penn Station and caught the last possible train to Boston that night at 11:40pm!!!
Well, yes, but Sao Paulo is like that every day without any President visiting!!!
As Sarah put it well, now you have had the full Sao Paulo experience!!
Abracos
Ray
I think I heard Houston traffic was also very bad. Ugh. And it gets HOT there.
Poor city planning + lack of good pubic transport = bad traffic. Argh. A pet peeve of mine. And we’re just continuing the car obsession out here on the frontier.
No kidding. Sao Paulo is sem urban planning.
When taking a taxi, ask for ar condicionado before anything. The driver will turn it on if he realizes that’s the only way to get the run… That’s what I do and it works.
That’s good advice! Unless, of course, you’ve already waited 20 minutes for a taxi and are just desperate to get in one. HA!