Bulletproof

After jumping through a few hoops and wading through seemingly miles of red tape, I finally have my Brazilian driver's licence. I now have the priveledge of cautiously weaving my way through local traffic, dodging pedestrians and street performers and beggers, and trying not to get caught by one of the numerous radar traps lurking around town. But more than anything else, I try to keep my eyes open for dangerous situations. Young women driving alone in this city (especially in expensive cars) are targets for petty crime, car theft, fraud, and at worst armed robbery and rapid kidnapping. Almost everyone has a story. So far, I have been lucky enough to be bulletproof - driving a car with kevlar tires (difficult to shoot or slash), bulletproof windows and doors, and a kick ass engine which can accelerate through almost anything. The only problem is trying to stop with all that weight behind you. And feeling overconfident. So I'm off to the grocery store now, with my eyes open and my rear view in clear focus. Brum brum!