hey! so you know Steve, reading your blog only reminded me of my past which you might get a kick out of..2 summations.
1. to the extent the young and the dead are on the road. their biggest fear is confrontation. here's why: since before the 70's this country had typically 2 casts, rich and poor, nothing has changed since. exception peddlers, junkies and couriers(they carry guns too). To this day these are the ones that inhabit the roadways as everybody else walks(pub transport) or is driven. I'll allude to more in a moment.
2. since those past years there are two laws. the in-laws and the outlaws. as you well know, there, in Central and South America are two upbringings. Matriarchal and Patriarchal. Families like in Mexico are matriarchal in the fact that the good things are handed down from mother to daughter and they keep men in line. (yet i see no actual sign of that) as they always get thrown out and are drunken bums on the street..hmm must be working.
Whereas in South America the patriarchal system is run like "the godfather". and families get big and ruthless. now what about those crime lords.. they don't fight each other like they talk about in movies, in fact, they treat everybody like uncles, and with their riches they get the job done.
the Mob!, is territorial and in Medellin they keep others from stepping on their turf! and have been doing this since the seventies. if a neighbor from another side of town opens up a store and the convenience isn't collateral, that store manager or his daughter, working there, will be kidnapped anywhere, at any time.
This fear has transcended Beirut and is quite commonplace in all of Colombia. Ransoms usually consist of cash or death residual in body parts. for your sake, I would be careful what you say, here! or your next trip could be well, real expensive or short lived. Anyway this issue "the speedup" is in order to not get hijacked or taken by a thug on the street. whether in the city or on the countryside that policy is the rule for: couriers, junkies and peddlers or anybody capable of owning a car, junket or bicycle.. your friends method to stare them down as genuinely hostile as it is, is inline with the people driving. you are ROADKILL!
Oh be aware if you have a stick or bat in your hand they will target practice with you as they know why you carry it. they may even slam you with the door. hey been there seen it. Now the people in close personal contact or aggregated at events are very personable, but you are their guest, visitor, tourista. and in no uncertain terms they will always let you know that.
hope this nonsense gives you a more reasonable opinion on the hows and whys
as the experience is the same in the lower parts of Central America as well, and the reason why the "Junta" usually guard the street, oh and they take tips too...
hey! so you know Steve,
hey! so you know Steve, reading your blog only reminded me of my past which you might get a kick out of..2 summations.
1. to the extent the young and the dead are on the road. their biggest fear is confrontation. here's why: since before the 70's this country had typically 2 casts, rich and poor, nothing has changed since. exception peddlers, junkies and couriers(they carry guns too). To this day these are the ones that inhabit the roadways as everybody else walks(pub transport) or is driven. I'll allude to more in a moment.
2. since those past years there are two laws. the in-laws and the outlaws. as you well know, there, in Central and South America are two upbringings. Matriarchal and Patriarchal. Families like in Mexico are matriarchal in the fact that the good things are handed down from mother to daughter and they keep men in line. (yet i see no actual sign of that) as they always get thrown out and are drunken bums on the street..hmm must be working.
Whereas in South America the patriarchal system is run like "the godfather". and families get big and ruthless. now what about those crime lords.. they don't fight each other like they talk about in movies, in fact, they treat everybody like uncles, and with their riches they get the job done.
the Mob!, is territorial and in Medellin they keep others from stepping on their turf! and have been doing this since the seventies. if a neighbor from another side of town opens up a store and the convenience isn't collateral, that store manager or his daughter, working there, will be kidnapped anywhere, at any time.
This fear has transcended Beirut and is quite commonplace in all of Colombia. Ransoms usually consist of cash or death residual in body parts. for your sake, I would be careful what you say, here! or your next trip could be well, real expensive or short lived. Anyway this issue "the speedup" is in order to not get hijacked or taken by a thug on the street. whether in the city or on the countryside that policy is the rule for: couriers, junkies and peddlers or anybody capable of owning a car, junket or bicycle.. your friends method to stare them down as genuinely hostile as it is, is inline with the people driving. you are ROADKILL!
Oh be aware if you have a stick or bat in your hand they will target practice with you as they know why you carry it. they may even slam you with the door. hey been there seen it. Now the people in close personal contact or aggregated at events are very personable, but you are their guest, visitor, tourista. and in no uncertain terms they will always let you know that.
hope this nonsense gives you a more reasonable opinion on the hows and whys
as the experience is the same in the lower parts of Central America as well, and the reason why the "Junta" usually guard the street, oh and they take tips too...