our cars and THEIR CARS

“Marcio, why did you write the title like this?”

our cars

                                                                                         THEIR CARS

Well, the answer is easy. our cars (Brazilian cars) are quite different from THEIR CARS (USA cars). In fact, the entire system linked with cars are different here.

Let´s start with price. THEIR CARS cost around 30% of our cars. I mean, if you had $16.000,00 US dollars in USA you would buy a used car like 2007 Toyota Camry, in Brazil you would need $45.000,00 US  dollars to buy the same car. By the way, I guess, the USA car market is around 10 times bigger than Brazil  market.

Now, it´s time to compare drivers´ licenses. In USA, I got mine in less than 2 hours using my own car on the practical test and I spent US$ 8,00. Yes Brazilians, it is true: 2 hours and US$ 8,00. Well, you know … the process to get ready to drive our cars take around 2 months and you will spent US$ 800,00 (at least) … By the way, as far as I could understand, some laws follow the state where you are. For instance, in some states you are allowed to drive a motorcycle with no helmet. Another example is about cell phone. In some states  you can talk while you are driving and in others you can´t. So, it is not a good idea using cell phones while you are driving from East to West Coast for example.

Ok, by this time, we have already had a car and our license. It is time to use both. At least in Bettendorf-Iowa I can feel drivers are more polite than us (Brazilians). I believe there are two reasons for it: They are more knowledgeable about laws and you really can be punished if you go against the law. I was told they teach drive lesson on High Scholl as we teach Math.

our cars and THEIR CARS are quite different indeed. Likely you can remember our former president Fernando Collor who opened our market for the world, and he said our cars were like a cart. Well, sometimes I wonder if he is still right. I have no idea how many years stuff like air-conditioning, ABS brakes, air-bags, automatic-shift and hydraulic steering are more than common here.  Although the automobile industry is worried about gasoline consumption there is no “tiny” engine here. Instead, THEIR CARS basically are found in two ways: big and very big cars. The pictured house is a typical American house. Two cars outside the garage – in general, a garage full of stuff inside, so car can´t stay in there -  one “normal” and another such as SUV, Truck or Family VAN. Ohh Yes!!! They love SUVs  and Trucks.

They also must have car insurance, but it is different from ours. I couldn´t understand quite well the differences between them, but I know you must have insurance by law. In addition, insurance here is a huge market. But it is funny … as you can find at the photo, it is not rare you find a parked car with opened windows, and during winter time they turn on THEIR CARS and go inside the house to have a breakfast and return to the car to go to work. If we do that, we would turn on our cars, would go inside the house, would have breakfast and ... would call a cab to go to police station in order to claim a stolen car.

So, we have bought a car, were allowed to drive, we've parked them ... let´s go to the gas station, and after get on the road...  As you should know, THEIR CARS have the tank filled by the owner and the bill can be paid at the gas pump. By the way, the gasoline price runs as oil price runs, I mean, the market controls the price (nowadays US$ 2.60 per gallon)... it is fair enough, isn't it? our cars are filled with doubtful quality gasoline at prices controlled by PETROBRAS. Well, as you should also know, THEIR CARS don´t have to face holes on streets nor have to pay high fees on the roads.

I could also tell about the interests, variety ... but our cars are tired ... well at the end of the day they are not THEIR CARS.

See you soon ... on foot.