Crime's No Joke

Here in Brazil, getting robbed is just a fact of life. Assaults are common place and there are few weeks that go by when I don't hear a new story.

When the majority of residents here in Salvador make less than R$400 a month (if you are lucky)...

When the cost of living is so high (at least 3 times as expensive as in the States)...

When the state lacks adequate public education...

And the system fails you...

And your options are few...

Some people turn to crime to TAKE what they WANT out of life.

Crime here is everywhere. It permeates daily life. It's not something you only read about or see in the news. It's not some disconnected puppet show, but something real, something that makes you look behind your back and keeps you wired.

Some recent stories that I can remember:

-A few weeks ago, the director of our school walked out of his office and was robbed at gunpoint. He said that the crook shook with nervousness when he pointed the gun in his direction. The thief took his car keys, stole his car, and was never seen or heard from again.

-Same week, one of the teachers was robbed at knife point walking home from the gym.

-Friend of mine went to dinner in Barra, a trendy beach side neighborhood. A group of five men entered the restaurant with automatic rifles. Everyone ran into the back and hid in the kitchen. The register was robbed and the crooks fled.

-Same friend was beaten onto the ground by three guys on a seperate incident. One held down his girlfriend. The two were robbed of all their belongings.

-That same friend was walking along the beach and a man with a machete ordered him to hand over his backpack. He dropped it and ran.

-My girlfriends cousin -- a security guard and black belt in jujitsu -- tried to resist when a group of guys rushed him. The thieves shot him through the chest. Somehow he lived.

At work, instead of circulating internet jokes or office humor, we often get these (overhead shots of points in the city, where the latest spree of robberies are taking place):

Often times, when things go wrong, assaults end in violence. Not only do the victims get hurt, but when the thugs make a mistake or are somehow over powered, people will turn on them as well. Countless times I have watched news broadcasts of bus robberies, where the public has cornered the thief (usually 16 years old) and are collectively beating him to death.

Consider it bottled up rage. When you work your ass off for R$ 400 a month, and someone tries to take it from you, your reaction is usually less than sympathetic. And as much as I would like to play anthropologist, living here changes you. Something about watching a thief get a taste of his own medicine feels good. It's karma, and somehow deserved.

Check out this video. I find it so fascinating. This is one of those joke shows where guys go out on the street and mess with people on film. The guy is running up to people and yelling, "ASSALTO"! (ROBBERY!) and then pulling out a newspaper to complain about high grocery prices. I'm sure that if this was taped in the US, people would have a totally different reaction. Here in Brazil, crime is no joke.