Gas is Nothing Compared to Bullets
Worried about driving because of high gas prices? It could be worse. In Brazil the fear of being shot in your car is a very real concern. In the last six months of 2007, more than 7000 bulletproof cars were sold in Brazil. Currently there are over 50,000 such cars being driven by Brazilians. The bulletproof car business has been growing at a rate of about 20% a year each year for the last decade. Originally the cars were purchased almost exclusively by the ultra rich, but now even the wealthier middle class are buying them. The average price of converting a car to bulletproof is around $31,000 (US). The need for the bulletproof cars has arisen because of the incredible number of cars, over 6 million in Sao Paulo, creating tremendous traffic jams with ample opportunities for drive-up robberies and shootings by motorcycle bandits.So next time you complain about the high price at the pump, just be glad you don't live in Brazil where you might have to pay the price of a new car just to have a little security on your commute home!
Photo: Magnaera.com
Story: BBC News
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