Moderator Comment:

Ark, I'm afraid it is not quite Friday even in Lisbon. This sort of
posting should be reserved for Fridays only.

BenT
Sent from my mobile device

On Jan 14, 2010, at 5:36 AM, Arkady Mirvis <arkadymirvis@GMAIL.COM>
wrote:

> Not funny! Many Portuguese drivers are real masters in handling.
> Some try to copy and they are responsible for giving Portuguese
> drivers bad name. All are considered the worst drivers in Europe.
> After almost  2.5 years I was very observant where the bad
> reputation came from.
> Tailgating! Is it only in Portugal? O, no! Drive on I 80 in NJ and
> you will be scared seeing in rear window only the front a 18-
> wheeler, nothing else!
> Already twice I, usually maintaining the safe distance, saw the
> following. A vehicle in front of me was suddenly engulfed in a cloud
> of
> black-yellow smoke. I felt also a realy nose eating smell. What was
> that? I found that some "ingenious" drivers installed anti-
> tailgater. This is a small 10 cm long, 8 cm in dia. piece installed
> as a tail pipe. Apparently it has a remote controlled actuation to
> inject into the exhaust some chemical. The driver, seeing a
> tailgater behind his car, actuates the device and stages a smoke
> screen!  Great! I wish more of that. While it isn't perfectly safe,
> it will send a signal to the public that they can get some smell
> they will not lose in a week.
> The police in Portugal is very rare, no ambushes, they are very
> poliute, underepaid and far more slim and good looking. Nice guys!
> They go on strikes and limit their activities by not fining the
> offenders. So the government loses a lot of money ( the revenues )
> and raises the pay.
>
> Ark.
>