Traffic

You think traffic is bad in Washington or Philadelphia? Try São Paulo, the city with 180 kilometer traffic jams on Friday nights. Brazil’s economic boom is feeding a middle class buying spree in automobiles, which add to the country’s notorious infrastructure deficiencies. One wonders about the cost to productivity and family life. A driver comments: “We have become slaves of traffic and we have to plan our lives around it.” How to get around it? Helicopter service for those who can afford it. One radio station broadcasts traffic information all the time, 24 hours a day.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19660765