Brazil's protests have died down to some degree, though a strike and more protests are planned for July 11, and demonstrations are likely as far down the line as September. The political fallout has continued, with more decisions on the national and local levels of government. The protests have spawned a vast and lively debate, and have revealed that Brazilians don't feel represented by their elected officials.
But still, at the heart of it all, are the day-to-day issues that many Brazilians contend with: inadequate but expensive public transportation, a cost of living outpacing salaries, crime, and poor public services. It's a stagnated quality of life.
While in Rio recently, I spent a lot of time on public transportation, which I normally do while in town. But this time I decided to chronicle one of my rush-hour commutes, in light of the protests, to put things into perspective.
This is not to say that this commute is representative of the whole city, but it's typical for Cariocas without cars who live outside of Zona Sul to spend at least an hour or more on public transportation when heading home from work.
5:30 p.m.: I head to the bus stop in a well-to-do neighborhood in Rio's Zona Sul. On a congested street, dozens of people line up at the stop.
5:40 p.m.: The metro bus arrives. This is a special bus that stops less often than other buses and ends at a metro stop. Buying a R$3.20 (US$1.41) ticket on this bus allows you access to the metro. The bus is already crowded, but at least it is air-conditioned, unlike some of the other city buses. I head to the back; there are no seats. By the next stop, people are squeezing in the narrow aisle, so it's difficult to stand without your butt touching someone else's.
6:00 p.m.: The bus arrives at the metro stop. A huge rush of people flows through the station. People line up on both sides of the platform, even though you're technically only supposed to enter through one side. When the train arrives and the doors open, there's a mad dash to get seats. People literally push and run. I head to the middle of one of the new cars, which is one of the larger ones, and make my way to the middle of the car where there's a sliding pivot on the floor that people don't seem to like. I station myself on it and hold on to a pole. Even though it's the first stop, the cars are already full.
6:15 p.m.: After passing through Rio's downtown, the metro has filled to what seems beyond capacity. People hold the ceilings. Some grumble. Despite the crowding, people try to pass the time. Across from me, a woman reads a book; the man to my right is playing Candy Crush on his phone; to my left, a commuter clutches a Kindle.
6:50 p.m.: I arrive at my stop. Even though we are pretty far out in the suburbs by now, the train is still completely packed. To get off the train, we have to squeeze through other commuters. When we get to the platform, there is a strange and overpowering smell of rotting garbage.
6:55 p.m.: I walk to the bus stop. I could opt to take a van, which is R$0.25 cheaper and might allow me to sit down. But the bus is already at the stop. So I head on. The driver is impatient to end his shift. He starts accelerating even though there is a passenger with one foot on the steps and one on the ground. When she yells for him to stop, he mumbles that he's running late. I pay R$2.75 (US$1.21). There are no seats. So I hang on for dear life as the driver speeds through traffic, causing people to get jerked off their feet if they don't hold on tight enough. But suddenly we are in a massive traffic jam. Even though it is winter, it is hot, and there's no air conditioning. I've been standing since the beginning of the commute, and my feet and back ache.
7:15 p.m.: I finally arrive at my stop. I could have waited to get closer to my destination, but the bus has to make a loop and there is bumper-to-bumper traffic. Instead, I get off earlier, and walk along a dark corridor along the road to get to an overpass that brings me finally, thankfully, to my block.
This commute is one of the more expensive ones, and would cost nearly R$300 a month (US$132). But it would have been even more expensive had the transportation increases gone into effect. And even though the federal government has promised to throw money at urban transportation, it seems unlikely that these types of commutes will get shorter, or less crowded, or cheaper anytime soon.
Photo: by me
Great post. I'm living in São Paulo and I can definitely relate to this, especially the part about the driver accelerating like crazy! I feel like I spend more time on buses than anything else, and I'm lucky I don't have children or a physical disability.
Posted by: Natasha | July 14, 2013 at 05:44 PM