Que sabem eles?

Por Manuel João Ramos

Traveler rating: 1.0
Portugal: "Portugal sucks"
ntm30, Denver Oct 7, 2007

First of all never ever rent a car from Real Car ([--]). Those guys are crooks. I was unfortunate to rent Hyundai Getz in Real Car branch in Faaro, Portugal. The car is very small and has a small windshield. The wind shield got cracked on a highway. If something like this happens in the US, you call to two or three repair shops and get estimates. You choose where to get your car repaired. In Portugal they called to just one company which was CarGlass , and apparently was part of the gang. I was told that the cost of replacement would be 500 euros or 700 dollars. (My deductible was 1,000 euros). I knew that was a rip off, but what can you do in a foreign country with just one word in your vocabulary: Obrigada - Thank you.

Later on I was told by locals that the cost of replacement for that car in that area would be a little over 200 euros. Those locals told me many unusual things about everyday life in Portugal and Portuguese mentality. I can not provide info on everything I heard within hours of conversations. From his or her childhood a Portuguese person is persuaded that the most valuable thing in life is patience. Wait and something good will definitely happen to you. This was absolute true as we speak of my case and Real Car. They waited, I came over, and they made good money. Being hardworking is not a priority, aspirations to set up goals and achieve them are not priorities in Portugal. No wonder Portugal is one of the poorest countries in Europe.

How do they make their money? They wait for people like me and you. They call them tourists. They would charge you 5 euros for a drink. The cash register would be in front of you. You would see that the actual cost of a drink was 1.5 euros. As you start talking to them about it they lose ability to speak and understand English.

If you want to see absolutely insane drivers on the roads, go to Portugal. You will see what you never saw in your entire life. You will see guys doing 160 miles per hour in 120 kilometers per hour (75 MPH) zone. After I saw it I got to statistics. Portugal has the biggest death toll on the roads in Europe.

Among the things the locals told me were the things absolutely bizarre for an American. In the US we say I need to go to a restroom. A Portuguese person will describe in details what he or she would do in a restroom. A lady can stand up in a middle of a meeting and say I need to go and shee-shee, or I need to go and co-co… No translation needed.

in: TripAdvisor