I have the bus fleet number. I have the time and place. I have the phone.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

As soon as my cellphone is recharged (my company does not allow outgoing 0800 calls) I'm going to call the bus company and ask them if it's all right for the cashier (buses here have a driver and a cashier, who's in charge of collecting fares) to do religious proselytizing while on company time. Maybe it is, maybe it's not.

Feel free to speculate on what I'm going to hear. Keep in mind this is not the US bible belt, this is Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

[greekspeak]

1. Here you would probably be laughed at

There...I do not know. I have no idea what is acceptible in Brazil.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

2. Bus companies are positively fascist on their employees.

A relative of mine works at one. They get suspended without pay for the feeblest shit.

[arwalden]

3. Did You Personally Observe This Happening To Someone Else?

... or was it YOUR mortal soul that someone was trying to save from eternal hellfire and damnation?

Yours In Christ,
-- Allen

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

4. EVERYONE who passed through the... thing that makes clakety-clack.

(HOW do you call it in English?)

[Coventina]

5. Turnstile

:-)

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

10. (Checks Google images) Yep, that's it.

Being a foreigner who learned English in a chaotic way (comics, books, movies, songs, Internet, and fragmented attendance to assorted courses) I have some weird gaps in my vocabulary.

[bertha katzenengel]

12. Dude, I dig the way you learned English. It's how I'm trying to learn

Spanish.

And I know one phrase in Portuguese but I don't know how to spell it:

Como vyvo say?

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

14. Como vai você? (How do you do?)

:hi:

[bertha katzenengel]

19. I have always wondered how that was spelled!

Thank you! :hi:

[arwalden]

6. Turnstile?

[arwalden]

8. That person should be fired...

... and refunds should be given to all the passengers that had to deal with it. And the bus driver should be reprimanded for allowing it to continue.

[GOPisEvil]

7. So this is a private company, not a government-run bus?

Here most of our city busses are governmental or quasi-governmental. Most local governments would be scared of the lawsuit and would do something about an employee like that.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

9. Yes. That's why I said "maybe yes, maybe not."

But I'm willing to bet he violated the rules for proper behavior at the job. If the company says it's allowed, I'll just say "OK" and let it rest.

[GOPisEvil]

13. Hmmm...interesting.

I know I wouldn't be happy about patronizing a business that proselytized to me. I'd stop if I could.

[bertha katzenengel]

11. Which religion?

I don't know Brazilian demographics. Like many U.S. citizens I am ignorant of other cultures (and I'm ashamed).

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

15. Evangelical. (Most call themselves pentecostals)

Virgin kickers.

Maybe not Universal Church (I don't remember, I threw the leaflet away). Assembly of God is another heavy offender in this area, along with JW and Mormons.

[bertha katzenengel]

18. Wow.

In my church (Baptist) they were pretty quiet about their loathing for the Catholic Church and the "cult of Mary."

Of course, you realize that if one does not accept Jesus as his/her savior, one will not go to heaven. Right? It's the only way.

:eyes:

[Squeech]

16. How does this work?

How are the various bus companies organized? Can a new bus company just start up if it perceives an unfilled market niche? Are there unions that organize bus workers, or try to?

As you know, I have some familiarity with Brazil, and I know that, even in a small city like Vitoria ES, there are half a dozen urban bus lines. (Mrs. Squeech really hates the yellow buses, and will wait until a bus from another carrier shows up.)

But what I don't know yet is how the decisions are made, what the permit process is like, how straightforward (or corrupt) it all is.

Also, have you made the call yet, and did you get an answer?

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

17. In theory, the Municipality offers bids for concessions to operate lines

And private companies enter into contracts to provide the service within the rules stated.

In practice, the bus company owners' cartel owns the municipality and does whatever the hell they want. There used to be state-run bus lines - no more. Ahhh, the wonders of privatization. :mad:

The line in which this happened, for instance, has a path completely different from the official one - the municipality should establish a new line number and open bids for that. But the company gets to redefine the line and pay zit.

Lots of informal, gray-market transportation made on vans and Kombis (The very old VW micro-bus - how do you call it?) which effectively forced the private companies to increase their quality somewhat.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

20. Call made - mundane answer

Asked all the info, heard typing as I spoke, attendant said complaint would be forwarded and I'd get feedback.

[HEyHEY]

21. They will burn you as a witch

I reckon

[CanuckAmok]

22. I saw a documentary on Brazil's mass-transit system... it's incredible.

We could learn a few things.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

23. Could be a lot better

But from what I read about the USA, ours is positively European in comparison. Does Canada suffer from the same cars-and-oxygen-are-equally-necessary problem?