There are several ways of looking at it
The taxi that is whizzing round the corners in front of me needs to be carefully analysed. Its wheels are totally worn down and touching them blindfolded you could mistake them for a baby’s bottom. Rear-lights: non-existent. The rear bumper is missing and the automotive paneling is currently adorning a different object somewhere else. The right rear window is made of plastic and rust adds a special colour to the car’s overall appearance. When seeing a loose cable swinging freely in the wind, the observant spectator questions its raison d’être and might also be somewhat concerned regarding the car’s capacity or ability to brake. I would bet my bottom dollar that this car would stand no chance in passing its MOT test in Europe.
The eye of the law: every few metres along the Avenida Benavides you come across policemen on duty. If they are responsible for public order, why do not they flag this taxi down? The rules concerning the roadworthiness of cars on Peruvian roads are clearly defined. Since I am sure this car does not comply with them, why do the policemen turn a blind eye?
MOT: even in Peru every car must undergo its yearly technical check. How on earth did this car pass it? How much money did its driver have to pay in order to bribe the officials so that they handed him the necessary documents?
Taxi-license: the colour yellow denotes that a vehicle is an official taxi. Of what worth is a license to transport passengers if the vehicle in question passes all “regulatory checks”?
The passenger: there is someone sitting in the front passenger seat. Without a doubt he has got a good fare-price. Taximeters are not normally used in Peru. The passenger hopes he will arrive safely at his destination. ”Nothing will go wrong” is a maxim of many Latin-Americans. But unfortunately the accident risk in relation to the number of cars on the roads is 10 times higher in Peru than in Germany.
The driver: the man might be living in Lima’s slum-belt and fights for survival. If we knew about his personal life-situation, we might have sympathy for his car’s precarious situation. Perhaps we would marvel at a man who can make money from such a car wreck.
There are many sides to everything – this car, however, gives us a wide spectrum to choose from./KDJ
