gazz

The same as anywhere else we have problems here, but certainly not on the scale and as open as the UK. Drugs are readily available if so required but not openly on the streets as much, i can honestly say that in over a year i have not witnessed a fight or even scuffle on the streets, burglaries do happen but mainly within the tourist areas, no different to anywhere in the world. Generally people are more tolerant to each other and a lot of the issues in day to day life that cause such anti-social behaviour within the UK do not seem to have the same impact here.
Overall life is never a bed of roses but i would say that the manure is not as deep here.

local

Well, thank you...I say 'hello' with a serious face, but notice, I work at a monument where we have thousands of visitors a day, and if we aren't nice with them, well we would get serious troubles, wouldn't we?
I'm relutant to believe about huge behaviour changes from countries...we all live at civilized societies, that have standart rules for public attendance etc, right? and mostly I believe that people are getting more and more open to each other. People are getting more laid back and that is nothing but good sign.

local

About violence issue in general, simply as this: there is NO perfect country. And, well, about the theory of the portuguese that work to have time for living...yes, if they know how to use it...but there are cases that people work for living, and only know their home land and never travel...of course that doesn't mean they are unhappy...but still...

luckylucky

yip, no country is perfect, that's for sure. Portugal has got a less less violent crimes I think than most other European countries.

Portugal has got as lot of positive things - the people are friendly, the weather is far better than Northern Europe, cheap plonk and food - though looking at my expanding belly i'm not 100% sure if that's a good thing or not . As said already, the one thing that I still haven't got used to and I don't think I ever will(not when i'm in a bad mood anyway ) is the driving - I know you can say foreigners need to accept the way the Portuguese drive 'n all that but I think the Portuguese can also learn things from foreigners, the death rates on Portuguese roads are enormous. I have never seen any public safety ads on Portuguese TV however, man they are badly needed. I've even seen the driving instructors here drive like lunatics, tailgating and speeding etc - so no wonder the everyday driver thinks its ok to be looking at whats at your back seat when you are both driving 120 kmh(on the motorway of course )

Supremegermalene

What's even scarier is that in Portuguese law (might have changed now but as I knew it) every learner has to take 25 lessons before they can even apply to take their test! So how does that work, they have to have far more practice but still drive like loonies! On the other hand, I don't believe you can drive with someone in the car with a full licence it has to be an instructor.

G

anna58

My husband and a Portuguese workman were once doing something in the house when a friend rang to say he had had a car accident and, because he didn't speak Portuguese he was having trouble communicating with GNR and other people. My husband told the man he would have to get on on his own while he went to sort it out. After Keith left the man asked me "Is your friend English?" I said yes, that's why he needed help with the language. The Portuguese man replied "Well, that explains it, they're awful drivers because they're used to driving on the other side of the road"

gazz

I have to say i do,nt see this whole bad drivers thing?, i actually think most are extremely confident behind the wheel, ok, maybe sometimes a little over confident, but generally good drivers, although they don,t seem to know what thos "blinkey, blinkey" things on the rear are for agreed.

luckylucky

lmfao, please tell me you are kidding

if you'd describe drivers who overtake on or near bends of roads, pull out of junctions without looking, when turning off roads only slowing down at the last instant and not indicating, crossing over on to your side of the road while they are looking at something in the distance, weaving from one side of the road to the other whilst on their mobile etc etc etc... if that combined with tailgating and speeding is good driving well yeah they're absolutely marvellous.

Maybe they are worse drivers up here than the Algarve though. Also I don't think we're imagining it - haven't the Portuguese got the highest road death rate in the EU?

gazz

Nope

luckylucky

looks like they did in 2001 at least anyway http://www.statistics.gov.uk/STATBAS...nk=7254&More=Y

Supremegermalene

Think Gazz was saying Nope he wasn't joking not nope they haven't got the worst death rate or whatever...

Anyway yes the EN125 has the worst accident rate in Europe I believe. Saying that though, there was a programme on tv about driving abroad and all european police are cracking down on tourists as most accidents are caused by them! Not knowing what european road signs mean, not giving way to the right side, pulling out of a one way street then continuing to drive on the LHS (I've done that!!), not looking in their left wing mirror enough so don't see people are overtaking them and then deciding to turn left.

Saying that my oh who is portuguese think that the portuguese drive like nutters so it's not just us thinking that! Tailgating is the worst I think, 'pushing' you to pull over into the hard shoulder bit, driving way too fast and also stopping in the most awkward of places so no-one else can pass...I know one person who has written off at least 6 cars, face covered in scars from repeatedly going through the windscreen but it doesn't put him off

G
PS Gazz the avo's house goes on the market this weeken...keep your fingers crossed and we might then pay you another visit

luckylucky

Yeah spotted after my reply that he had highlighted 'you are kidding' in red.

btw it seems like road deaths in Portugal have dropped a lot in recent years but it has been suggested this has more to do with rising costs of fuel detering people from driving rather than an improvement in road safety awareness.

gazz

i,ll be the one asleep in the chair

gazz

nope to kidding..yes
disagreeing with road facts ...no

Algarveaddick

Road signing does not help though, does it. Pedestrian crossings are almost invisible here in the south, because of the tar obscuring the white stripes on the road, add to that the one crossing sign they put right on top of the crossing, and that they put them on roundabouts and corners and it's a recipe for disaster.

The one way system around Albufeira town hall is another good example, bearing in mind the huge number of first time visitors from all over Portugal and all over Europe that pass through every day, switching priority from left to right, with aforementioned crossings dotted all over the place it's surprising there are not more accidents.