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Not quite. The Brazilian elite (that’s middle class and above, considering 30-40 million Brazilians live with hunger or near hunger) live in a dystopia of their

Not quite. The Brazilian elite (that’s middle class and above, considering 30-40 million Brazilians live with hunger or near hunger) live in a dystopia of their own making where both parties are at risk of violence here. Virtually all middle class and above housing is a tall tower with gates and security around it. Often double gate or triple gate. Just the time to get across that can be 5-10 min. If it’s your first time due to the need for ID. The driver who leaves his bike outside risks losing it, but the person who comes down to get their food risks the driver being armed and robbing them or kidnapping them. Thus you have a sort of a Prisoner’s Dillema where nobody wins and everyone loses (except the app). For the customer the safest thing is to get the driver through the triple lock, then have him drop off the food at your door inside the building and leave it there. For the driver the safest and most efficient is to drop it off at the security at the door, but these days the security sometimes is virtual only anyway, there is no one to drop it off to, just cameras and fingerprint sensors. So there is no way out of the game, except like many have said the apps should just charge for doorstep delivery. But this makes their lives more complicated, so they’d really like not to even if it results in death and robbery for both parties. Capitalism in Brasil hits different.

avar 3y ago
Can't those towers implement goods hand-off points in the longer term? I.e. bulletproof glass with a tray through which you can pass goods back and forth?
- kranke155 3y ago
  I believe some do. I was there for two months this year but can’t say I ordered delivery food. Some cities will have different systems and every tower is a bit different. I imagine it’s the same thing as any other solution - it will cost money and any opening in the tower security will be gamed and exploited by criminals. That’s likely why it’s not common. The level of criminality and insecurity in Brazil is unusual even for global standards I think. The level of gaming and exploration of any security system by criminals is surprising for people from the outside, and there’s a lot of externalities. Some stories I’ve heard (and was not surprised about): - during the pandemic criminal groups in Recife pretended to be City workers dealing with COVID to get inside the towers and assault apartment buildings - a person in Fortaleza (one of the least safe places) went to the bank to make a large withdrawal to help her father buy a 2nd hand car (I think). As soon as she drove away an armed possy stopped her car and told her to give them the money (which they knew she had). Someone at the bank tipped them off (After that she decided to move) Brazilians are a wildly creative culture. You see this in song and music and whenever you see a Brazilian running a business

avar 3y ago

Can't those towers implement goods hand-off points in the longer term? I.e. bulletproof glass with a tray through which you can pass goods back and forth?

kranke155 3y ago
I believe some do. I was there for two months this year but can’t say I ordered delivery food. Some cities will have different systems and every tower is a bit different. I imagine it’s the same thing as any other solution - it will cost money and any opening in the tower security will be gamed and exploited by criminals. That’s likely why it’s not common. The level of criminality and insecurity in Brazil is unusual even for global standards I think. The level of gaming and exploration of any security system by criminals is surprising for people from the outside, and there’s a lot of externalities. Some stories I’ve heard (and was not surprised about): - during the pandemic criminal groups in Recife pretended to be City workers dealing with COVID to get inside the towers and assault apartment buildings - a person in Fortaleza (one of the least safe places) went to the bank to make a large withdrawal to help her father buy a 2nd hand car (I think). As soon as she drove away an armed possy stopped her car and told her to give them the money (which they knew she had). Someone at the bank tipped them off (After that she decided to move) Brazilians are a wildly creative culture. You see this in song and music and whenever you see a Brazilian running a business