Comments by "Module 79L" (@module79l28) on "Type Ashton" channel.

Here in Portugal, not only we arrived late at the points' "show" (the points system was implemented only in 2016) but we also did it the opposite way of everyone else: instead of racking up demerit points, drivers were given 12 points and each time they were caught commiting an infraction ("caught" being key word #1), points between 2 and 6 are subtracted from the DL (depending on the severity of the infraction). When the drivers have 4 points left they're mandated to do a Road Safety Course ("mandatory" being key word #2), when they only have 2 points left they'll have to retake a Theory Test, if they reach 0 points they'll lose the DL for 2 years and after that period of time they'll have to retake a driving test. However, if drivers miss the RSC (because key word #2) or fail the Theory Test, they'll lose the rest of remaining points and the 0 points' rule will be applied to them. In theory this system should work but in reality it doesn't (because key word #1): a large number of drivers commit enough infractions per day to grant them enough points to lose the DL 2 or 3 times but they don't get caught. The number of drivers who lost all points since 2016, and consequently their DL for 2 years, is so low that if anyone looks at our points system numbers they will think that the portuguese drivers are the best in the world when in reality we're some of the worst.
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To all of you foreigners who are thinking about coming to Portugal and drive: please learn our roundabout rules because they're different from everyone else in the world. I'm tired of having to deal with foreigners in rentals or in their own vehicles who don't know how to drive correctly in our multi-lane roundabouts. The portuguese drivers are no better but at least they don't have the excuse of not knowing the rules, the majority of them do but choose to not care about them.
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I'm portuguese and besides my native language I'm fluent in English and Spanish, I can get by pretty well in French and although I never studied it, I can understand enough Italian to get by as well. I had 8 years of English in school, plus 2 years in the British Institute, and 3 years of French in school. In the 5th and 6th grades we could choose one of two languages (English or French) but in the 7th, 8th and 9th grades we had to have two mandatory foreign languages (English and French) plus an optional 3rd one (Spanish or German), so I chose Spanish. 🙂
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6:40 - Here in Portugal we have a running joke about Lisbon's cabbies (taxi drivers) that goes like this: - "Do you know what's the smallest time measure in existence? It's how long it takes for the cabbie behind you to start honking after the light turns green:" 😂
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Why "how much should we charge?" (charge being the key word here) is even a question?
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Funny thing: here in Portugal we have Aldi (Süd) but they sell Trader Joe's products, which belong to Aldi Nörd...
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If you ever taste traditional portuguese bread you'll quickly change your opinion about who makes the best bread in Europe... 😉
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@TypeAshton - I'm sure many of those bakers who are still making it the traditional way would be happy to teach you that science, you just have to come down here one day and visit the North of Portugal or the Alentejo. 🙂
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