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Bravo,
I have no arguments with you on this one. I have a friend that is a Chicago Police officer. The interesting thing about the girls in Chicago is 4 of them are married to Chicago Police officers! One of them was shockingly arrested in a prostitution stink in Chicago!
[QUOTE=Bravo]You should see the large amount of MP/Help girls in Chicago!!! I am sure they blow the population in DC right out of the water!![/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=Chingon]To quote Alfred E. Neuman, "What me, worry?" (insert gap tooth smile here)
You site old sources in support of your position. Going to Recife, works for you. COOL! But stating that it is safer than Copa, in spite of current reports to the contrary, I find that misleading, IMHO. I clear remember OGlobo reporting last year, that Recife was more dangerous then Rio, based on statistics from the previous year. Unknown yet, if Rio will be #1 again this year. Rio's criminals are doing there best to regain that title. (You see all the latest crime reports?) :D
A better question ML, is why are YOU misleading mongers?[/QUOTE]
All I said was its a different scene and I did not say it was safer.
Recife does has crime, as I have said. Rio has crime too.
What's your point?
I have been to Rio about a dozen times. But I have never used the metro. So, having read how to get from Copa to near 4x4, I am ready to try it. But, anyone have any advice about the return, noting that the metro closes at 12 midnight on weekdays. Safe? I'm not paranoid, but not stupid either. And I couldn't find this in a search, so please help me out. Oh, speak some Portuguese. Passable but not fluent.
[QUOTE=Delecti]I have been to Rio about a dozen times. But I have never used the metro. So, having read how to get from Copa to near 4x4, I am ready to try it. But, anyone have any advice about the return, noting that the metro closes at 12 midnight on weekdays. Safe? I'm not paranoid, but not stupid either. And I couldn't find this in a search, so please help me out. Oh, speak some Portuguese. Passable but not fluent.[/QUOTE]
I've taken the metro on several occasions between 10:00 PM and midnight and never had a problem. Walking from 4X4 to the Uruguiana station also wasn't such a big deal, it's not very far, three blocks or something like that, and even late at night, there are tons of people in the street, if you're concerned about that. If you are farther away from a metro station in Centro, like, say, Praca Mauá, I would take a cab rather than walk through the dark side streets. Even in that case, take the cab just to the metro station to save money rather than taking the cab all the way to Copacabana.
Hope this helps, EA
[QUOTE=Delecti]I have been to Rio about a dozen times. But I have never used the metro. So, having read how to get from Copa to near 4x4, I am ready to try it. But, anyone have any advice about the return, noting that the metro closes at 12 midnight on weekdays. Safe? I'm not paranoid, but not stupid either. And I couldn't find this in a search, so please help me out. Oh, speak some Portuguese. Passable but not fluent.[/QUOTE]
Its not bad at all IMO, but I am always aware of my surroundings. The area around there looks like a flea market of some sort, never felt unsafe.
The metro is also very easy to use. Didn't have a problem my first time.
[QUOTE=Madd Love]All I said was its a different scene and I did not say it was safer.
Recife does has crime, as I have said. Rio has crime too.
What's your point?[/QUOTE][QUOTE=Madd Love]I personally think Rio & Sao Paulo are more dangerous than Recife.
Crime is much higher there on a comparison level.[/QUOTE]Anyone have a fork? Time to put this to rest. I agree to disagree.
I am posting this in the General Info area, I hope that is OK with everyone. I posted my other experiences in the Rio Reports section because the information is specific to Rio.
Had a great time last night at Modern Sound on Rua Barata Ribeiro, 502 – D, Copacabana.
[url]http://www.modernsound.com.br/ingles/bistro.asp[/url]
The food and drinks were good and fairly priced. The live jazz music performed by the guys below was awesome.
GENTE FINA E OUTRAS COISAS: Ronaldo do Bandolim (shavings), Zé Carlos Bigorna (flutes and sax), Fernando Coelho (guitar), Bebeto Castilho (Eletrict Bass), Jovi Joviniano (percussion).
Wednesday, from 5:00 p.m.to 9:00 p.m.
Nice place to bring a date or go by yourself to kick back and relax.
One thing that was a little strange -- they accept credit cards but you cannot put a tip on there. I found this out when my waitress brought back the credit card receipt and it had the 10% tip deducted. Her service was excellent, so naturally I gave her a cash tip. When I asked the hostess about this she said that they have to wait 30 - 45 days for credit cards to get credited. I find this hard to believe but may be is what they are telling the wait staff.
BTW, I love nothing better than recommending business that do it right. I have bought CDs and DVDs at Modern Sound for many years. They have a good selection, knowledgeable helpful staff and fair prices.
[QUOTE=Exec Talent]I am posting this in the General Info area, I hope that is OK with everyone. I posted my other experiences in the Rio Reports section because the information is specific to Rio.
Had a great time last night at Modern Sound on Rua Barata Ribeiro, 502 – D, Copacabana.
[url]http://www.modernsound.com.br/ingles/bistro.asp[/url]
The food and drinks were good and fairly priced. The live jazz music performed by the guys below was awesome.
GENTE FINA E OUTRAS COISAS: Ronaldo do Bandolim (shavings), Zé Carlos Bigorna (flutes and sax), Fernando Coelho (guitar), Bebeto Castilho (Eletrict Bass), Jovi Joviniano (percussion).
Wednesday, from 5:00 p.m.to 9:00 p.m.
Nice place to bring a date or go by yourself to kick back and relax.
One thing that was a little strange -- they accept credit cards but you cannot put a tip on there. I found this out when my waitress brought back the credit card receipt and it had the 10% tip deducted. Her service was excellent, so naturally I gave her a cash tip. When I asked the hostess about this she said that they have to wait 30 - 45 days for credit cards to get credited. I find this hard to believe but may be is what they are telling the wait staff.
BTW, I love nothing better than recommending business that do it right. I have bought CDs and DVDs at Modern Sound for many years. They have a good selection, knowledgeable helpful staff and fair prices.[/QUOTE]I got laid at Modern Sound about a year ago. Well, not AT Modern Sound but I met a girl at MS at one of those Jazz evenings that led to dinner that led to dancing that led to more drinking that led to sex. But yes - there are some gooooood quality local girls that frequent the place. But you had better be able to speak a little Portuguese or they will ignore you despite the fact that most of them speak perfect English.
[QUOTE=Chingon]Anyone have a fork? Time to put this to rest. I agree to disagree.[/QUOTE]
Amigo again?
I still don't see your point
[QUOTE=Exec Talent]I When I asked the hostess about this she said that they have to wait 30 - 45 days for credit cards to get credited. I find this hard to believe but may be is what they are telling the wait staff.[/QUOTE]
That is true. When businesses make sales using credit cards, they send the credits to the credit card company immediately, but the businesses are NOT sent a check immediately. The credit card company will accumulate a month's worth of charges and send one check at the end of the month to the business. It is analogous to credit card holders making only one payment a month to the credit card company. If a business makes a sale just after the cut-off date, it may very be 45 days later when the check containing the proceeeds of that sale reaches the business.
[QUOTE=George90]That is true. When businesses make sales using credit cards, they send the credits to the credit card company immediately, but the businesses are NOT sent a check immediately. The credit card company will accumulate a month's worth of charges and send one check at the end of the month to the business. It is analogous to credit card holders making only one payment a month to the credit card company. If a business makes a sale just after the cut-off date, it may very be 45 days later when the check containing the proceeeds of that sale reaches the business.[/QUOTE]
Unless it is different here in Brazil, which I doubt it is, money that is charged in bars and restaurants get to the restaurant within 72 hours. I know this because I run restaurants. My bet is the true reason they don't want to add the service fee into the bill is because the restaurant has to pay the Visa/Mastercard 3 or 4% surcharge on not only the bill but on the service if it charged to a restaurant. But this is the story they tell there waitstaff so people buy it. I know of restaurant chains in NY that will subtract out the credit card fees on servers tips to recoop some of the money. To me highly unethical. In the US, Amex's fees are even a higher percentage which is why you can't use it in a lot of foreign countries....
[QUOTE=Lancer520]Unless it is different here in Brazil, which I doubt it is, money that is charged in bars and restaurants get to the restaurant within 72 hours. I know this because I run restaurants. My bet is the true reason they don't want to add the service fee into the bill is because the restaurant has to pay the Visa/Mastercard 3 or 4% surcharge on not only the bill but on the service if it charged to a restaurant. But this is the story they tell there waitstaff so people buy it. I know of restaurant chains in NY that will subtract out the credit card fees on servers tips to recoop some of the money. To me highly unethical. In the US, Amex's fees are even a higher percentage which is why you can't use it in a lot of foreign countries....[/QUOTE]
The fees angle is a good one.
[QUOTE=George90]The fees angle is a good one.[/QUOTE]
You just hit on a topic I'm very familiar with in the states. The higher the volume in CC sales you do, the lower your percentage fees with Visa/MC. For example a restaurant like say TGI Friday's might only pay 2.2% fees because there entire deal is negotiated together where Mom and Pop restaurant could pay almost 5% in CC transactions fees. It sucks but Visa, MC, AMEX have a monopoly. Poor Discover can't even compete with the big boys.
[QUOTE=Exec Talent]they accept credit cards but you cannot put a tip on there. I found this out when my waitress brought back the credit card receipt and it had the 10% tip deducted. Her service was excellent, so naturally I gave her a cash tip. When I asked the hostess about this she said that they have to wait 30 - 45 days for credit cards to get credited. I find this hard to believe but may be is what they are telling the wait staff.[/QUOTE]
At least in the US, tips put on credit cards go into the waitperson's paycheck---AND ARE TAXED. Cash tips, however, can be pocketed and avoid the tax man (although the IRS is wise to this and closely watches people in tip-rich jobs.) I know of one restaurant (unsurprisingly a German one) that included a request in the tip envelope to pay all tips in cash.
[QUOTE=One Eyed Man]At least in the US, tips put on credit cards go into the waitperson's paycheck---AND ARE TAXED. Cash tips, however, can be pocketed and avoid the tax man (although the IRS is wise to this and closely watches people in tip-rich jobs.) I know of one restaurant (unsurprisingly a German one) that included a request in the tip envelope to pay all tips in cash.[/QUOTE]
In the US, some restaurants are going to systems where the servers get all of there money in a paycheck at the end of the week. Some restaurants do what you are saying and let them keep there cash tips and pay there CC tips to them in the form of a paycheck. However, 90% of restaurants still pay all the tips both cash and credit card to them at the end of the night. Mr IRS has become very wise to the hiding of server tips. If they are audited now a days, the IRS looks at there gross sales for let's say the year, finds out what percentages they tip out to other support staff(bartenders, bussers, food runners, etc) then uses an average and figures out what amount of taxes they should be paying. So if a server did $500,000 in sales for the year and the IRS assume an average of 15% tips that would leave $75,000 in tips. If the restaurant requires the server to pay out 5% in tip out to the support staff, then the IRS assumes they made aprox. $50,000. My point being, in the old days you could, but now you can't hide the cash tips from the taxman. Totally off the board subject but maybe some info you mongers didn't know.