Death by car

There has been an argument here that the security services develop an expertise in a particular way of getting rid of people. And it here it has been said that car accidents is the expertise the SBU developed when it was KGB. That’s why there’s suspicion when some prominent someone like Chornovil dies in one.

There seems to be a spate of more now. The problem is that some have survived. The thinking is that if it is the security services, what with their expertise and all, they wouldn’t survive. That may just overestimate what human beings in any organization are actually capable of—the KGB were not the superhuman adversaries they were made out to be in the West. But it is something to think about.

And it could be the risks certain drivers take on the road. As a rule, the better the car, the more reckless the driver will be on the road here. We were almost run off the road by a Mercedes a few weeks back. I can’t resist doing something when they come up behind me with headlights flashing and honking. So I waved at the dark windows as they or he passed—and it is always a he. That was taken as a challenge to his prerogatives and so the driver cut me off in my lane and slammed on the brakes in front of me. Took me some real maneuvering to avoid an accident. But they get away with this sort of thing because they know the price they have to pay to get them off. And they can pay it.

There is an exception to this rule—taxis. Taxis are the absolute worst drivers on the road here. They will do anything—anything-- when they drive. And they get away with it too because they can pay the fee when stopped by the police.

One taxi I rode in once ran a red light. The police were there and flagged him down. He reached over me to the glove box and pulled out about ten dollars in local currency. When the officer came up to the window and saluted, the driver handed over his license and registration along with the money. The officer looked at all the documents, took the money, saluted the driver again calling him by name and telling him to have a nice day. All over in a few seconds. No muss, no fuss. With that kind of thing though there is no incentive not to drive like they do.

So which is it? Who knows but it will all probably be blamed on bad driving no matter which it is.

I will say this though as an addendum: There is an elite here part of whom will do anything to get what they want. Anything. And they will never be prosecuted for it because they most often have access. When they don't have access, they have the kind of money it takes to get access or for people to lose things like evidence or records or memories or anything else. And in this kind of system, that is all it takes.