Sonething different...

You hear about how violent Mexico is. You see movies where people are kidnapped or killed for no apparent reason. But you never actually believe it. Until you see it that is (or evidence that the potential exists anyway).

It was a barmy day. I was with Wineera-the-Younger, chatting, walking and generally chillin', when lo and behold we stumbled across an oddity in the KFC drive thru. The first thing that caught my eye was the chap in the back seat facing the wrong way. Hmmm. The second; the chap in the front having aviator-type galsses on and something beside him up against the door. Switch back to the backwards facing dude in the back seat. He also has something beside him sticking up and visible for all the world to see. (It sounds somewhat perverse at the mo' but believe me it ain't) And of course seens as I'm the world's fastest weapons recogniser, it took me a little bit longer than most to realise these two were carrying very visible automatic or semi-automatic weapons/assault rifles/whatever they are called. Following this slowly acquired insight, I registered the huge, black, tinted windowed vehicular monstrosity in front of them. Aha! Lightbulb! Someone who thought they were important was being followed by his (or her) well-armed bodyguards. Doubtless the chap driving the black vehicular monstrosity was not the "important" one, just another lacky. Needless to say we didn't peer too hard at the dudes with guns, or try to look in the car (not wanting to prove that old saying "Curiosity killed the Cat" to be true by being shot whilst being curious). Just a somewhat casual galnce in their direction and we were on our way. But come on, if you were that concerned about your safety (or that paranoid) where was the lead car with the well-armed-tough-guy-looking bodyguards, or indeed the convoy of your protectors. I mean if you can afford 2, why stop there?

That was my introduction to the well armed contingent of bodyguards. There are however very visible (but not visibly well armed) bodyguards hanging around the place "babysitting" rich parents and their kids. They look and carry themselves like your typical Hollywood Secret Service Agents or Hollywood FBI dudes. Slicked back hair, sunglasses, steely look and all.
It can be fun playing "Spot the rich kids' bodyguard".