I came to work in Madrid in 1988, at the tail end of the Movida, the social movement that evolved during the transition from the Franco era to democracy. Madrid was a very different place to live in then and during these 22 years much has changed.
This is probably the most striking aspect about Spain and its people, the ability to adapt to changes and move fast. I find the car a useful indicator of change. I remember when I first came to Madrid, a taxi ride was a very stressful experience as the driver would never anticipate a red light. The taxi would accelerate, in bursts, until a few metres from the white line and then suddenly break. No longer so. The driving norms have improved beyond recognition and one only has to look at the road fatality statistics which demonstrate a society that changes: 9.344 deaths in 1989 compared with 2.668 deaths in 2009.
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