>I'm curious, what would happen if you tapped a Brazilian cop on the shoulder to ask for directions?

I did that several times... not a problem, as far as I'm concerned. Maybe I'm just lucky... :)


>At some point, I learned (or was told) that you never surprise cops. They don't know if you want directions or to put a hole in them, especially if you approach them from behind. Not just cops in the US, but anywhere. Except maybe England.

oh well, I'll give you that... the surprise factor could be a problem depending on how dangerous is the place. If the guy is surrounded by drug dealers and things like that, no wonder he'd be waiting for someone to put a hole in him. :) but not all places are like that.