Living in a Low-Trust Society

 I've seen some disturbing videos from the United States showing mass shoplifting and lotting. It is depressing to see society disintegrate from afar. Eventually, this leads to a low-trust society. Here is how Ecuador sets up its businesses.

Most purchases are done through a hole in a gate. You tell the cashier what you would like and they serve you through the gate.

I've purchased sodas through the opening on the right, but if you were to purchase a propane bottle, there is a locked gate on the left that swings open.

Homes have walls/fences surrounding all sides. Some with high walls have shards of glass cemented into the top of prevent climbing.

Construction workers add door gates and window bars even on second stories. This week we accidentally locked ourselves out and in. We left the keys on the table as we shut the door. But we couldn't get out of the gate around the building. So we were stuck. We had to call the landlord who came home from work to let us out.