Tension on the Beach

I have a friend who goes to Rio once a year and spends a month there. He is married to a Brazilian and speaks Portuguese. They always hang out around Posto 9 in Ipanema. He told me that recently he was there on the beach and there was a local who was selling henna tatoos. When approached, a girl he knows asked my friend to inquire the price. "15 reais" said the salesman. The girl asked my friend to see if he would accept a lower price. When he did, the salesman became angry and began shouting at my friend that he was interrupting the sale. Tensions escalated and the guy said he was going to get some guys and come back to get my friend. A local guy my friend knows told him he better be careful as the economy has caused friction in the populace and people don't have much patience. Sure enough, a group of guys came and luckily the local guy took charge and explained the girl only wanted a lower price. I told my friend that people are tense everywhere. Even you and I are tense, I said. You have to take a step back from every situation now. It is not worth risking violence.