Last Independence Day, I had an argument with some Mexican and Central American neighbors. They thought it would be cool to light up their BBQs on the sidewalk in front of the building where I live.
It didn’t take long before a million people showed up with hot dog carts, tamales, etc. Kids played soccer on the street. Brown bagged beers. At least five portable stereos playing five different Spanish radio stations. Dogs pooped next to food carts, but no one picked it up. Chaos.
Now, my apartment is on the second floor and was right above one of said BBQs. So, I went downstairs, and as politely as it came out, I told them to fuck off. They had ten minutes to pack their shit before I called the police.
Someone told me they had the right to be there. I repeated myself. Everyone began picking up their wares, including tables and chairs. But as soon as I left, they ignored the warning.
The police showed up, and everybody was gone in a minute. Only their dog poop was left behind. What was weird about this was how surprised these guys were that I was pissed off and that I care about it at all.
All I heard was come eat some tacos, don’t worry about it, enjoy the day. I grew up in South America, but I’ve lived here long enough to don’t remember how shitty it was when I left, but I remember I left because it was shitty, and it was shitty because people could do anything like barbecuing on sidewalks.
Watching this video, it’s easy to understand why they were so surprised and mad at me. What might be outrageous to me, down South is pretty normal. Drinking and cooking in public? No problem! Just pick a street. Bring some beers. Wherever you are, it’s home. Make it as shitty as you like.
