Legalizing thugs who extort $ not to damage your car

[zork]

I think you might just have answered your own question of the first paragraph by writing your second paragraph. And I'm guessing that you haven't lived in Buenos Aires for that many years because if you had then you would have seen it all before.

One of the the many things I admire about Argentine people in general is their ability, born of necessity, to improvise. No car or washing machine is too old - there's always some way to keep them running. And in particular I admire the way that poor and unemployed people, unlike their cousins in the United States and Great Britain who sit at home watching cable TV and waiting for the next handout, will find a way to make some money of their own.

So who remembers when the cartoneros first started to be a presence in the city? It was a little bit scarey, wasn't it? Random people scavenging anything from anywhere to make a few pesos; nobody knew where they would turn up next nor what they would take. Nobody knew if their railway carriage would be 'invaded' by a poor family and ten cubic metres of cardboard. So what did the city do then? Ban them? Clear them out? Why? After all, they were doing something useful and making some money at it too.

The first thing I'm aware that the city did was to organise the 'white trains' which made it easier for the cartoneros to move their recyclables separate from regular commuters. Now, with a little bit of help from the city, we have a situation where the cartoneros have a recognised place in city life, do something that most of us think is useful and eke out a living from it too. Not a bad result in my view.

There are bad people in Buenos Aires. Some of them steal cars, others steal from cars and whilst some of them might be masquerading as cuidacoches, most of them are just opportunist car thieves. The cuidacoches I come across in the main are simple ordinary people with enough enterprise to see that there's a service they can provide and get paid for.

And good for them. It's like having attended car parking without the car park. And most of them are like the little old lady at Tribunales who has always taken very good care of us whenever we've parked there. So I'm in favour of the city regulating them into our lives, giving them a recognised status like the cartoneros and in so doing, removing some of the channels of corruption highlighted in your paragraphs.

This isn't 'finding an opportunity to provide a service' come on, these aren't nice poor souls in need of a handout, these are criminals, they're barra bravas, they are organized, these guys force you to give them money and not just loose change. The ones who operate near cancha de river plate are part of their barra brava organization and are supported by the team's administration, you can't do anything against these people because they are protected criminals, it's not that they can't get jobs, they just don't want to work because it's easier to intimidate people and get money for nothing, these guys might make more money than you, just do the math, of course they are not gonna get real jobs if they can do this, and now the want to legalize them? If you support this people you support crime.

 

[zork]

the people I know were asked for 100. but anyway, I think people driving to that concert were idiots. much much easier to take a cab.

So taking 100 pesos from them by force is OK because they are idiots who drove there? I can't believe how anyone can support this, people say 'it's only 20 pesos!', but that's exactly why they are there giving people shit, scratching cars and taking their money. Hey how about you send me a check? you might as well, I'm only asking you to give me 100 pesos for nothing, if enough people are in it, I can quit my job too.

 

[surfing]

There is a real difference between legitimate enterprising and running a racket which is what it appears to me that these "cuidacoches"do.

Exactly --- in NYC we call this racket a "shakedown".

If the legislation sticks maybe some of us should consider a cuidajoyas or cuidaplata "service". I'll be glad to look after your jewels and money while you are shopping or dining. I'll meet you later right here on the corner ---trust me!

 

[TheBlackHand]

I used to pay these guys when I first got to BA. I thought they were city employees. In some areas they actually are. Some aren't and are still nice enough that I don't mind giving them a few pesos after I get back to my car. Never before. But there are quite a few who almost try and intimidate you into giving them money. I tell them no and if they get upset I basically say " look I know you work around here and if something happens to my car i'm gonna come looking for you". They usually get the picture and leave you alone or the next time they come up to you they do it with a little more tact.

If your car gets damaged by one of these guys just call the police. If anything the thugs will have to move to a different area after they have received enough complaints. And if the police man doesn't want to do anything about it on the spot, take pictures of the thug, the damage and get the officers name and badge number and go to his commiseria and file a complaint against both. Trust me, the few pesos the policeman might get to turn a blind eye to these guys aren't enough that they will want a formal complaint filed against them at work. The problem is not enough people complain. If they did, it wouldn't be a problem. The voters in Capital Federal are the ones that live and work there, not the villeros that come down from the villas to try to extort money from the working middle class.

 

[Mano Negra]

I usually prefer to park my car where there is a trapito to look after it, especially in the evening. Its cheaper than parking in a garage and I have never had my car damaged. Given that a lot of drivers here park "by ear" I reckon this service is invaluable. I don't know about the Barra Brava round the football stadiums, but I have never been intimidated. And they have always seemed happy with between 5 and 10 pesos....More regulation needed? Do me a favour, I didn't move here to have the city become as boring as over-regulated London where you can't even give a small public concert without insurance agents, health and safety executives, 5 policeman for every concert goer, on site medical assistance, etc.etc. so no one organises anything because it is too expensive......!!!!!!