Miracle in Microcenter

[NohoDude]

I had an incredibly positive example of how good people can be happen to me last week on my way to an appointment. The bus took me about 15 blocks from where I wanted to go. I thought I'd checked the route several times but still ended up far away from my destination. I only had credit cards and a few pesos and knew that cabs can be fickle about accepting cards. Still, I tried hailing cabs and the first 3 told me 'no'. The 4th one, driven by a kindly-looking grandfather type in his late 70's, pulled up and when he said 'no cards' he insisted i get in. I showed him the address and we took off. As we neared the building, I was asking him what about the fee? I offered to take his address and other options but he asked for my address instead. "At 4PM, I will come to your house and you can pay me tomorrow. Don't worry about it." I was so flustered and surprised that I was just sputtering, "muchas gracias muchas gracias senor muchas gracias...." He waved me on my way and it set my mood for the whole day. He did show up the next day and I had the money ready for him in an envelope. He thanked me over and over and I thanked him repeatedly. I just wanted to share that with the many inconveniences I/we all experience in learning the landscape of the city, there are many times I say, "This is why I want to live here."

 

[Ronnie Hotdogs]

Now he knows where the foreigner lives…

 

[Stafford]

Thank you for sharing this. It is beautiful. And it embodies the true spirit of 90% of Porteños. I hear more stories like these, than negative stories. I hear more about wallets being returned than wallets being stolen. People rushing to pick you up when you fall, not pushing you down. Let's be thankful for how lucky we are to live in such a beautiful culture and focus on the positive stories like these, than the negatives.

And for context, you could call me naive. But I've been around the block. Quite literally. Nearly 20 years here. And 1-2 times a week, hanging out with homeless people on the street at night, volunteering. Lead with your heart, not with fear. Empathy, not apathy. Hope, not cynicism. You'll find life more fulfilling that way. Buenos Aires is a very special place. To those who don't see it - why are you here?

 

[Stafford]

Now he knows where the foreigner lives…

What's your point? So does the housekeeper, the plumber, the portero, the electrician, and the Uber driver. Oh and any taxi driver who takes you home.

 

[Ronnie Hotdogs]

What's your point? So does the housekeeper, the plumber, the portero, the electrician, and the Uber driver. Oh and any taxi driver who takes you home.

I was channelling my inner porteño

 

[Ries]

My inner porteño tells me that while home invasions and car jackings do exist here, the vast majority of crime is snatching of cell phones in a moment of opportunity.
I have had many incidents like the one described over my 15 plus years here.
I have never been anywhere else where stores and cabdrivers consistently round down, to avoid dealing with virtually worthless change.
Try buyin a 20.39 purchase at an Aldi or a Target when you only have 20.00.

 

[on the brink]

In two separate occasions, in two different restaurants, I left behind my MacBook and my iPhone. Once on an outisde windowsill, as I was sitting at an sidewalk table. Both times they were waiting for me when I returned in a panic.

How sad that some people's inner-porteño is so negative, and so far from reality.

 

[Ronnie Hotdogs]

In two separate occasions, in two different restaurants, I left behind my MacBook and my iPhone. Once on an outisde windowsill, as I was sitting at an sidewalk table. Both times they were waiting for me when I returned in a panic.

How sad that some people's inner-porteño is so negative, and so far from reality.

I’ve left sunglasses in a changing room and went back 2 mins later gone.

Daughter left her little purse somewhere when she was 3 or 4 years old with few pesos in a it got the purse back, pesos gone.

Taxi driver picked friends up from recoleta mall to cañitas and charged them triple. Day of my civil wedding.

Got loads more

 

[on the brink]

I had similar bad experiences in Italy, France, and in the US in Washington, DC, Boston, and San Francisco: had a wallet lifted, phone stolen, Traveler's checks pilfered, and a huge Italian Salami filched from my shopping cart in a Boston street market. Still, those thefts were far outweighed by the many wonderful experiences in those places.

 

[Stafford]

I’ve left sunglasses in a changing room and went back 2 mins later gone.

Daughter left her little purse somewhere when she was 3 or 4 years old with few pesos in a it got the purse back, pesos gone.

Taxi driver picked friends up from recoleta mall to cañitas and charged them triple. Day of my civil wedding.

Got loads more

Of course these stories exist. We live in a city. The 15th largest metropolitan area in the world. Experiencing major socioeconomic disparity. I think it's important to focus on the positive. Have you had any positive experiences?