I forgot the name for the lights at intersections, but in Spanish it´s semaforos. Theres a big intersection about 2 blocks from my house. It´s the intersection of one of the cities ¨rings¨ and the Avenue Alemana, which is a pretty big Avenue. There are always about 50 cars lined up on each side of this intersection and there are 6 lights. The lights are all timed to let enough cars by each time and they change to let padestrians cross. Recently, the lights have been slightly off and two lines of cars from opposite directions will meet in the center and beep at each other and cause a big comotion. This has happened about 6 times when I´ve crossed. Twice I have seen two cars actually crash, nothing serious, but a car crash nontheless. Theres no doubt it will take a while for the city to fix this problem.
There are also about 12 children living on one side of this intersection. They yell and beg for food when people walk by. There is one girl, maybe 13 or 14, who carries a baby and goes to the stopped cars and begs for money, I have seen her numerous times. I assume she lives with the others, there seems to only be one or two women living with all these children, maybe they are all thiers. It´s really sad to see these dirty little ferrel children living in the street, but even sadder to know that no one, not even the government is going to do anything about it.
Sometimes there are people who dress up at clowns and perform in front of the cars when they stop for a red light and ask for change when they are done. Sometimes people play with fire and throw fire sticks or swollow fire. Sometimes children will do flips and tricks for money. There are always people washing windshields and asking for money. They are relentless, they will start to wash your windows even if you say no three times. Sometimes they will pour soap on your windshield and if you say no they wont wash it off and then your windshiled is all messy.
At other intersections people sell newspapers, oranges, car accesories, soda, candy. You can buy almost anything at a red light, without leaving your car. One of the many incredible cultural differences, intersections.
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A Joke!
ReplyDeleteI was riding around with my friend at night in Latin America and he kept going through the red lights at all of the traffic lights – of course when there were no cars in the intersection. I asked him what he was doing going through the red lights when you are supposed to stop. He said my cousin does it all the time. My friend went through about three more red lights and then he came upon a green light and he stopped. I asked him what he was doing as the light was green and he simply replied that he as waiting for his cousin. Ha.