Tecate Man

Oh my goodness. Need I say more???

This man belongs in Venice Beach, not Monterrey.

I don't see how he got here. Really, he's the first interesting [read: crazy] person I've seen since I've been here.



This, of course, is not counting the clowns and jugglers that stand at the streetlights of major intersections performing for money. Those people, along with folks I can only assume are distantly related cousins of the Amish (who sell their honey-flavored cookies) are just trying to make some money. I remembered the name of the group-- they're Mennonites.


The jugglers and clowns are mostly made up of old people...so are the people asking for money on other corners. I sort of lump them into the same category as the old folks that work as baggers (along with 10 year olds) at the supermarkets and places like WalMart. These people aren't employed by the stores and work solely off tips. So the key is to keep lots of coins in your wallet. (But trying to get any kind of change around here just earns you the stink eye.) A peso just doesn't cut it. That's equivalent to less than 10 cents. But anyone over a certain age just isn't guaranteed a job. Firing for no particular reason is normal...like if the boss doesn't want to pay your wages for the month or you're due for a promotion or pay increase that they don't want to part with or you're just old and they've decided you're past your due date.


So tipping these people whenever you can (which should be always) seems to be where my money's been leaking to.


But enough social commentary...back to Tecate Man.


Right before I took that picture, he'd just gotten off the phone (which is attached to his handlebars). Who he was on the phone with, doesn't seem to matter. The point of all this was that this dude WASN'T asking for money. He just felt like riding his bike around the Macroplaza on a Monday night dressed in Tecate cans. Venice Beach, Los Angeles, even San Fernando Valley normal...not Monterrey normal.