Emprendedores de semáforo
La última vez que viajamos de regreso a California, nos encontramos sentados en el coche frente a un semáforo y con bastante sed. De pronto, nos dimos cuenta de la ausencia de algo que aquí en México ya esperamos —e incluso apreciamos—: los emprendedores de semáforo. Eso nos recordó cómo, durante nuestro primer viaje por carretera desde California hasta Yucatán, nos asombró el nivel de emprendimiento en México. A dondequiera que íbamos, estábamos rodeados de negocios pequeños, más pequeños y hasta diminutos.
Están, por supuesto, las siempre presentes cocinas económicas, esos pequeños restaurantes con tres o cuatro mesas que sirven solo dos o tres platillos a la hora de la comida. Están los tendejones, las tienditas de la esquina, que en Estados Unidos fueron reemplazadas hace mucho por los 7-Eleven. Están los vendedores puerta por puerta, que ofrecen de todo: desde tierra para macetas hasta escobas hechas a mano, muebles y camarón congelado. Y en todas partes hay gente vendiéndote cosas en los semáforos.
Pensamos que podría ser interesante hacer una lista de todo lo que nos ofrecen aquí en Mérida mientras estamos sentados en el coche esperando a que cambie la luz. Esta es una lista parcial:
- Periódicos
- Bolsas de fruta (especialmente frutas nativas y de la región como el mamey, la pitaya y otras)
- Refrescos y jugos de fruta
- Agua de coco (¡tan refrescante en los días de calor!)
- Mapas de Mérida
- Banderas mexicanas (sobre todo cerca del Día de la Independencia)
- Cohetes y luces de bengala
- Flores
- Limpieza de parabrisas (ubiquísima en México… y los de la Ciudad de México son, por mucho, los mejores. Te limpian el parabrisas en diez segundos y además lo hacen bien. Nunca rechazamos la oportunidad de un parabrisas limpio).
- Tortas
- Juguetes inflables de plástico
- Tarjetas Telcel de prepago (las famosas fichas)
- La oportunidad de aliviar tu culpa por manejar un coche: donar a la Cruz Roja o a cualquiera de otras organizaciones benéficas
- Bates de béisbol en miniatura tallados a mano
- Varias estatuillas, máscaras y otros recuerdos (especialmente populares cerca de Chichén Itzá)
- Elotes cocidos, empaquetados con chile en polvo
- Mango, papaya, jícama, pepino, naranja y otras frutas y verduras picadas para quitar la sed, también con chile
- Aves vivas en pequeñas jaulas artesanales
En un semáforo realmente bueno y largo, a un conductor pueden ofrecerle tres o cuatro de estos productos, por distintos vendedores que caminan de un lado a otro entre la fila de coches. En zonas más rurales de Yucatán y de México, los emprendedores incluso llegan a crear topes colocando cuerdas gruesas en el camino, obligando a los conductores a reducir la velocidad y creando así su propia oportunidad de venta.
Y luego están los artistas. Los payasos son la forma de entretenimiento más popular. Se colocan frente a la fila de autos detenidos, vestidos con los atuendos más extravagantes y siempre con una nariz roja. Hacen malabares durante 30 segundos y luego se lanzan entre los coches para cobrar su recompensa.
Suponemos que no hay leyes en contra de pedir dinero a los automovilistas. También suponemos que algunas esquinas son mejores que otras y deben disputarse o defenderse con ganas. Varias esquinas de Mérida parecen tener a las mismas personas día tras día, durante meses o incluso años.
Tal vez algún día ampliemos nuestro negocio de esta manera. Parece que podrías vender casi cualquier cosa en un semáforo: bajos costos, mucho tráfico de clientes y un público cautivo. Mmm…
¡Oye, señor! ¿No quisiera una página web?
Comments
CasiYucateco 17 years ago
To "Mr/Ms ..." who left the comment above about child labor and police harassment:
I just want to say that yes, in many parts of Mexico (or the whole world for that matter) you will find children on the corners, it is not that common in Yucatan. Most of the stoplight workers are adults, trying to supplement their incomes. And, more often than not, the Yucatecan police visit politely or even hang out a bit with the stoplight workers.
So, overall, I'm just saying that was a generalized statement and the situations you describe do not appear to be happening very often in Merida. Mexico City, on the other hand, is a totally different story.
Yes, of course there are poor people in Yucatan. But in most cases, it is not the grinding, desperate, extreme poverty found in other places. And, it just seems to me, the police are more polite and more honest than most other places I've been in the world... including the USA.
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Working Gringos 17 years ago
Hola, Ursula...
Finding a job here as an expat is VERY difficult, as Mexico would like to employ Mexicans whenever possible. However, there are many business opportunities. And we think that a home healthcare service for English-speaking residents here will be a good business in the future.
As for the ferry, it ran once. It stopped years ago, and rumours have abounded since then that it will be restarting any minute. We advise you not to hold your breath.
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ursula sunquist 17 years ago
i have now been sitting at my computer for 6 hours reading everything i can about merida. We took a cruise 2 years ago and did an excursion into merida and liked what we saw. My question is , how difficult is it to get into mexico and possible find a job? I am a registered nurse, reading about the healthcare makes me wonder if there is an opportunity for american nurses? Anybody with any suggestions? Also I heard something about a ferry from tampa to progresso
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Malcolm 18 years ago
That clown you have pictured haunts my dreams. He hits me each and every time I drive through Progreso, and I want him to stop.
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1st Mate 19 years ago
The entrepreneur we're always looking for is the fellow selling dulce de leche de cabra -- goat's milk candy! Here in Sonora it's not hard to find it made with leche de vaca, but the goat's milk candy has that flavor we love. Once a salesman in Hermosillo sold us a whole block of it at a traffic island and ever since we've been looking for the "candyman" to buy more. If you've seen him, send him to San Carlos, we'll make him an hombre rico!
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... 19 years ago
You do realise that's "informal job" and often child labor? "Informals" have no social security and are subject to extorsion from the police. IMHO it's more survival than entrepreneurship.
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Robyne 19 years ago
Stumbled on your blog...now I am definitely going to visit Yucatan!
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yucateco 20 years ago
I've just found ur site and I'm loving it!!! I'm from Mérida (Yucatán), but i'm in Spain "studying", and u are making me remember all those beautiful things that yucatán have! I feel so happy about all your commments... 'cause i think that the foreigner people really appreciate the beautiful things in other places...
now i miss all this yucatan things, and i'm sure that i'll enjoy all of those when i back to my land. thanks!
p.s. sorry for my english!
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Working Gringos 20 years ago
Fruitvale sounds wonderful...wonder if they have pitaya there? A client who was just in the office says pitaya season is upon us and promises to bring us a few next week. We'll take some photos for y'all to see. When God invented pitaya, She was doing Her thesis in graphic design. Confoundingly beautiful.
Last time we were in the States, we stopped in Oxnard at a Mexican grocery store. We walked in and felt right at home. All the signs were in Spanish, everyone who worked there was from Mexico and cochinita was on the menu. It was also a little taste of home. The girl who rang us up wistfully told us she was from Chiapas and missed it terribly.
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kimba 20 years ago
Ahhhh! Next time you are in the Bay Area and missing Mexico, take a cruise through the Fruitvale neighborhood in Oakland. That's my old neighbohood and I miss the corner taco trucks, the tiny taquerias, and the tinkle of the ice carts being pushed around the neighborhood. It's one neighborhood in the Bay Area where city rules and regulations do not apply :)
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Billie 20 years ago
We have never been able to find Pitaya anywhere except in Yucatan. Most of the time no one knows what you are talking about....even in Mexico.....only in Yucatan.
Muy delicioso.
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