TWO MEXICAN WINDSHIELD WASHERS
INTERVIEW AND PHOTOS BY MARCO TULIO VALENCIA
While squeegee guys were outlawed in New York over a decade ago, in Mexico you still can’t stop at a red light without multiple zombies shambling over to you from the sidewalk, clutching filthy rags in their hands. Their goal is to smear said rags across your windshield and then get a couple of pesos for having done so. Is it any wonder that they are looked down upon by everyone from the Jaguar-driving businessmen to the jalopy-driving junkie thieves? Everyone hates these fucking windshield washers. Except us. We think they are just the cutest little pariahs we ever did see. Or at least we did until we hung out with a couple of them.
In order to learn a little more about their daily life, we spent some time with two windshield washers in Garibaldi, Paseo de la Reforma. Please meet Araceli, hugging her bottle of Coke filled with water and soap, and Enrique, constantly inhaling a mystery substance from between his hands.
Vice: Araceli, how long have you been cleaning windshields?
Araceli: Since I was 14—so I’ve been doing this for 15 years. I get more money than I would working in a... how do you call it? A factory.
So this is a better job.
Araceli: Yeah, especially since I don’t have any papers.
Where do you sleep?
Araceli: I pay for a hotel.
Enrique: Me too, me too. My name is Enrique Nicolas Marin.
Hi Enrique. How do people generally treat you when you want to clean their windshields?
Enrique: It depends. There are a lot of rude people...
At this point, a third windshield cleaner tried to snatch my tape recorder. He couldn’t get it quick enough, and I ran to the other side of the street. He followed.
Third windshield cleaner: You motherfucker! I’m gonna kill you! I’m gonna break you, you son of a bitch!
He continued running behind me, but not quite fast enough (he looked kind of weak and undernourished). Still, I wanted to avoid any confrontation. At this point, a minivan without license plates stopped near me and two guys, who I later learned were federal cops, started shouting. One of them caught up with my pursuer.
“Get back to the sewers, you piece of shit!” he said as he lifted him off the ground with a really well-placed kick in his windshield-cleaning ass.
And, like a dog, he slunk back toward his pack.
“Are you OK? Did he steal something from you?” asked one of the cops.
“No. I’m fine.”
Thus ended my time with the windshield cleaners of Mexico.
See all articles by this contributor Anonymous, on Nov 5, 2009 wrote:
this is not good journalism | | Anonymous, on Feb 1, 2009 wrote:
You should be fired. Not only are your writing skills crap, but you’re also ignorant. | | Anonymous, on Nov 14, 2008 wrote:
What the hell is with these lame comments, honestly.
"this is aweful" "you survive to exploit another person"
..fuck it im too lazy to tear into those comments...lets just say they’re retarded, agreed? agreed.
ANYWAYS, good job Vice, keep it up, next time carry a taser or something. | | Anonymous, on Oct 31, 2008 wrote:
your a ball bag anonymous | | Anonymous, on Oct 29, 2008 wrote:
I always carry space cake in my car for when these little blighters come up to me. I love seeing them try and clean windows in busy traffic when they are sooooo fucking stonned. | | Anonymous, on Oct 28, 2008 wrote:
’’This is awful.
Do you have any clue how much these people suffer? They’re not ’dogs’, they are real people trying their hardest to survive in a society that treats them like dirt.
I wish the guy caught up with you, stole your tape recorder, and gave you a good slap.’’
hahaha... shut up u cock sucking vegan | | Anonymous, on Oct 24, 2008 wrote:
...and you survived to exploit another person... | | Anonymous, on Oct 24, 2008 wrote:
nathan barley in mexico | | Anonymous, on Oct 24, 2008 wrote:
This happens in London too, except it’s usually East-Europeans. First time I kinda felt sorry. Second time I was annoyed. Now I just get pissed and squirt washer fluid if they go anywhere near the windscreen. | | Anonymous, on Oct 24, 2008 wrote:
This is awful.
Do you have any clue how much these people suffer? They’re not ’dogs’, they are real people trying their hardest to survive in a society that treats them like dirt.
I wish the guy caught up with you, stole your tape recorder, and gave you a good slap. | | Anonymous, on Oct 22, 2008 wrote:
Having spent 4 months in Mexico this past year, this shit is as real as it gets. Can’t wait to get back there. | | Anonymous, on Oct 22, 2008 wrote:
If more articles could my attention like this one, maybe I would really know whats going on in the world! | |
| bandit a la mode, on Oct 22, 2008 wrote:
Really? This doesn’t sound real, but it’s great... | | Anonymous, on Oct 21, 2008 wrote:
Nice, vice. I laughed at this one. | | Anonymous, on Oct 21, 2008 wrote:
Next time you get chased by a weak and undernourished mexican squeegie man, YOU GET IN DAT ASS MARCO!!! dont punk the fuck out, GET IN DAT ASS!!! | |
| KillFuck, on Oct 20, 2008 wrote:
"(he looked kind of weak and undernourished). Still, I wanted to avoid any confrontation." haha yeah right, you shouldve just taken him, pussy.
the story was funny nonetheless. | | Anonymous, on Oct 20, 2008 wrote:
at least you weren’t kidnapped | |
| Jimmy, on Oct 20, 2008 wrote:
Solid journalism, lol, yeah, I agree. | |
| solareyes, on Oct 20, 2008 wrote:
lol
solid journalism
"
Thus ended my time with the windshield cleaners of Mexico. "
i laughed | | Anonymous, on Oct 18, 2008 wrote:
This was good cause i remember my time in d.f. like this. Overall a nice slice of life. | | Anonymous, on Oct 18, 2008 wrote:
terrible. not even a good story. | | Anonymous, on Oct 18, 2008 wrote:
pussy. you can’t break a mother fuckers nose?
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| neezy, on Oct 18, 2008 wrote:
one time a dude didn’t understand that I didn’t want my windshield washed but he went ahead and did it, and I didn’t pay him... definitely tried to make sure I sped away fast and didn’t go back the same corner again. He looked pretty mad. Dude should have seen my no sign though, not my fault. | |
| Lux ryder, on Oct 18, 2008 wrote:
as cute as dust bunnies | | Anonymous, on Oct 18, 2008 wrote:
Guau! The filth of society cleaning the filth of society. Whats not to love? they are fucking adorable!!!! | | |
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