FYI.

This story is over 5 years old.

Vice Blog

THE BOTTLE REPORT - MEXICAN STANDOFF

In the early evening of the last day we spent hanging out at the recycling machines we had our first and only real problem with any of the recycling guys. We had been yelled at before, but most people we met were just a little standoffish at first. Some don't want to be photographed so that it won't embarrass their children. Some just flat out refuse to talk to us, and we know to leave them alone. One guy alleged that it was our fault the bottle deposit was only $0.05 "Because you voted for

Advertisement

Bloomberg

!" Overall, though, most people have become a lot more friendly after seeing us hanging out day after day. A nice guy named Jorge introduces himself and asks us what we are doing. We had seen him around and he never wanted to talk, but now that he is used to us, he wants to be included in the story. Unfortunately, this Mexican guy we hadn't met before does not want to leave us alone. We had seen him earlier that day, and he was full of dirty looks, so we avoided him whenever possible. He was sitting on a compressed bale of cardboard boxes with a shopping cart full of bottles by the edge of the machines, but he was waiting his turn on plastics. At first he just motioned us away, and screamed the kinds of phrases in Spanish that you don't need to know Spanish to understand. But when we didn't stop talking to Jorge, he growled like a coyote and chased me down the block with his keys in between the knuckles of his fists like they teach women in self-defense class. I had to hide in the Fine Fare until Igor called, letting me know I could come out. For a brief moment I considered what it would be like to be keyed to death by an insane Mexican homeless man, but as I ran for cover all I could think was "What does an insane Mexican homeless man need so many keys for?" We returned to Avenue C with our friend Ibiza, who is half Mexican and speaks fluent Spanish. She's a cute bleach-blond girl who we hoped would disarm our friend with the keys. We told her the scenario, and she said, "So basically you want me to talk down some lunatic who attacked you with keys?" We headed back over there, hoping that this guy won't go after us like his ex girlfriend's new boyfriend's car. He ran after us again, growling. He pointed wildly, and shooed her away like a gnat. She tried to explain to him that we're just doing a story and we won't include him if he doesn't want us to. "This is my job!" he shouted in Spanish and angrily slapped his grocery cart. "Go!"

Advertisement

The whole thing had become quite a scene, and the Fine Foods manager came out to ask us what the hell was going on. "We're talking to these guys about recycling, but this guy doesn't want us around." He explains to the Mexican guy that we're just there to talk to the other guys. The Mexican guy yells again. The manager explains that we won't bother him. Then they get into it for a second. I can't catch what they're saying but after a few minutes the Mexican guy laughs and says, "Oh!" So evidently he thought we were cops, investigating the can collectors or turning them in to immigration. After that, he explained to Ibiza that not only did he come here to deposit bottles, but he was living in front of the store and didn't want people "investigating." She had a long talk with him, and soon he was laughing with her. Our plan had worked, but it was getting late and Igor and I had to go over our notes before we forgot anything. He shook our hands and said, "When you come back again, bring a girlfriend for me!" Then he asked when he could see the finished story. "Probably not for a month or two," she tells him. "Oh," instantly his face became very serious. "By then I might be dead." TEXT BY BRENDAN SULLIVAN PHOTOS AND ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY NATE "IGOR" SMITH Previously:

The Bottle Report - Week 1

The Bottle Report - Secrets of the Orient

The Bottle Report - Tabs vs Tops