on Aug 13th, 2007Señora Alejandra Mexico City’s Great Grandmother Don of the Street Vendors
Most cities, especially around tourist hot spots, feature street vendors hustling everything from knock-off purses to umbrellas to socks to whatever the hell sells at a discount bargain. Mexico City is “plagued” with street vendors who make navigating the streets an exercise that feels more like a pro football tryout than a leisurely stroll on a warm summer day. There’s a vague rule, in this country anyway, that says these vendors are protected under a freedom of expression right.
In reality, it’s a mixture of con artists peddling illegal merchandise and struggling artists trying to earn enough to pay the rent. For one great grandmother, though, the struggle is about offering the poor a way of life. “The government gives them nothing,” according to Alejandra Barrios Richard.
So on your next trip to Mexico City, cry not for tourist tranquility, but be sure to bargain with your street vendor: nobody said the price is right except Bob Barker.
Mexico City’s princess and the paupers