This afternoon I sat on a beach and read my book whilst I waited to join my beach volleyball group. In front of me sat a white Spanish guy who does a bit of bootlegging. He sits under a cloth umbrella with a cooler box. He produces Mojitos for beach customers from this "work station". He clandestinely walks about and sells mojito cocktails to bathers on the beach. He just does it in such as subtle way that the police do not know he is a vendor. He charges 5 euros per mojito.
A Pakistani vendor came strolling down this same section of the beach, calling the usual "Cerveza, Beer, Agua, Water, Coke". The next thing, this Mojito man bolted up from under his umbrella and started to chase the Pakistani vendor, while kicking him and kicking sand up at him. It was an amusing moment for the people on the beach who watched this. Then from afar, the Paki vendor started yelling and arguing with this Spanish Mojito vendor.
The Mojito man came back to his umbrella and continued secretly pretending to be a sunbather whilst he prepared mojitos. The next thing, two Pakistani men arrived and grabbed the Spanish Mojito man. One, at the shoulders and the other, at the feet. They lifted him up and started to carry him away. The sunbathers on beach were so angered and many got up to rescue their Spanish countryman. A fight ensued. The Pakistanis were rolling with the punches of the Spanish men who came to intervene. The next thing, the police came running up and handcuffed the Pakistanis. They took the Pakistanis away and all the Spaniards seemed pleased with their defense of their countryman.
I paused to think about the situation. I sympathised with the Pakistanis ! They work that beach all day in the heat and have to pay bribes to the police to be there and they got into trouble because the illegal Spanish vendor did not like the one Paki vendor that walked through "his" space on the beach. Meanwhile, the Spaniard is doing the same thing illicitly anyway - without having to bribe the police for permission to sell Mojitos on the beach. I watched as the Spanish Mojito man gave his statement to the police and felt very sad for the poor Pakistanis who were handcuffed and taken away. They have to endure more than the Spanish vendor just to be able to sell their drinks on the beaches - with the implicit authority of the police (because of the bribes the police demand from them). The Spanish man got off Scot-free and had backing from the Spanish supporters. Not fair play...
A Pakistani vendor came strolling down this same section of the beach, calling the usual "Cerveza, Beer, Agua, Water, Coke". The next thing, this Mojito man bolted up from under his umbrella and started to chase the Pakistani vendor, while kicking him and kicking sand up at him. It was an amusing moment for the people on the beach who watched this. Then from afar, the Paki vendor started yelling and arguing with this Spanish Mojito vendor.
I paused to think about the situation. I sympathised with the Pakistanis ! They work that beach all day in the heat and have to pay bribes to the police to be there and they got into trouble because the illegal Spanish vendor did not like the one Paki vendor that walked through "his" space on the beach. Meanwhile, the Spaniard is doing the same thing illicitly anyway - without having to bribe the police for permission to sell Mojitos on the beach. I watched as the Spanish Mojito man gave his statement to the police and felt very sad for the poor Pakistanis who were handcuffed and taken away. They have to endure more than the Spanish vendor just to be able to sell their drinks on the beaches - with the implicit authority of the police (because of the bribes the police demand from them). The Spanish man got off Scot-free and had backing from the Spanish supporters. Not fair play...
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