Still a Gringa

Over the last 2 1/2 weeks I've felt pretty much on top of the world here in Peru.  My Spanish was sufficient  for most conversation topics and I got compliments on my speaking ability, I love my group of fellow trainees, and I live with an awesome family.  I also haven't gotten significantly sick yet (while a number of my compañeros have), have loved most of the food I have tried, and almost everyone I've interacted with has been super helpful, nice, and respectful.  I knew the day had to come when reality set in, and today was that day!

As I've mentioned, I take a "combi" to pretty much everything (the Center, home, errands, going out)- it's a public transport that is somewhere between a van and a bus in size.  It's pretty hectic on board, especially when it's busy.  You have to know your way around to use the combis, because its up to you to know how much your trip costs (which can be bargained in bigger groups) and where your stop is.  At some point during your ride you give the "cobrador" (money-taker/door operator/announcer) your money, which is usually between 50 cents and 2 soles depending on the length of the trip and tell him where you are going, by pretty weird landmark names.  For example, we get off at "Lavandería" for the Center, which means the (clothing) cleaners, even though I assume there are plenty of other cleaners in the area besides that cross-street.  If the cobrador is busy/inattentive (90% of the time), he won't remember your stop so you have to squish your way to the front and yell "Lavandería baja!" as a reminder before the combi passes your stop.

Today I got on the combi with a compañera named Lindsey, heading towards home after Training.  I gave the cobrador 1 sol and asked him for my change because I was getting off at Portada del Sol (which is 50 cents).  He acted confused and told me that the trip from Chaclacayo to Chacrasana was 1 sol.  I've encountered this a number of times before, since they think we're American tourists that don't know any better.  I told him no, I live here and it is 50 cents.  Usually at this point they shrug their shoulders and give me my change.

I protested a bit more, telling him I know how much this costs and its 50 cents, and the Señora sitting closest to the door started supporting me, saying "No joven (youngin'), you know perfectly well that it's 50 cents from here to Chacrasana.  Give her the change."  I told her thank you and continued protesting with him as he ignored me.  At this point Lindsey had to get off at her stop, so I was on my own.  I and this lady (but mostly this wonderful lady) continued to argue with him for the next 10 minutes, the whole ride to Chacrasana.  He pretended to be on the phone, walked through out the bus, continued to say it was 1 sol, did everything but just give me the freaking 50 cents.  The lady got continually more fiesty, with a constant stream of words coming out of her mouth for the whole ride that was something like this:

"Give her the change.  Listen to her, she lives here, she knows just as well as you do that its 50 cents.  You are what is wrong with Peru.  You, joven, trying to take advantage of others.  You are an example to the entire world right now.  Don't be bad (sounds better in Spanish), just give her the change.  You are the reason why foreigners feel taken advantage of in Peru.  Look at yourself joven, look at what you are showing her about Peru."

She was so, so awesome.  I tried a couple other tactics too, telling him I'm being patient and just want my change, blocking the door that he needed to operate, asking him why he has to be that way, why does 50 cents matter to you that much, but I think at some point there was no turning back for him, he just wouldn't make eye contact with me.  I got pretty loud in my protests and about the half the combi started supporting me and the woman too.  Eventually I had to get off at my stop, and it took all of my self control not to punch him in the back of the head as I stepped off.  I thanked the Senõra for her help, told her I know that he's not an example of all Peruvians and that there's just a few bad ones, and that's all I could do.

I definitely started to tear up on the combi when I realized I was completely powerless in this situation.  Combis are not exactly the safest places in Peru, it wasn't really an option for me to physically attempt to get the 50 cents out of his pocket, and there was no authority I could report him to.  I couldn't protest by staying on the bus, because then I would eventually owe him the full 1 sol.  However, the most frustrating part was that I don't believe that anybody is bad to the core, so I just really wanted him to give it up and be a decent person!!!  He probably thought I had plenty of money anyways (as a gringa), but the reality is that I am living on 8 soles a day (less that $3), so YAH, that 50 cents means plenty to me!

It was a horrible feeling to have to just give in and get off that bus, letting him win with that full sol.  I was taken advantage of simply because of the fact that I am white and a foreigner, no matter how much I reminded him that I live here and am going to live here for two years (which Peruvians usually find pretty surprising and which changes attitudes towards us).

The better part of the experience, of course, was the support I got from that fiesty Señora and the other combi-riders.  It's not the first time that a Peruvian has stuck up for me or a fellow trainee when a cobrador tries to play stupid with us.  There are so many well-intentioned, helpful, and smart people here.

The big lesson today was that good language skills does not remove that fact that I am white.  I've heard from a number of Volunteers that people will always try to take advantage of you because they assume you have a lot of money.  Peace Corps (Cuerpo de Paz) is actually fairly well known in some areas and well-respected, but people don't usually realize that we are subsistence living for two years.  In retrospect, I wish I had covered that in my argument with the cobrador.  I wish I had said something more along the lines of:

"...I live here.  I'm living here as a VOLUNTEER with Cuerpo de Paz.  I don't have any money, I'm making 8 soles a day to be a VOLUNTEER to help young men like YOU get better jobs and open your own businesses.  Can I have my change now?" (and if that was ineffective) "Maybe one day you'll realize that cheating a gringa of 50 cents isn't going to get you any further in life.  I hope that one day you have enough pride in yourself to realize you're better than that."

Of course I think my 50 cents was a lost cause no matter what I said, but I hope that he felt enough shame from the scene and the fiesty lady to think twice about doing that again.  Probably not.

Well, at least I have my speech ready for the next time a ratero like him tries to engañarme!