Contributed Story: Instability in Tijuana

Posted on 06. Nov, 2009 by in contributed stories, other countries

This story was contributed by Luis Blasini, an American expat living in Tijuana, Mexico. Check out his blog, Borrowed Flesh.

An old man draped in filthy rags blinked in the unrelenting Mexican sun. His creased face was the color of a brown paper bag and he sported a dingy yellow cowboy hat. From tired eyes he watched three white trucks – Tijuana paddy wagons – hurtling down a broad street kicking up dust. Several police clung to the sides as they raced by – dark eyes filled with fear and hatred, faces covered in black masks. One stared back at the old man, fingering his shiny black AK-47. The old man stood glaring in apathy.

Seconds later and blocks away, gunfire and a rumbling explosion erupted. Five more trucks careened past, followed by monstrous paramilitary vehicles while the street teemed with pedestrians casually going about their affairs.

I stood in the coolness of an awning sucking on a cigarette. Three squad cars roared past the dusty greenery of Park Teniente Guerrero, their squealing sirens scaring a mother clutching her baby in her breast. Five kids raced behind, crossing the street of kamikaze taxis and rickety buses belching black smoke. Several shifty and dubious malandros turned to hide their faces from the barreling convoy. The police cars always travel in threes now, ever since the local cartel executed 14 people in the last month, police officers included.

Two nights ago in my room I heard the rat-tat-tat of machine gun fire. Last night the symphony repeated itself down on the corner. Seven bodies lay in the darkened streets, blood oozing onto black concrete and vecinos didn’t care. Thirty minutes later a fat cop chewed a cigar stump, surveying the scene …

In the rural hills of Independencia where you can score speed, heroin, coke, crack – anything your junky heart desires – fires run rampant in the shanty adobes across from the school where a five year old boy timidly scuttled home, clutching his textbook. He passes roving gangs of cholos, their faces vicious with hate as they prowl and brandish pistols to deter the inquiring placas …

Down on Avenida Revolucion, the arrogant tourist still lurks, still drinks, still dances, still buys that ‘One-tequila, Two-tequila, Three-tequila … Floor!’ t-shirts, unaware of the slaughter occurring a few blocks from their reverie. This is Tijuana – my Tijuana – a place I call home …

  • Share/Save/Bookmark

Related posts:

  1. Contributed Story: The Pigeon Poop Scam in BA SUMMARY: A common street crime targeting tourists in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It's a bright Saturday afternoon in December 2007. We were walking along a side street on the way back to our hotel -- only a few blocks off the Ave. Julio 9. Not many people around... Read more...
  2. Contributed Story: Failed Bail on German Bar Tab SUMMARY: Two Americans studying in Germany try to bail on a bar tab, just failing but undoubtedly improving Americans' image abroad. While the other utterly square students in our study abroad program were practicing verb conjugations in our slumlord-governed apartments, KT and I were buying drugs from the Turks in...
  3. Contributed Story: Chasing Women in China SUMMARY: Contributed story from an American in China visiting a brothel, using a drug called 'king', and having more sex. Increase your sex drive with organic maca from Peru. Buy Peruvian Maca in China. I travelled to mainland China to meet Jason, a Chinese-born fraternity brother from America. I stayed with...
  4. Contributed Story: My Last Pint in Ireland SUMMARY: An American traveling through Ireland suffers a cultural faux pas, then has sex with an Irish girl. I planned to stay only two days in Ireland, but I fell in love with it and spent two weeks seeing Dublin, Howth, Galway, Doolin, and Ennis. My last night I got...
  5. Contributed Story: Pooping and Machu Picchu SUMMARY: Contributed story of a hilarious account of a gringo visiting Machu Picchu. With pictures. Special undies Before the trip, I went to REI for camping equipment. I bought a fleece, backpack, and a very special item: a $25 pair of underwear you can wear for 4-5 days that doesn't...

Tags: , , , , ,

2 Responses to “Contributed Story: Instability in Tijuana”

  1. Mike

    08. Nov, 2009

    I live just north of El Paso, and Juarez is about the same. You have to be nuts or desperate to live there. If Mexico does collapse we’ve got a big, REALLY big, problem

    Mike

  2. barnaby33

    29. Nov, 2009

    Tijuana has always been a poor gritty dirty way station on the way north. It is not really a part of Mexico, most of which is poor but civilized. Tijuana has been a failed city for a long time. Sadly Tijuana is just a clearer reflection of the dark underbelly of American society, politely placed just over the border fence.

    When America’s economy sneezes Mexico catches cold. It has always been thus. As someone who lives in San Diego and travels through TJ to get to my fathers house, I’ve seen TJ grow over the course of my lifetime. Its not nearly as poor as it was during the 80′s, but has a significantly larger permanent encampment of the poor.

    Unlike the first poster I disagree that Mexico has to collapse for us to have a really big problem, we have it now.

Leave a Reply