Change??!! Change??!!

I love people watching back home because humans can often have such strange behaviors, both individually and collectively, which just makes people watching in a foreign country all the more fascinating.  It's also interesting to see how people handle various situations and what their customs are for dealing with particular things.  We've had quite a few interesting experiences so far on this trip, but I think Argentina tops the list so far when it comes to strange and/or inexplicable.  So after three weeks in this country and with one week still to go, I figured I would comment on some of the more interesting things I've noticed and experienced. 

 

Bus Stops: One of the interesting behavioral observations I've made here in Argentina is the orderly way people wait for and board public buses.  Since I know many of you back home don't use public transportation often (if at all), I'll first explain how it works in the States.  A posted sign will usually indicate where the bus stop is.  Many stops have benches or shelters near the post, especially at main intersections or terminals.  While people are waiting for the bus in the States, they typically stand somewhere in the vicinity of the bus stop, some sitting on the bench, some (like myself) standing away from the crowd so as not to bother people by smoking, others simply pacing back and forth.  When the bus arrives, it stops at or near the posted sign, then everyone crowds towards the door and pushes their way forward until they get on.  Sometimes people defer to women or the elderly, but more often, the passive and or weak get pushed aside and are last to board, and subsequently, last to get a seat. 

 

In Argentina, people wait for the bus by standing in a single-file line starting at the posted sign.  The first person to arrive stands at the sign and each person arriving afterward lines up behind the person arriving before them.  There are no benches or shelters, at least that I've seen, probably because the buses run often enough that you never have to wait too long.  When the bus arrives, people board in a civilized, orderly, efficient fashion, with the first person who arrived at the stop boarding first and so on.  There is no pushing, no deference to women or elderly, just first come, first board.  At busy stops, you'll often see ten or more people standing in a straight line along the sidewalk waiting for the bus.  It's a very logical process and seems perfectly natural here. 

 

I've considered many reasons for why something so simple and efficient doesn't happen at home.  Perhaps because our buses never run as often, it's difficult for people to stand in one spot for 30 or more minutes, especially if benches are available.  Perhaps it's because we are so particular about our personal space, we don't want to stand too close to other people when there is a large area for people to maintain a comfortable distance while waiting.  I know for sure people are particular about "their" air so the idea of someone standing in line smoking next to them would be an instant argument back home.  Whatever the reasons, when it comes waiting for and boarding a bus, the Argentineans are two steps ahead of us.  Now if they could just learn how to avoid other people and effectively navigate obstacles when walking down a busy sidewalk.  Maybe I'm just ignorant, but I thought all people understood that you walk on the same side of the sidewalk you would drive on if you were driving on a two-way street, but that seems to be a failed concept here, along with walking in a straight line.

 

Headlights:  Now this is probably the most bizarre and dangerous observation I've made since being in Argentina.  I've noticed it more so here in Buenos Aires, but I saw the same thing in Rosario and Cordoba.  At night, most taxis typically drive with their headlights OFF.  Most will usually have their parking lights on, but it's not uncommon to see one driving around with no front lights at all.  The public buses also seem to drive with their headlights off at night, although I have yet to see one without parking lights on.  This, quite obviously, makes it very difficult to see them at night when they're barreling down side streets at 40-50 mph, and I have no idea how they see anything in front of them, so one must be VERY careful when crossing the street at night, especially at intersections without a traffic light.  Some will flash their headlights when approaching uncontrolled intersections, but not all of them.  The strange thing is that every once in a while you see a taxi with their headlights ON so we've tried to find some type of pattern to determine why they do it, but nothing seems to hold true.  At first I thought, maybe they drive with the headlights off to make it easier to see the light indicating they're free.  If you have bad night vision like me, it can be difficult to see the "Libre" light in the front windshield if you're staring into headlights.  Nevertheless, this doesn't seem to be the case.  This is one I'll have to ask a local about because I can't figure it out for the life of me and there has to be an explanation, although I doubt it's a reasonable one.

 

Nightlife: Anyone who has traveled outside the States knows that the bars and clubs in most countries get going later than they do back home.  In Europe, people still go out around midnight, but most bars and clubs stay open until at least 4am.  In South America, the clubs in most countries don't really get busy until after 1am, but in Argentina, it's more like 2 or 3am, seriously, even during the week!  And they don't close until around 6am at the earliest.  We read about this before arriving so we tried to adjust, but starting in Cordoba, we arrived at one popular club, Zen, around 1am and it was dead, almost empty.  Once 2:30 rolled around, the place suddenly got packed and was still pumping when we left around 4am.  In Buenos Aires, most clubs don't even open until 1am, and they don't get busy until almost 3am.  I think we've gotten used to it now so we've learned to take a power nap around 11pm, sleep for a couple hours, then get dressed and head out to the club, arriving around 2am.  I just don't see how people do it and still maintain a normal 9-6 work schedule during the week.  It certainly teaches one how to take advantage of naps!

 

Money:  By far the most bizarre and definitely the most frustrating, this country has a severe problem with money in the sense that there just isn't enough of it, especially coins!!  It reminds me of the South Park episode where the homeless invade South Park and go around mindlessly screaming out "Change? Change? Can you spare any change?"  At first it was difficult breaking large bills because the ATM's typically give you $100 peso bills, which are almost impossible to break anywhere except a large store or restaurant.  Realize, $100 pesos is equivalent to $30 USD so I find it pretty ridiculous when a business can't break them, but we've learned to get around this in two ways.  First, we reserve our $100 pesos bills for whenever we have to make large purchases, such as at the grocery store or to pay cover at a club.  The second way around it we learned from one of the guidebooks; when getting money out of an ATM, we'll typically withdraw $290.  This will at least guarantee you a couple of $20 peso bills and a $50 peso bill, which are still tough to break, but a hell of a lot easier than a $100 peso bill.  The strangest thing is that when you purchase something, they will always ask if you have exact change and will huff and puff about having to give you change.  The $1 peso coins are especially coveted and vendors will often give you a hand full of 10 centavo coins before giving up their $1 peso coins.  I've even gone to stores to buy a soda for $3.50 pesos, given a $5 peso bill and had the cashier ask if I have something smaller!  You can't give me change for a $5 peso bill?  What the fuck? 

 

The grocery store is the most interesting because it is the only place where goods are priced in a way that the totals typically add up to odd amounts like $43.33; whereas, at most places, goods are priced to add up to more even amounts like $3.50 or $15.  The cashiers at the grocery store have as little change as anywhere else (the change trays in their tills are always empty!) so people will often round up and forego their change, or the cashier will sometimes round down and give you a little more money back than you are supposed to get.  Both types of change differences are carefully recorded on a little sheet that each cashier keeps at their register and I presume it comes out somewhat even at the end of the night.  For example, when I went to the grocery today, my total was $43.33 so I gave the cashier $50 pesos. She asked if I had 33 centavos, which I didn't, so after waiting for her to get some $2 peso bills from the main caja, she just gave me $7 pesos change and recorded the transaction on her sheet.  When I bought something at another place earlier this week, the total came up to something like $34.70 so the cashier, without asking, gave me $5 in change for the $40 I gave her. 

 

We've learned, like everyone else, to hoard our change, especially the $1 peso and 25 centavos coins, because those are the only coins the laundry machine in our apartment building accepts.  We actually couldn't do laundry for a couple of days because no one would give us change in $1 peso coins, even after buying something.  We've also learned you have a better chance of getting $1 peso coins if your purchase adds up to an amount where a $1 peso coin is the most logical denomination for change, although you still have to hope the merchant actually has $1 peso coins, which isn't always guaranteed.  For example, when I buy cigarettes, which cost $4.40 per pack, I typically buy one pack and pay with three $2 peso bills, or I buy two packs and pay with a $10 peso bill.   This makes my change either $1.60 or $1.20 giving me a good chance of getting a $1 peso coin in change.  I also learned the other day that the subway seems to have more than their fare share of $1 peso coins.  So if you pay for your $.90 centavos fare with a $2 peso bill, they will give you $1.10 in change, including a $1 peso coin!

 

It's a pretty fucked up system and neither of us could figure out why money, coins especially, seem to be in such short supply.  I asked Fede about it in Rosario and he explained that there is simply a shortage of certain bills and coins and it doesn't help that everyone always wants to pay in $100 peso bills.  In my mind, the logical and simply solution to such a problem is for the government to remove some of the $100 peso bills from circulation and replace them with smaller denomination bills and coins; but apparently, there are other issues involved and no one seems to be able to explain what those issues are.  Sean and I were thinking, perhaps the coins (and the metal they're made from) cost more to mint than the coins are actually worth, meaning the $1 peso coins might actually be worth more like $2-3 pesos.  But this doesn't explain the problem with bills; paper money doesn't cost much more than the paper it's printed on.  Whatever the reason, the money here, especially the shortage of CHANGE, is the most bizarre thing I've ever experienced traveling. 

 

 

Argentina COE:

Pack of Cigarettes: $1.50

McDonalds Combo Meal: $7.00

Liter of Domestic Beer at the Grocery: $1.00

Liter of Imported Beer at the Grocery: $1.50