Today, on my way to work I saw a curious "txopela". Instead of the habitual yellow and green colors, it was painted blue and branded by Bosch. I couldn't resist. I stopped to talk to the driver. He a young man in his mid twenties. As I was in a hurry, I took his number and promised to call him later. I called him mid-morning and we agreed that he would come by my office's building at lunch time. He came by as promised. I was in a meeting, so we agreed to meet later on, after he ran an errand.
He wasn't sure what my intentions were, and I had to explain again. I had done it once during our morning encounter. I assured him that his identity would remain anonymous. I asked to tape our conversation, and he reluctantly agreed.
My main curiosity was to understand how was it that the company had approached him to advertise on his "txopela".
-"These bikes here belong to a company", he explained.
-"Oh, it is not yours?"
-"Some 'whites' bought these bikes, and [than] they talk to a certain company, so they do the advertising, set up this and give to people who have a contract, for them to work. But this advertisement is paid to them [the owners].
-"And you, who work for them, do you take what you make or do you have a salary?"
-"We don't have a salary" - he laughed nervously.
-"You don't have a salary? How is it, then?"
-"In the bike, it is a contract. They determine the time. They say: 'for this set of time you will give me this much daily, when the time is up the bike is yours'."
-"Ok! And during that time you get nothing?"
-"You get nothing."
-"And how long do you have to stay with the bike?"
-"Two years."
-"Two years... without receiving anything? Isn't it something like... I have heard from others something like this: during the day you make something that you must give him, the remainder is yours."
-"That's it. That's exactly it."
-"It's the same system?" - I asked. He nodded in agreement. "Ok", I added "for two years... how long have you had this bike? How long do you have left?"
-"Hey... There is still a long time left, because I only have it for six months."
-"Six months? There is a year and a half to go." - I laughed.
-"There is still a long time to go", he insisted laughing along.
I then became curious about how he had become a driver.
-"Through a friend... he gave me the number of the 'boss'. I talked to him, pressured, and he ended up accepting me. Then I went to take the bike."
-"Does he have many bikes?"
-"He has Milo, Nido, Bosch, 'Maheu'... I think aroung 40 or 30 something..."
-"Bikes?", I asked surprised. "Him, just him? And when someone gets a bike [after the stipulated period], does he buy a new one?"
-"Exactly."
-"And he always does a rotation?"
-"He actually has some bikes that are about to be let go."
I moved on to his work station.
-"You told me before that you don't have a square. How do you do it? Do you have your own clients?"
-"I have a square!", he laughed out. "It's just nowadays it is difficult to manage."
-"Manage what, a square?"
-"No! It is difficult to stay in one place. You can stay there 2, 3, 4, 5 hours without anyone coming and getting on."
-"So, how do you do, then? Do you prefer to drive around?"
-"I prefer to drive around."
-"Yes, I saw you had a client there and another..." I pointed to two opposing directions.
He laughed wholeheartedly and explained that he had to pick up a package in one of the points.
-"So, are you done with your day?" - it was just before 3 pm.
-"Not yet", he laughed again.
He had been dropping a women in the morning, and then another at lunch time. I moved on to types of clients.
-"Who exactly are your clients? Women, men, students?"
-"It depends. But I have set clients who call me every day."
-"And what are your prospects in this work?"
-"I usually say that three months ago it helped. Now it is very difficult."
-"What is the problem?"
-"There is no money!"
-"There are no clients?"
-"There are clients, but actually I can say that there are no clients. Because, those who used to get on [now] don't because there is no 'dough'. You go around and see: 'this one got on to the 'txopela' yesterday, today he is..."
-"...on foot."
-"Walking, yes."
-"Three months; things started getting worse three months ago..."
-"Yes, the situation is a bit chaotic."
-"So, how do you see your future?"
-"I don't know, but I hope it will improve."
-"How did you adapt? These three months when there is less money, did you change anything or do you work as you used to?"
-"No, I had to change something... Like what? Sometimes I go home at 10 pm."
-"They don't complain back home?" - I asked looking at his wife who was sitting in the back of the 'txopela' throughout the interview. She looked at me with a half smile.
-"Complaining or not, she sees the situation", he said laughing nervously. "There is no option, I have to double the effort."
I thanked him and we both went our ways. I learned much in the 5 minutes that lasted our talk.
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