Mexicans at the 7-11

Back when I was ten years old living in Sacramento, I saw women walking around on the streets of Stockton Boulevard. When cars pulled to the curb, the women walked over to the passenger side window, leaned in, and usually got in the car. I learned later that they were earning a tax-free living.

About the same time, I started earning money raking leaves in the neighborhood (tax free.) Sometimes after I got paid, I would go to the 7-11 on Broadway to buy Captain America or Spider Man comic books and get a Slurpee. It became my favorite store at an early age.

That was in 1986.

Fast forward to 2010. We do not have 7-11's where I lived in Kansas, but they are here in New York. I still like to go to 7-11, but now it is for a fountain soda of Dr. Pepper. Fountain Dr. Pepper is like crack to me.



Anyway, the closest 7-11 to our apartment is at the corner of 15th Avenue and 65th Street here in Brooklyn. Every time I go there are always a dozen or more Mexicans loitering around the parking lot.

I wondered why this could be. I had suspicions but decided I would wait a few months to be able to see the story unfold. One time I saw a van with Chinese writing pull over and drop several off. Another time I watched as several of them piled into the back of a U-haul.

And today confirmed everything, I think. I was driving to drop Jenn off at the Subway station at 62nd street at about eight in the morning. There were at least two dozen of them lining both sides of the street near the 7-11, where we were waiting for the light. The temperature was around 20 degrees and it was really windy. Not the worst conditions, but it seemed a little harsh to be standing on the street corner.

Suddenly, two of them started sprinting about a hundred yards down the sidewalk toward an SUV that had just pulled over on the opposite side of the road. One of them leaned into the window, a discussion ensued, and both men hopped into the SUV and it drove off. I laughed out loud as it reminded me of the Stockton Boulevard ladies earning their tax-free living.

Some people who read this will not find this funny. And in some ways it isn't. But don't think anybody is trying to do anything about it. They are out there all day, EVERY day. They were even there on Thanksgiving. Today as I was driving back home, there was an NYPD squad car in the parking lot of the 7-11. I looked around to observe the whole picture. They did not flinch that he was there, and he seemed to pay no attention to them.

America is the land of opportunity, are you seizing yours?