When it rains, it pours

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You may or may not have heard, but Buenos Aires has a major water evacuation problem. The other day, it rained just over half of what normally comes down in the entire month of February. This may have been fine, however, it all came down within a two hour period. There is an underground river in Buenos Aires that helps with drainage in the case of rain, however, the system is very sparse and only covers a few major avenues. Avenida Santa Fe felt the lions share of this issue as cars became boats, floating uncontrollably, citizens waded in water up to their waists, and storefronts and residences flooded. In addition, the power was out in much of the city for over four hours.

Avenida Santa Fe lies several blocks South of the street my house looks over, however I was nowhere near the flooding when it occurred. I was in FLACSO, participating in whatever orientation program we had for the day, and although it was raining and thundering HARD for a long time, had no clue that the city could flood in such a way.

Watching the news later that night, the big story was the flooding, as a reporter walked around the affected area interviewing random storekeepers and people on the street. About 20% of the people interviewed seemed horrified that this type of inconvenience could occur, and immediately looked to the President of the Buenos Aires to place blame. The other 80% majority seemed very calm and acted more as though this was just a nuisance that goes along with living in Buenos Aires. It seems that this is not such an infrequent occurrence.

The main reasons for the flooding have to do with the lack of drainage areas, and that the copious amounts of garbage on the street get swept into the drains, clogging the few that may be present in the area. One GREAT thing about the flood (and any rain here, for that matter) is that it semi-cleans the streets of dog shit/piss, cigarette butts, and whatever else might be lurking.

In regards to the dog shit, I have seen SOME dog owners carrying bags to pick after their pets, however the vast majority barely even stop walking when their pet stops to doodoo. This attitude has transfered to the animals, as they go to the bathroom when and wherever they may be. In the middle of a large intersection, near subway entrances, on the sidewalk, you name it. Walking in Buenos Aires without stepping in some sort of unwanted muck is a feat in itself. I have so far managed to steer clear (knock on wood), but it takes a keen eye and quick decisions to stay out of the way of oncoming pedestrians, pet leashes, erratic drivers/bikers/buses/taxis, gutter puddles, severely cracked sidewalks, couples making out, and fecal matter.

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Comments

[dru down]

same shit, different toilet
i am envisioning a raft made of shit logs lashed together with cigarette butts toting a maniac yelling obscenities about the president. is that about right?