Life of a scraper

[MariaElena]

As some of you might now Brad and I do scraping on the side, well its part of the job life we have chosen for there is good money I cant lie if it wasent for the money I might not do it, its hard work. I like the fact that its free money and at the same time we are cleaning up, and recycling keeping the stuff from ending up in the land fields big problem we have in the USA. The down side is that there is people that are out there stealing metal, cooper, wire and ect,,, for money for thier drug use or to stay alive, there for they make it hard to go out there and get metal that gets thrown out, like in construction sites I cant tell you guys how much material gets thrown away, we can get a ton a day payout is $165a ton, we must fill 11/2 or two big trash cans of wire a month but they don’t let you come get it they would rather throw it away then let someone sell if for cash that might need a little money, again but what to do with the ones that break the rules the ones that are out there stealing and costing lots of wasted money that becomes a problem too. Here is a sad story that gave me a reality check that I have to share with you guys, Brad and I got pulled over of course we were in our beat up truck and trail so we get pulled over I stay in the truck cop asks all the questions that they ask, at the end he calls Brad out they walk to where the cops bike is and Brad and the cop are talking. So when Brad gets back in the truck with his ticket he starts to tell me that he cant believe what the cop just told him, so I say what’s up dude what did he say.
Cop: What is it you do?
Brad: I buy and sell computers and scrap on the side.
Cop: you mean you steal.
Brad: no sir not me.
Cop: scraping, stealing its all the same right.
Brad: No! Sir its not I don’t steal I scrap.
Cop: laughs HaHaHaHa!!
Cop handed Brad the ticket and then told him, you know when you passed by me I could not see you, I thought I had a illegal alien with no papers and no registration ( as the cop gave him a big smile) almost feeling bad that Brad was white and not Mexican and had to give him a ticket what a trip that was, when are people going to face it USA need us Mexicans..this cop was out of line not sure but Brad has yet to let it go but what to do nothing,,I was Wow!! what a jerk!!!

I want to share with you guys these scrappers they do it all by there bare hands, and hammers. The owners live in huge mansions in town, these men and women work hard so they won’t starve, They suffer broken ankles, severed fingers, smashed skulls, malarial fevers, chop-era, dysentery and tuberculosis. Some are burned and some are drowned. Nobody keeps track of how many die here from accidents and disease. They are very poor their wages are at $150 a day. Who can live with that kind of money and how do they get away with it.

Brad and I fill the little truck and trailer and could make over $300 a day! we are very lucky cause we get poeple that call us of just word or mouth thats when selling computer come in handy, helps cause we meet poeple and get contacts its great.

Please check it out you wont be disapointed love ya all!!!
shipbreakers



Now, has your today's perception of the world changed, after seeing these images and hearing this story?
Expect more similar visual research posts in the future.

[Cynthia P.]

Tia Elena,

As long as you are out there making a living for your family and not hurting anyone else, it doesn't matter what other people think. You are a hardworking person who puts the needs of her family first and not doing what you do for anybody's approval. So you go for it and do what you need to do. You are a strong woman and I admire you so much! Lots of love...

[Xochitl Lugo]

Tia your such an inspiration... I know it's not easy but hang in there tia....we love you

[buggs]

Elena thanks for the link of the Shipbreakers, that was out of this world!
I also really enjoyed your Blog post, please keep the blog going so we can read what is going on over there! That story was really good!

That cop was out of line, but just keep positive and don't let people bring you down. It is amazing how you can make that kind of money "scrapping." Some day I will do a photo essay of you and Brad doing the scrapping stuff (just don't make me dumpster dive, hehehehe, just kidding), but yeah, that sounds like an interested idea!

Oh, I bought a fixer upper trail bike for $1300. It's a 2001 Suzuki DR-Z250. It runs good but it has some problems (nothing major) and it back fires (I think the fuel is too rich). I will post some pictures perhaps this weekend. It will be my project to get it looking good for the trails. I ordered some parts already.

It is a little heavier than I wanted for the single track in the mountains (about 145 lbs but it's still 120 lbs lighter than my DR650), but that is the price to pay for electric start.

Ask Brad what he thinks?

[MariaElena]

Thanks Carlos I thought I had fixed it, I also liked the story I will never complian about work agian.

[Carlos Marentes]

Very good post, Elenita!
I really liked the story about the shipbreakers.
You know that you can post a real link in your link. Just go to the site you want us to visit, and copy the url (the address of the site that begins with http...) then past it in the place where you want it in your post, then highlight and click the tool option with the little chains (this is the Add Hyperlink tool) and then a small window will appear asking you for the http address and just past it again. Close the window and your link now appears in different color with an underline. This way, the reader of your post will click and go directly to the page...
Write more.
I really liked the recreation of the talk between the cop and Brad. Besides the racism on the cops remarks, is amazing how the system has converted the innocent hard working people into a kind of bunch of thieves, while the real thieves are in charge of the New American Order...
You know, the colonizers came to America and stole the gold and the land from the native americans. Of course, in order to steal they killed millions of indigenous people, including women, children and old folks. This concentration of wealth, stolen from the original owners with bloody hands, gave birth to USA. But in the history books this fact is no mention as an act of robbery, but as an act of "good American entrepreneur spirit"...

[Cristina]

We see it every day some time from our own people you all need to wacth the movie "A Day With Out A Mexican" that is a reality check.