He wandered onto my remote property south of the Bahia de Los Angeles early one day. I heard the car pull up and the engine shut off and went down
the outside stairs to see who it was and what was happening.
He introduced himself in Spanish. I?ll call him Ricardo because this story paints his work habits as problematic at best and he?s a nice if troubled
family man with a wife and four young children and I don?t want to defame him in any way.
Ricardo told me he had performed serious work for the previous owner of our new home. He had worked there for many years and done much of the
electrical, solar, plumbing systems and was intimate with it all. We sat talking for a bit and he seemed dedicated and anxious for work. I asked him
what it would cost for materials and labor to fill in a second floor outside balcony that was dangerously open to the ground below. Ricardo gave me a
price that I felt was fair and we shook on it. He would start muy temprano the next morning, 7 A.M. he said. I was working in the garage when he was
about to take his leave. I was sorting the solar, electrical and plumbing spare parts left by the previous owner into something I could comprehend.
Ricardo spent half an hour telling me how he could use most everything in the garage if I didn?t need the items. I told him I was sorting through
them and would let him know. But I knew there were a number of bulky bags of used clothing, bed linens and other items that he could have now. I
would see him muy temprano the next day.
By noon he still hadn?t shown. By mid afternoon he pulled into the dusty drive with a bunch of cardon ribs in the back of his truck. By the time I
arrived downstairs, Ricardo was filling an overheated radiator while his workmate pumped up a flat tire with a hand pump. Wow! Ricardo explained
that his house had been entered by the Mexican Federal police early that morning, and that they had accused him of stealing the Items I?d given him
from some tourist. He told me that the police had beat him, handcuffed him and thrown him in jail. He than said that after he was released he and
his workmate had been out in the desert all morning looking for the ribbing. They threw the ribs onto the ground and began cleaning the thorns and
small irregularities off them by means of two large machetes. I watched from a distance. Once again he asked for several items from my garage. For
each he had a specific application. I put him off. I was beginning to think that Ricardo was living a life to evoke sympathy. It was having the
opposite effect.
Within an hour the workers had cleaned the cardon and were headed back into town, saying they?d be back muy temprano. Ricardo, solo, returned the
following afternoon. He told me his story about how a rattlesnake had cornered him in his outhouse that morning and held him at bay for some time.
He then worked alone and finished the job in about half the time we had agreed it would take. His work was acceptable. When he finished and was
preparing to leave he told me he?d be back at 5 A.M. to begin the next task, which I?m beginning to wonder about.
At noon the following day he?s back with another wild story. This time it?s about his ear which has developed some infection and kept him awake all
night. By now I?m beginning to question everything Ricardo tells me. But he begins fronding my palapa and I say nothing. He has estimated 250 palm
fronds will do the job and I have paid him for that many. By afternoon he is preparing to depart and idly mentions that I will need to have him
purchase another 350 fronds to finish the job. I ask him how was he was so inefficient as to underbid the materials so significantly. He brushes the
question off lightly, telling me that the first set of fronds (that he had chosen) were ?undersized.? He asks me for money to make the purchase and I
hand him half of the requested amount. You?ll have to wait for the remainder until I go to Guerrero Negro I told him. ?That?s fine, Miguel,? He
says. ?We will continue on schedule regardless. I?ll be here muy temprano.? Then he asks me for more spares from my garage. I?m beginning to see a
pattern.
Ricardo shows up in the afternoon with a few fronds and screws them down to the cardon ribs before he?s asking for more money. I remind him that I
have no more money until I get to the bank in a few days. It?s a seven hour deal just to get a maximum of $400. Ricardo doesn?t like what I?m
saying. Additionally, he asks if he can have an air conditioner that is sitting on the floor of the garage. I told him to please stop asking for
everything in my garage before I can determine what I need and what I don?t. He noisily throws his spare tire and tools in the back of his truck. He
angrily adds water to his radiator and pumps up his leaky tire and slams off down the rocks toward town. Too bad, I?m thinking, as I?ve told him
nothing but the truth and paid him more than a fair wage.
The final day of our working relationship Ricardo has yet another wild story. This past evening his wife has been bitten by a black widow spider and
had to be taken to Guerrero Negro to save her life. No one else in this tiny community has heard this story and I question it without saying
anything. I have obtained the necessary money to pay Ricardo, and, unknown to him, have firmly decided I will never hire him again. Never. There is
no reason to aggravate the situation with words Ricardo doesn?t want to hear so I make my final decision and smile at him and pay him the last cent he
will see from me.
I guess the largest lesson is to be learned in my responsibility and that would be to check out the reputation of each person you hire before they?re
on your payroll. But I think the second lesson is important as well: if I put myself into the head of the Ricardos of this world, even though some of
us are hungrier than others, it?s still important to just simply tell the damned truth.
In the days that followed Ricardo?s unending errors of judgment I have had another fellow recommended by friends. I stopped by to talk to him this
morning, while he was at work. I observed that his work had a high degree of quality and that his labor rates were more favorable and open than
Ricardo?s. I will have to tell Ricardo these facts somewhere down the line, not to ?get even? or to be malicious, but to discretely let him know that
there are honest and direct folks in this world who want to do a reasonable day?s work while being factual. We could all win with those small
improvements.Roberto - 6-1-2005 at 06:55 PM
Quote:
Originally posted by Mike Humfreville
I will have to tell Ricardo these facts somewhere down the line, not to ?get even? or to be malicious, but to discretely let him know that there are
honest and direct folks in this world who want to do a reasonable day?s work while being factual. We could all win with those small improvements.
Mike, with all due respect, do you really believe he doesn't know these facts already?oladulce - 6-1-2005 at 07:20 PM
Ol' Ricardo was going to eventually run out of venomous creatures to blame for his woes.Mike Humfreville - 6-1-2005 at 07:28 PM
Oladulce, Sooner rather than later as his BS was getting old quickly.
Roberto, Sometimes when you can directly confront another with the garbage they've thrown at you and let them see how silly it all looks to the rest
of us it can make a small improvement. Not many of us enjoy looking stupid. But on the other hand, this guy was trying to feed the horde he'd
created and a little empathy doesn't stop us from understanding.
Thanks for your comments.Roberto - 6-1-2005 at 07:38 PM
Mike, just a small word of "advice". If you are going to finance many projects down there, you are going to have to be more careful and do your
homework more carefully.
And ... NEVER pay in advance.Bruce R Leech - 6-1-2005 at 07:55 PM
you were lucky Mike and you also learned a valuable lesson that we all do here in Baja Ca. I know some people that spent tens of thousands of dollars
to get the same education.Mike Humfreville - 6-1-2005 at 07:55 PM
Roberto,
Speaking of which, I hear you sold your place.Roberto - 6-1-2005 at 08:13 PM
Yes, you hear right.David K - 6-1-2005 at 08:16 PM
Mike, is Debra still there? She stopped here in O'side to pick up a bunch of 'got baja?' stickers for any Nomads she meets... Oh, and to tag your
trach cans and other visible objects!!!
It is going to be so great to read your entries from Bahia! I hope you get Baja Bus or ?? to install a satellite Internet connection... and a live
mini cam would be great too!
If POT II is running, join us to Mision Santa Maria after the El Rosario festival!!
Senor Mike...
Mexray - 6-1-2005 at 10:32 PM
How much do you pay...I work for 'Almost Free' up here at home...with the rate of exchange in BOLA territory, that means I'd probably have to pay you!
Good to hear that 'retirement' has finally caught up with you...enjoy, amigo.mrchuck - 6-2-2005 at 05:15 AM
It is sad to say but every group of homes in Baja owned by Americans has a "Ricardo", just like yours.
It is painful not to give him something.
But the biggest problem is that this "Ricardo" type, becomes the loudest mouth against the "P-nche gringo groups", that are residing in your part of
Baja.
You will experience this soon, if you already haven't.
All Mexican Nationals that know "Ricardo", also know what his diatribe will be.
Make friends with the other Mexican workers plying for your business.
In 6 months, you will smile about this educational experience that you just received a diploma for.
Saludos,,,,mcOsprey - 6-2-2005 at 05:47 AM
Dicho
"If you pay the mariachis before they sing, you may not like the tune" Having said that, you have to pay for the materials so in that regard you have
to trust someone. So it comes down to trusting people or not doing anything. One day your house will be just like you envisioned it and none of this
will matter one whit.Mike Humfreville - 6-2-2005 at 07:54 AM
Whay you are saying is true, regarding payment of materials versus labor, and it doesn't take long to learn who's who in the community. I am willing
to trust those who seem worthy and learn who are not through my own experiences as well as through the experiences of others. Your comments of locals
knowing their own and who is fair and who is not and their willingness to cast off the unfair ones are absolute. If I tolerate the poor worker I will
be held in disrespect also.
But it doesn't take long to find the segments of the community, both locals and foreigners, that are worthy of respect and join their ranks.
The kicker with "Ricardo" was, when I was waiting for him at his house one afternoon, one of his children came outside, grabbed a cup sitting on a
box, and scooped up a drink from a 55 gallon oil drum filled with bad water. While Ricardo doesn't particularly matter to me, he's still struggling
to support his family and it's his plight I care about, his family. It would be too sad to see his family pay the price of his lack of integrity.
But when I throw this whole story into the evolutionary process I have to tell myself that it's all for the best.
Thanks for all your comments.Braulio - 6-2-2005 at 09:16 AM
Cornered by a rattlesnake in an outhouse - you're a pretty good story teller Mike - but I think Ricardo has you beat.
Excellent stuff as usual - please keep us posted as to the house construction.
Mike
Baja Bernie - 6-2-2005 at 09:51 AM
I am pleased to see you are 'almost' setttled in your new digs. Pull out my book and you will see that I only wrote good things about the Roberto's
of La Salina. As everyone has said on this thread---finding the bad ones can be part of the fun too--and a great learning process and in the end it
will all add to your enjoyment of these wonderful people.
Just don't waste your money on the 'shifty-less' ones. Far to many of the 'good' ones need work and they do spend it on their families while the
Roberto's have a way --- of sipping it away.
Keep writing!lizard lips - 6-2-2005 at 10:04 AM
Mike, I have had several "Ricardos" work for me here in Mex. and they all still owe me alot of money but what confuses me more about this type of
outright theivery is when I see them after the fact in town and they approch me they dont mention what had happened or that they even acknowledge what
they did! It is the same north of the border as well I can certainly attest to that.Skipjack Joe - 6-2-2005 at 11:46 AM
Mike, people like Ricardo will respect you more if you're firm with them and tell them "enough already". They will take advantage of your good
intentions and kindness and see it as a weakness to take advantage of and disrespect you. They will deceive you and actually will start to respect you
when you stop their BS. It's a weak versus strong mentality. They keep pushing until you push back.
Dr PhilBruce R Leech - 6-2-2005 at 06:03 PM
Mike just seat down and have a nice big peace of banana cream pie and a good laugh.Eli - 6-3-2005 at 09:07 AM
Ay que Don Miguel, another great insight into every day life, thanks.
Expect we all know a Ricardo por hay. I have "met" versions of him several times. You can bet I always run when I get that gut feeling, hate whiny
guys, who always have an excuse and covet everything within sight, eck.........
I doubt seriously that any comment will correct his actions, any more than it would my spelling, Jeje. Anyway, if it makes you feel better to tell
him, go for it.
As to paying a worker in advance, again, I believe it is a gut feeling sorta thing. Over the years I have been paying Serafin as much as 6 months in
advance to care take the huerta in Auga Caliente. He certainly doesn't over do it, but he never knows when I am going to show up there, (neither do I
for that matter). Ah but when I do arrive, the wells are always dug around the trees, they are watered, and the grounds are raked clean and pristine.
He never asks me for favors, but he might bring up how much he enjoyed the pears I brought him the last visit, or how his grand kids still play with
the hotwheels that I brought how many Christmas's ago. Sure he and his wife kinda are always wishing for and know that when I finally do show, I will
bring a load of staples mixed with a few goodies. Of course, I always do, I think it is a ranchero owner kind of thing to do.
[Edited on 6-4-2005 by Eli]Debra - 6-4-2005 at 01:12 AM
David, Mike must have known I was coming "armed" I couldn't find a single trash can at this place! David K - 6-4-2005 at 07:40 AM
Figures!
Nomads: A couple years ago my kids and I stayed at Casa Humfreville (then near Magic Mountain) for the Humfreville's huge Christmas party... I placed
a Viva Baja sticker on Mike's dumpster (to give it that 'Baja feeling')! Mike
noticed it the next day, after we left and had a great laugh... I heard.oladulce - 6-4-2005 at 08:06 AM
Quote:
Originally posted by Eli
Sure he and his wife kinda are always wishing for and know that when I finally do show, I will bring a load of staples mixed with a few goodies. Of
course, I always do, I think it is a ranchero owner kind of thing to do.
Do your caretakers live on your property? Would it make a difference in the expectation that you, the Rancho owner, would bring staple items when you
come? Are the "staple" things for them, or the maintainence of the property?
I used to think that my lack of understanding of what was "proper" was that lack of knowledge of the intricacies of Mexican culture. But now I think
it's partly because I've never been a dueno (or even had a housekeeper, or gardener, etc).Eli - 6-4-2005 at 10:47 AM
oladulce,
My property caretaker and his wife live less than a km. of my property.
Taking food staples to my caretaker was born of memories from traveling with my father when I was a kid. To take a gift of food to a ranch we visited
was just something he always did, seemed practical as it was always a long way from town and much appreciated by the people who would always share
what ever they had to eat with us.
Than when I camped North of San Carlos in Sonora, I always remembered the rancher brought his caretakers stapes when he came for the morning milking,
again born of the practicality of his coming from town and them being stuck on the ranch without transportation.
Several times in the past, when ever I was invited by a rancher to visit his ranch, the family always took staples, including stuff like a big bag of
animal crackers, peanuts or a box of gamesa cookies to the caretakers.
In all these cases, the caretakers did live on the property.
Agua Caliente does have a few tiny stores. For sure Serafin and his family got along o.k. long before I came along with my ideas of what was "the
right thing to do". Originally, when I bought the property I did not take staples but I always took the family a treat.
I donno, one day after being invited yet again to his home for coffee, home made tortillas and ranch cheese, I decided that taking supplies as I had
remembered my father and the ranchers doing seemed like the right thing to do.
So, I just started doin it. I usually spend around $300 or $400 pesos with a quick stop at Chapitos as I leave Los Barriles for Agua Caliente. This
amount covers cooking oil, shorting, a bag of flour, 2 ks. of beans, rice, pasta, sugar, a couple of bags of coffee, maybe a can of Nido dry milk, 2
ks. of maseca, some onions, tomatoes, green chilies, maybe some yams, a box of gamesa cookies, small cans of veg- al, tomato sauce, some fruit like
pears or apples, make a can of fruit c-cktail, what catches my eye as I roll down the isle that I know they will appreciate. As I have been known to
go a full year without making the trip out to see them, this is not a huge endeavor on my part.
I always leave Serafin an extra $100 pesos, as we have an arrangement that if I don't arrive to pay him by the time he is due his wages, he has the
bus fare to make it to my office in Los Barriles, where my secretary take care of his wages for the few more months before I know I will get back,
always including another $100 pesos in case I don't. Of course, he prefers that I make the trip out with the goodies, when he gets paid in town, he
gets no extras.
I realize this is a very casual relationship for a piece of property that I don't have any use for, or more money to invest in. Before I left for
Oaxaca I made it out to see him, took his family staples, 2 rolls of sheep wire to mend the fence, paid him his wages up until Sept. 1st., left him
money to pay the water and my $20 pesos bi monthly cooperation with the neighbor for electricity for the one light bulb in the casita that I turn on
maybe once a year. I checked the property, which of course was as clean sweet and pristine as the day I bought it, only difference between than and
now is the trees are a whole lot bigger. Serafin takes great pride in his little (maybe 15 hour a week) job.
For me, well it is a cross I choose to carry, no one tells me I must continue in my endeavors there. Only My own conscious dictates that life has been
real kind to me, I live plenty well; therefore to pay Serafin, take care of his social security and take the food stuff to the family is just the
right thing for ME to do. I guess I always kind of saw it as my "church", what portion do the Mormon dictate to the temple? Well, I would rather pay
Serafin to keep my conscious clean, ni modo, cal a quien a su propio cruz, no.
Sorry this got way longer than I had intended, but now it is done and I see no reason to erase it.
[Edited on 6-4-2005 by Eli]
Eli
Baja Bernie - 6-4-2005 at 01:14 PM
Your dad, Don Jimmy, had it right as did my father-in-law. He/we had several friends on various ranches around Tecate and I always thought it was a
'law' that when you visited you took some sort of supplies. That is when I first learned that you do not admire anything a Mexican has or it will
become yours even if he/she can not really afford to part with it. I admired one of Lu Ann's cousins 5 star Stetson and it became mine even though
it was a couple of sizes to small. He went bareheaded for a few months. No, he was not a poor Mexican--I was the poor gringo in the family.
I don't think you picked up a cross--I chose to believe that you donned a halo!
Got a job (position) for me????Eli - 6-4-2005 at 03:37 PM
Ah Bernie, Really and truly with my silly ideas, I am just another bozo on the bus. As to a job, you did yours and I expect well, you are due the
retirement you have. You wouldn't want to work for the pentence that I pay Serafin. Saludos, Saraoladulce - 6-4-2005 at 03:44 PM
Thank you for taking the time to answer Eli.
We try to be perceptive about these cultural interactions but are often uncertain when it comes to proper gift giving, "bringing down things", or
bringing things as payment for work to be done. We've had some uncomfotable experiences with a couple of Ricardo- types that have left us leary.
What you describe sounds more like it stems from etiquette for rural living no matter what the country. This is something our dads didn't teach us
growing up in the suburbs.
It was very helpful. Thank you.PacO - 6-4-2005 at 11:12 PM
I talked about this w/Mike recently and am undergoing a project of my own, although on a smaller scale. I talked w/many local folks about workers for
probably almost a year b4 I came to terms w/a worker..... no money upfront. Guy works slow and steady but it comes out right and I pay him when I see
him which is what he wants...... so, I guess what I am saying is, whatever your comfort level is works for you. I am comfortable setting the work in
motion w/my clear directive and paying for it at the end of the day.
As a sidenote, what does this thread have to do w/stickers? Maybe a sticker thread should be started so we can see who stuck what where.Eli - 6-5-2005 at 04:33 PM
PacO, good post, good thoughts. Each of us must deal with our own comfort level, what feels right for us.
Your comment about paying your worker at the end of each work day reminded me of a story that my dad use to love to tell about my step mother, Dona
Lupe. It has been awhile and my memory is not near as good as Don Jimmy's was, but it went more or less like this;
It seems that Dona Lupe did not feel in anyway comfortable with paying her gardener before his work for the day was completed. But the gardener felt
it was equally unfair to be asked to complete work with out good faith payment in advance. So, they worked out a system between them that on Monday,
Dona Lupe paid at the end of the day and when the gardner returned on Wednesday, he was paid before even lifting the rake. And so this trade off
successfully went on for many years until the loyal gardner died not long after my fathers own demise, of a broken heart some say, he loved my father
dearly as he did the roses he tended for Dad and Dona Lupe. Who was owed the day with the gardner checked out, well, I have no idea, never had the
heart to ask.
[Edited on 6-5-2005 by Eli]marla - 6-5-2005 at 05:20 PM
Mike. If Ricardo ever solicts you for work again you should tell him you are sorry but you were bitten by a rattlesnake on the way to the bank and
then the policia took everything you had left when they left you staked to an anthill in the desert.4baja - 6-6-2005 at 06:24 AM
go to town and pay for the materials upfront and have them deliverd too your project. count your material and have your worker allso make note of the
amount of material(400 block, 20 bags of cement, exc.) have a set price for labor(hourly or whole job) in wrighting before work begins and let them
know wether you pay at the end of the day or when project id done. BE THERE while the job is being done or you will not get what you want( there will
be lots of questions) and there may be problems down the road. allso they tend to not show up if they know that you will not be around. NEVER PAY FOR
A WHOLE JOB IN ADVANCE AS THE MONEY WILL BE USED FOR ANOTHER PRPOSE AND YOU MAY NEVER GET THE JOB DONE. allso if you must be away dureing construction
and need to leave money with a friend to pay for the job do not tell the workers who has the money. they will bug them daily for money for who nows
what and they dont need that crap. good luckEli - 6-6-2005 at 09:03 AM
To Funny Marla, good a way to handle Ol Ricardo types as I can think of.
4baja, again, it is a comfort level kind of thing. There are lots of ways to go about building in Baja, and lots of different contractors who work at
different levels in order to full fill this dream. Sounds like you found the right builder for you.
When I was contracting, I wouldn't have touched a job where the owner bought the materials. My contracts always included a finished project, i.e. you
bought the house, what I spent on materials was my business.
I remember one time I had a client that hired an over-seer who immeditaly started counting the re-bar, I took the crew off until the dude was gone. We
went back to work and built a chingon beautiful house that is to this day is considered by many to be a principal show place in the East Cape. t was
built in 91- 92.
My company as always built to engineering specs and with specifications stating what we were responsible for and what not up the ying-yang. And I
would never consider breaking ground for less than one third of total cost of project up front, easily $100,000.00 DLLs. going in. We always finished
clean, with more than happy clients, and Me. The same holds true today, if anything my kids are better at it than I ever was, and the contracts are
more iron clad.
I believe that when you get into serious construction, it is a matter of trust with client and contractor a like. If you have to count the cement
sacks going in, you shoudn't be working with that person, because you don't trust them. Pero, ya sabes, in the end it is a comfort level kind of
thing, but not just for owner, for the builder also. A bad client can ruin ya, you know.
Saludos, SaraMike Humfreville - 6-6-2005 at 09:47 AM
In my situation, I was doing some very basic work. All we needed was a bunch of cardon ribs and palm fronds. I was the major problem because I was
watching Ricardo?s living conditions with his family and wanted to help him/them discretely. Once I let my heart get in the way of my head the whole
deal fell into a fathomless pit. I taught Ricardo that he could burden me with his problems and he came to expect me to deal with them. Once I saw
he wasn?t reliable I should have confronted the situation, defined the rules, and held him to them.
But, sometimes, having to do all that is just too much. Sometimes all we want is to deal with someone who already understands the rules, who already
is working at out level and who we don?t have to ?talk down? to.
Now, having thought that out, I?ll not let sympathy allow me to cause problems that will eventually destroy a relationship. It won?t be easy though.
Many of us have a nature that just wants to help an innocent in any way we can. So I guess I?ll have to get better at determining who is innocent and
who is trying to take advantage.Debra - 6-6-2005 at 06:50 PM
Sorry "PacO" it was a funny memory and I answered a question......
I was there with many of the exchanges between Mike and "Ricardo" Knowing Mike as I feel I do (my perception) all the guy would have had to do was
be honest.....no BS, no stories, and Mike would have given him the shirt off of his back (sorry to "out" you Mike, LOL!) that is how Mike is with
people. I listened to the "BS" several times and the stories got more and more bizzare. When I told the story about the police beating "Ricardo" up
to someone we all trust in Bahia, his comment was "If they beat him up, it was probebly for some other (good) reason" Again, from someone I would
trust with my life (and have) .......We all learn the hard way I guess, thanks to Mike I get to learn the easy way.....I know who NOT to hire when
I'm begining my Baja project.surfer jim - 6-6-2005 at 07:11 PM
I have a friend here who does the same thing...promises to show up early.....(and never does) ... friend died, brakes failed, kid got sick, someone
borrowed tools ....the list goes on.....just like what you described....had him do some work for me and a 5 day job took 5 months....and never really
got done at that.....guess people in both countries are more alike than I thought.....4baja - 6-6-2005 at 08:31 PM
eli, you remind me of peter and his brother around the east cape who built great houses with quility and who were trust worthy, but we are in a area
with few contracters and low tourism and can not aford to throw money away. i believe me and my buddys have found the best method for the area to pay
these guys and they seem to agree to the terms. we have a few more jobs going on and will see.Eli - 6-7-2005 at 09:42 AM
Opps, jeje, reading back, I did get a little carried away............ never mind, I was just having another Gilda Radner moment.
Truly wishing all and everyone the very best on your building projects, grande or small- how ever you wanna work it, your providing an honest days
work for someone and that is what it is really all about in the end- Oh yeah and full-filling a dream, if it be a palapa over a trailer or a manson in
Cabo, it's all legit and worthwhile in my book.Paulina - 6-7-2005 at 07:30 PM
