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Lety: There was a period of time here when jobs were scarce and one would go around looking and looking for work. And so one of my brothers-in-law (he’s a driver on the route), told me, “Dive in, I’ll teach you.” Since I had a little baby who was born prematurely—and you see, one is capable of doing anything for their children—I said, “Fine.” And that was it, I trained in two days’ time and they let me work the job.How were the first few days? How did the male drivers treat you?
They started messing with me, insulting me, calling me a butch dyke. They wanted to drive me away from the job, but no, that wasn’t going to happen. I’m one of those headstrong people who doesn’t quit until I achieve what I want, I find a way to persevere.
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I would just slap them around a bit. One of them started making up gossip about me, so I went and confronted him. I said, “What’s your problem with me? If you have something to say, say it to me.” I had a lot of courage and so I smacked him. And that was the cure; from that point onward they all respected me.
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I rest on the route, but here at home I can’t. When I’m home I spend my time cooking and cleaning.What are you most fearful of as a female driver?
We’re experiencing a streak where there have been a lot of car accidents, by la Mina. A lot of people go through that area, and that’s a fear of mine. One of the drivers hit a lady and killed her, and now they’re blaming it on all of us.How have you seen the city change over the last few years?
One time I had to deal with some guys in a car next to us calling out to two female passengers to get off the bus. I thought if I could save them, well…. So I took a risk. I called the police over the radio, because the girls were begging me, crying, saying, “Don’t let them make us get off, please.” With all the disappearances and everything that had been going on, I thought they probably wanted to kidnap them.
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I’ve seen them take young girls away by force. They put them in their cars, they cover their heads with jackets and bags, and they take them. I’ve seen them kill…One day, by the Santa Cecilia church, I was arriving when some guys pulled up in a car and ended up killing the passenger I dropped off there. He was with another passenger, who tried to run away but he still got shot. I got out of there immediately. When these things happen you have to just get out.
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What scares me is our relationship with the police. Because sometimes you find yourself on the wrong side.You told me that one time a police officer assaulted you in your house…
One time, we were sleeping. I think they shot a few transit [officials] and started to search the area by the river shore. We were sleeping and the police arrived, kicked down the door, entered the house, and pointed their guns at our heads. They yelled for us to wake up because they were out looking for some hit men. They ravaged the house, stole my daughter’s cell phone, our money, and everything they could put in their bags. They ran off with the little value we possessed.
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I’ve seen so many things that I don’t even know who to trust anymore. For example, I was assaulted by some kids, and another time before that by some officers who supposedly came to protect us. I worked nights, so they said that I was carrying drugs in my bus. I asked them why—I knew I wasn’t carrying anything, obviously. I don’t drink or smoke, I never indulged in any vices. Why would they say something like that? But they said that I carried drugs below, in my bus. Every day I sweep and clean, so you can’t just come with seemingly good intentions and accuse me of carrying drugs.They said that they couldn’t treat me like a man but that they were going to be frank with me, and that they were looking for money. They took everything I had, my son’s high school registration, my bag, my wallet—they took everything.