This or That

I have been pretty much only talking about things that I like here in Buenos Aires, and you must wonder there has to be something that I don't like. Well, you're absolutely right and I think it's time to balance things out a bit. There are 2 things I really do not like here in Buenos Aires and both of them constitute the quality of the air that I breathe in everyday. Yikes!

One is the exhaust from cars and most of all, from the coletivos (buses). We have many coletivos running on small streets, big streets all the time, and literally you'll see black smoke coming out of them. When I see one coming, I'd time my breath so I could hold it in but sometimes it's totally impossible when there are 2-3 buses in a row or you're stuck in a cab with windows down. (The latter was really bad.)

The other one is second-hand smoke. Argentines LOVE to smoke. While many countries have been banning smoking indoors or educating people about smoking etiquette, these 'ideals' back home do not exist here. They don't care if their cigarette is burning right next to you even if you're eating, they don't care if they are blowing second-hand smoke into young children's faces, even if they are their own. They want their fixes so badly that while leaving the subte station, they'd already have their cigarette ready and lit while going up the stairs, and have their first puff at the same time they stepped onto the last step of the stairs. Wow, what a timing eh?! Whenever I saw that, I just can't help but think, 'come on, really?! Is 30 more seconds gonna kill you from not smoking a cigarette?'

In the Microcentro area (downtown downtown), there are many narrow streets and buses go through them all the time; at least one every few minutes if not 3 at the same time. There is also a street called Florida which is pedestrian only (yes the shopping street), no buses BUT full of people walking and smoking. So after a while having to walk through those areas everyday, I had to take a pick. Bus exhaust or second-hand smoke? Which is less hazardous? Which path is less unpleasant? Which is easier for me to maneuver to pass by this yucky air area asap? And I've eventually decided that Florida street full of smokers is marginally more manageable. I figured I can at least duck or swerve or bypass them but when it comes to big clouds of black exhaust from the 'monstrous' buses, there's really no escape...may lord be with you...