Cosamaloapan, Veracruz Nov 2004

https://www.dannydelacruz.com/Mexico-2004

 I felt like this photo needed a little context.

The man isnโ€™t randomly asking for money.

In Mexico, the road workers usually have someone take tips for the roadwork they do. I doubt they collect a ton of money but maybe just enough to get everyone a beer and some tacos after work.

 Iโ€™ve also seen โ€œfreelancersโ€ do this kind of work especially on roads that are hardly maintained by the government. In my neighborhood, thereโ€™s a man that collects tips for maintaining the paint at stop signs and speed bumps. A few months ago, a man was filling the potholes in a heavily traveled road while his wife took up the collection.  Almost everyone that drove by dropped a little cash.