Two months ago, Benjamín Ramírez went viral after an Argentine musician maliciously knocked over his cart in Los Angeles. With elotes strewn across the floor and the cart damaged, Benjamín lost at least several hundred dollars in investment. When the 24-year-old elotero called the Argentina man a racist, the musician said, “I am not a racist, you idiot. I’m Argentine.” The man then went on to use a derogatory term the mentally disabled community has long fought against. Because Benjamín recorded the unsettling exchange on his phone, he gave many a peek into the aggression and injustices street vendors face regularly, especially in a place like Los Angeles, where the local government has yet to regularize the industry. His story rallied his community, which donated thousands of dollars to help him get back on his feet. It also motivated various members of lowrider bike clubs in SoCal to come together to build Benjamín a new cart, according to LAist.
Like many people who saw the video of Ramírez’s cart being pushed over, Los Ryderz bike club’s Jay Pee felt compelled to do something, so he reached out to Benjamín’s family. He proposed building Benjamín a sleek custom cart that fit his every need. Jay Pee worked alongside welder Art Ramírez, whose crafted street vending trikes for more than 10 years, to deliver. They also turned to others, such as Warren Wong, to donate material to make it possible.
With cost of labor and parts, the cart comes in at an estimated $2,500. For Ramírez, this is a chance to start over. Despite being very damaged, he continued to use the cart, which brought him physical pain. This generous gift allows him to start over.
Read more about the new cart at LAist.