The Cheery orange sweepers
One of the first things that struck me when I returned to London at the start of this year was how naked all the trees looked. I don’t miss the cold British winter much, but there is something rather amazing about the way all the leaves drop in autumn and then return in spring.
March 2012, London. Ouch! I always felt sorry for trees in winter. But then they look great when they get a brand new set of leaves when spring comes round.
The fact that Rio doesn’t have winters cold enough to make the leaves drop presents a situation that hadn’t occurred to me before I came here. Instead of the boom-or-bust leaf fall situation of a temperate climate, Rio has a steady rain of leaves throughout the year. And that means that there are always leaves to sweep!
Who takes care of all this sweeping? The Garis – men and women, dressed in bright orange overalls, roam the streets of Rio, sweeping and collecting leaves, rubbish and generally cleaning up.
A Gari, or lixeiro. Invariably with big smiles on their faces, these men and women do a great job of keeping Rio clean. Source
The first person to ever take on a contract to keep Rio clean was a Frenchman who went by the name of Pedro Aleixo Gary. This was way back in 1876 when one of the main tasks was cleaning up after the main vehicle of the time, horses. Before long, people who cleaned the streets became known as Garis and the name has stuck.
Nowadays you can’t go far without seeing a gari or two, working their way up a street or cleaning up the beach. And do you know what? They are some of the most cheerful people I see in Rio!
Some time ago my wife and I were discussing this. It all started off when we were discussing the fact that the people who work for Light (the utility company responsible for electricity) all seemed to be rather rude and grumpy. We happened to be wandering down the street at the time and we saw João, the guy who cleans the street that we live on. As usual he called out bom dia! with a smile and a cheery wave and it just hit us: in contrast to the workers of Light, the garis all seem to be cheery and friendly. If you need directions, they will be delighted to help. If you just fancy a bit of a chat, they’ll be happy to help with that too!
Garis are very busy during carnival, but that doesn’t stop them getting involved and having some fun!
Sadly it seems that there is quite a lot of prejudice against the garis. Sociologist Fernando Braga da Costa, spent 8 years studying the world and the attitudes of the public towards the garis. He would go out, day after day, working the streets just like the genuine garis. And what he found was that as soon as he put on the striking orange overalls he became invisible. Colleagues from the university where he did his research (USP) would walk straight past him, even bumping into him without a word of apology.
Boris Casoy
And on New Year’s Eve 2009, 2 garis were featured wishing viewers a happy new year on a daily news programme. The presenter, Boris Casoy, called for a commercial break and, thinking he was off-air, was overheard saying:
“What shit, 2 lixeiros [rubbish collectors] wishing happiness… from the height of their brooms… 2 lixeiros!… the lowest level of work.“
It makes you wonder how the garis remain so cheerful doesn’t it? If you want to see/hear the footage yourself you can see it here. And if you want to learn some new swear words, then check out some of the responses in the comments area below the video! As one gari responded when asked about his job, he said the smell wasn’t nearly as bad as the stinking prejudice he suffers from some people who pass him in the street.
Perhaps a happier, more positive video would be this one. A bunch of garis having some fun:
That’s a bit more like it isn’t it? The top reader comment for this video is Ganha pouco mas se diverte! They don’t earn much, but they have fun!
Do people sweep the streets where you live? If so, do you ever say hello?
I would guess that the continous energy buzz one gets from constant light exercise could be the root to the cheerfulness of these fellows. The atrocious behavior displayed by some – actually far too many – towards these dudes is irrational, and revealing of poor character.
Oh, people would do well to donate to their Christmas fund, which they tend to start collecting a week or two before the birth of Christ (Christ, you know, that awesome dude who would never treat anyone as if they were invisible).
Well said Gritty. And I’m sure you’re right about the energy buzz – I’ve seen quite a few interviews with Garis where they say how much they like being outside, chatting to people, doing a good job to improve the city. It’s a good job, worthy of respect.