Mountains of fruit and shoes, all the soup kitchens or reggae beats: On self-built wheelbarrow Jamaican street vendors carry just about everything. The “pushcart” were the inspiration for the Jamaican Bob made ​​famous by the movie “Cool Runnings”.

Hustle and honking. Bustle and clamor. Bustling press traders their wooden carts through the Saturday afternoon crowd in Kingston. The self-made pushcart loaded with piles of clothing and building materials, with boxes and barrels, fruit and vegetables mountains. Some transport seniors and run Lazy or washing machine have great music speaker load and roll as a mobile reggae sound system from the street noise of the Jamaican island’s capital on.

Cleverly, the carts owner meander narrowly passing cars and buses. Some have converted their cars to mobile stations Grill: There is corn on the cob or jerk chicken, the national dish. Even entire kiosks and soup kitchens for the popular janga soup dealers have mounted on the vehicle. In Kingston’s downtown area alone, there are some thousands of pushcarts traveling around the island there are countless. They belong to the streets of Jamaica as dreadlocks and Bob Marley portraits.

Through the throng around Grant Park and Coronation Market also taxi drivers Petey makes its way. Pushcarts cheeky take away the right of way. Petey aligned – and yet he has sympathy for the rolling dealers. Inconveniently may sometimes be their companion on the road, the pushcart owners do Petey sorry.

Jamaica Cool Runnings:Shoe Delivery by Shabba

Recently, the government writes licenses prior to the four-wheeled racks. And they are expensive : Currently, the fees per license are unique in almost 30 U.S. dollars. For the dealer that is a lot . The daily per capita income in the Caribbean nation is somewhat lower. Where the wide-open social gap distorted these statistics. Many have to make do with much less .

“Now they pull even the poorest of the money from his pocket ,” said Petey , ” but that is something of ridiculous. ” Since November, the handcart drivers from Downtown must register. ” The attempt to cope with life , a little something to make , why do you arrange that? ” asks Petey . “Better that work here peacefully than to build in their ghetto crap. ”

One who literally runs with his cart out of the mud of the slums , George is called Shabba . On his cart and guarded by a blue and a black bin . Propp full with t-shirts and shoes. He supplied various street vendors on behalf of a wholesaler . How Colleen . She spread a blanket on the bare ground on the South Parade . It is their product : a mountain of black offenders . ” On Shabba I can rely on ,” she says , ” He comes every week . ”

The 41-year-old works 365 days a year. His Pushcart is his most important tool. 15 years ago he tinkers it together from old beams and boards and screws. With the help of wires he uses the controllable front axle. He removed from a scrap car, the steering wheel, the wheels are wrapped with the rubber of worn car tires. A simple design, but it ensures Shabba at least a small income.

Most pushcarts to Jamaica to work more or less the same structure. And they do their services reliable – without type approval or inspection. And without an engine. How Shabba. The single drive is Shabbas will to survive, which can push the cart through the streets of the capital it day by day.

Jamaica Cool Runnings:The drive is the will to survive

Before the gates of the Blue Mountains rise. From there comes one of the most expensive coffees in the world: the Blue Mountain Coffee. For someone like Shabba he is prohibitive. In his whole life he has not done it one more time to make a trip to the idyllic mountain landscape to the east of Jamaica, although it starts right at Kingston. “No time, no money,” says Shabba.

If he leans forward and his pushcart – both hands on the handles – set in motion , reminding his posture to a bobsleigh pilot who pushes his sled . Sort of like the time in the Disney hit movie ” Cool Runnings “, which – based on a true story – the story of the first Jamaican team told the Calgary went in four-man bobsled at the Olympic Winter Games in 1988 at the start. The Pushcart – the silent Hollywood though – was the inspiration for the first Jamaican Bob .

Athletic Jamaicans and a fast box : At the Winter Games in Sochi , a bobsled team from the island nation will speed across the ice the way back . The two of Winston Watt , supported by a German manager. In the summer, yet the muscle- Watt coached at the island’s beaches and posed behind pushcarts , for fun for tourists – and locals who are proud of their cars and their bobs .

Pushcart driver Tony, who sold his simple vehicle on Kingston’s streets oranges , has brought it to gold without Olympic participation . At least something that shines golden : On the wrist he proudly wears a thick watch. “I work and am an honest person,” says Tony , ” I build no shit. ” His rolling fruit stand holds already for 20 years. And goes and goes and goes .

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