I took my car in for servicing yesterday, and the courtesy shuttle dropped me off at a nearby Starbucks to work while I waited.  The Starbucks was in a big plaza that contained a Home Depot, and as we pulled into the parking lot I saw many Mexicans just milling about in the parking lot.  I wondered what they were all doing there, then somebody said they're looking for work.

I had heard stories about this - illegal Mexican immigrants wait outside of Home Depot stores, looking for work.  Apparently you can hire them as cheap labour for construction, painting, yard duty, anything that requires manual labour.  One of our friends moved awhile back and afterwards said they wished they'd hired a couple Mexicans to do the heavy lifting.

This situation is very strange to me, but I suppose it's better for them to sit outside of Home Depot hoping to get a short term job than to sit on a street corner begging for money or food.  It can't be easy to do that; I guess that speaks greatly of their living conditions in Mexico if they're willing to do this in the US.