A first-person account from off the beaten track, as told to Anne Ford.

“So I roll down the window a little bit, and I start apologizing. The gang leader says, ‘Wait a minute. Don’t I know you? Aren’t you Luis?’ I say, ‘Yeah, man! I’m Luis!’ And he goes, ‘I know this guy! He’s cool!’ I open the door to this sea of love. They’re hugging me and giving me high fives. ‘We didn’t know you were Luis!’