Warning: dangerous cuts ahead

Simon needed a haircut. My last few attempts to give him one had resulted in him crying and hating the whole process… not to mention a really lopsided cut. I decided to take him to one of the official little kid haircut salons, even though the cost was outrageous.

At 38 soles a cut (roughly $14, high for this market), I would expect a massage, a free gift, or something spectacular. Sam’s and my haircuts are only 11 soles at the neighborhood peluquería a couple of blocks away… but then again, we are pretty cheap. (Whether we are cheap enough to try out the one I saw yesterday for a rock-bottom five soles a cut is up in the air.)

My rationale for forking over soles galore was that they would know what they were doing. And they did! It was worth every sol. Simon was fascinated in his little car, looking at his cute self in the mirror, never once squirming, complaining, or being anything less than enthralled. 

Simon now spots the kiddie haircut cars at random spots, tries to climb into them, and mimics scissors cutting his hair. He actually asked to get his hair cut the other day. I am ready to swear allegiance to this kiddie salon. 

Sam isn’t, however. A couple of weeks ago, he found a peluquería with kiddie cars in Barranco for seven soles. “Let’s go there next time,” he suggested.

One of my favorite parts of Simon’s haircut involved a seatbelt. In nearly every taxi we have ever been in here, the seatbelts don’t exist, fit, or have the necessary other half. Maybe, as the bus driver illustrates below, the critical part is to just have it draped across your midriff.

Yet Simon's little car had a well-fitting seatbelt, and he was carefully strapped in before his cape was velcroed on.

Seatbelts for haircuts is such a brilliant idea. I hate getting my hair cut and tend to panic halfway through each one. But with a seatbelt (and maybe a pisco sour), perhaps the experience would be a calmer one.

We’ll check out the Barranco barber for Simon’s next cut… if there are seatbelts. Do you think they would notice if I brought my own flask with me? More importantly, do you think they would let me sit in the kiddie car?