Suddenly, a downtown street scene plays out in front of him. He takes a break from his chicken sandwich and tomato soup to watch the action. The old man, hobbling and angry, pushes himself out of his car, and begins yelling at the other car owner, a young, blond-haired woman covered with body piercings. She soon goes off on her own verbal tear. A small crowd gathers.
Traffic begins to back up.
Soon a policeman appears, and he calms the two combatants down. They write out forms and pass them to each other. Then they offer a farewell glare and walk off to their cars. At 46, Rivera is a major force in local Latin music and one of Buffalo's most talented percussionists. Sometimes bad things happen, and it's hard for people to figure out why.