Uno de Mayo here in Phoenix was a bust, pure and simple. While the demonstrations held in other cities across the country drew more people, even the most ardent supporters of illegal immigration are being forced to admit that, looking back, these rallies may have done their movement far more harm than good.

So what was it like here in Phoenix? here’s my personal Uno de Mayo experience:

8:00 AM (MDT): Hawkeye Landscaping arrives to replace a broken valve in our front watering system. The worker who arrives is Bill, an ardent anti-illegal immigration Anglo-Saxon Prostestant who hates East Coast academics and liberal politicians in a virulent way. Thinks Ted Kennedy is a murderer and a Communist. I like his style.

9:30 AM: Bill leaves and everything is functioning normally. On the way to work I bypass two landscapers attempting to trim trees and bushes around the adjoining subdivision. Both are white, completely devoid of any identifiable tan, wearing dark clothes (!), and go about their business as if they’d never seen a mesquite tree in their lives. “Hmmm….” I mutter to myself as I drive by.

9:45 AM: Stop at McDonald’s for a egg/bacon/cheese biscuit sandwich. The lady at the window is definitely Latino. Appears to have trouble with English, but she does have a pleasant personality. Rock on, I say.

10:15 AM: Arrive at my workplace. Traffic was light, but then again, I’m one hour later than the time I usually commute. Parking lot is full. Inside, there’s no discernable sign of our Spanish-speaking building maintenance people – not that unusual in and of itself. The 3rd floor men’s room leaves much to be desired in its general cleanliness, but that’s also not unusual – it always looks that way.

5:30 PM: Depart from work. Now here I can honestly say there may be something afoot. Traffic is lighter than usual, and I’m home in a rocket-fast 35 minutes. Never happens. On the radio, people are calling from all over the Valley saying the same thing. The prevailing sentiment seems to be, “hell, if this is what happens when the illegals stay home, maybe they oughta consider extending that boycott for, say, another year. What a nice change!”

So there you have it: my Uno de Mayo experience here at one of the epicenters of the illegal immigration debate. Anecdotal evidence, perhaps, but when things returned back to normal on Tuesday – the traffic brutal as usual – one couldn’t help look back and think what an interesting, refreshing, and illuminating day Monday was.