On a very busy road this morning I saw the heaving traffic waiting to turn in front of me. I stopped, flashed my lights and let the first car through...followed by another and another...it is ok, I thought...no flashes or waves of 'thank you'. Car after car and nothing. Not a glance. Stupid effing b**ch they must have been thinking. Maybe they did not think anything at all. I did not exist. I was offering my good manners. They did not reciprocate. After car no.10 they started to get ruder, swerving through at high speed...still no gratitude. Car no.20 appeared in line, paused and awaited my flash to allow him to go. As I did so, he waved and slipped through graciously. Now I am going to apologise to those who may be offended by what I have to say next. ALL of the 19 drivers that abused my courtesy were Arab men/women and Indian drivers. Most of them had kids clambering all over the place. Car no.20 was a white man with 2 children safely secured in car seats. My bet is that he was in Walmart last week being served by a smiling overweight lady who gave him a "Hello Sir, How are y'all today? How may I help you? You sure can. It was a pleasure. Please come back again soon. Make sure you have a super duper fine day." After repeating her refresher course in aggressive courtesy for the 20th time this year.
The other drivers have been to Eatshit to pay their phone bills and been greeted with a "huh" by the counter staff. Gone from there to Immigration to apply for a visit visa to be verbally abused for forgetting that they now need 3 photocopies of this or that and 300 photographs now instead of 285 and NO, they cannot photocopy it for you, how dare you ask. Last stop is Carrefive where they were subjected to having all of their belongings double wrapped in plastic and sealed by a machine to ensure that they do not steal anything like the common thieves that they appear to be. All of this without so much as a please, thank you or FU.
Sunday, January 29, 2006
Excuse me? Not in Dubai.
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19 comments:
99.9% of people in Dubai expect other people to take time out of their day to help them, but they never repay the courtesy.
Because growing up they are not taught the basics, at school it is not required, at work they are not trained...in public they should be chained.
CG... a great blog !
common courtesies are missing these days. no one bothers to open the door or keep it open, no one bothers to help you, no one really cares. yes it's a fucntion of the times we live in, but in reality, it is also because youngsters these days are not being brought up to say the simple things like PLEASE and THANK YOU.
i too give way to other drivers at turns etc, and like you many times that graciousness is ABUSED. the other day while approaching a u-turn in a bylane i allowed a Lexus in the fast lane to cut in... all very well, no thanks received, none expected too, however at the turn itself another car came up on the blind side, thereby obscuring my view of oncoming traffic and preventing me from turning.. a simple honk from me and the driver got agitated waving his hands and shouting ( who could hear i don't know as his windows were up and the music was probably on). he then proceeded to turn ahead of me and began braking in a show of bravado. I shook my head in disbelief.
( ps guess what nationality the driver was ?)
balushi. I am honoured by your appearance on my blog.
CG. stop being sarcastic !
:))
Moi? sarcastic? Never.
I am in love with Balushi and was avidly waiting for him to enter my blog.
whatever rocks your boat CG
:-0
OMG...Balushi. I hardly think people from Austria are so cut off from reality that they would be shocked and offended by the sight of a man taking a wizz . Not to mention that it is unlikely they would all start screaming like a bunch of little girls. I usually just roll my eyes and laugh.
How much time do you really spend coming up with these stories ?
CG..your funny
Nice blog CG! I esp. liked the Walmart/Carrefoure comparison - so very true.
I also agree with the Arab+Indian claim... I'm of Indian decent and it really pisses me off to see fellow indians behave the way they do. They drive at 80 in the fast lane on SZR. They swerve into your lane without indicating... the list goes on!
All that from a generally calm bunch of people. Probably still got the 'zillion people on a public bus (or train) in mumbai' concept deeply engrained in their heads! Don't mean to make this into a racial issue so I'll avoid any references to the other lot!
If only the bel hasa's and the DDI's taught some decency along with the driving instructions (oh wait... they weren't bothered about the teaching... just counting the notes) and the traffic police made an effort to catch those rogues on the roads, we'd have a little more order in town.
Good piece of writing CG.
I agree with you all of the way, even in you welcoming Balushi to your blog. I look forward to the day he honours my blog. Ah, one can dream..
Anyway, you reminded me one day in Dubai when I was in a position to give way to others but it was my right of way and I let a few cars past (I was not in a rush, otherwise forget it, I'm as rude as an unpaid Dubai Transport driver). I noticed that the first few cars were Arabs/Asians and they didn't acknowledge my existence, but a few cars along was a white man, and he thanked me, and he was sincere. That made my day.
Same thing happens to me at pedestrian crossings, especially the dodgy one as you're going from Al Maktoum Bridge towards City Centre. Poor pedestrians cannot cross because no one gives them their right on the zebra crossing. I always make a point to stop especially when I have a load of really busy-looking Abdullas on my arse when all they want to do in CC is sit at Havana and stare at girls then tell their friends that they're going out with these girls.
well said.
it seems decency is becoming the exception and being rude is everybody's way of being important or "cool"...
pathetic
haha moryarti
was'nt it better in Kuwait in the good ol' days???
;-)
hang on.. NO IT WAS'NT !
:-O
balushi
He was drank…
I see more and more kids getting a drink there without any problem
CG!! as an arab man I cant help but agree strongly with your opinion, strike that..ita not an opnion, its a fact. I mean forget the courtesy, iv tried letting people through to ease the congestion at an intersection, the worst part is when the cars behind you treat you like you stole their money.I'v lived in California for 12 years and I used to think Californians are impartial and cold, I was so damn wrong, at least they were never inconsiderate, I never realized that until I returned to the Middle East (i wonder if the word middle was intentionally used to name this place by one sarcastic mo-fo) anyhoo.... i can even think of the times when a bunch of hispanic gangsters would give way to an older lady in downtown LA ....I mean seriously the scum of LA seem to have more courtesy than most people around here...
good stuff chevy gal.....btw if u ever notice an arab man giving you the right of way it'd proly' be me.
Hmmm...lanes merging - let one in, maybe two if yer in a good mood. But 20? Were you asleep?
oh hello keefie.
Yes well, I was counting. Besides that I was doing some last minute homework at the wheel. (YES>>>>I am the mug who does the homework)
Its nothing but cultural norms. When driving in the UK it is simply normal to say 'thank you' if someone does you a favor and too stick a middle finger up if someone does something to piss u off.
Nothing more nothing less.
cg
It seems that you have finally "ARRIVED" in the blog world. You lucky lucky thing! Getting Balushi to visit you. tell us how you did it?
Oooooooooh Kaya, wouldn't you like to know...hehe
anyway now I have lured him, the mystery is how to keep him. All so exciting..
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