We Mexicans often are rude.Yes, we kiss and shake hands a lot. But when it comes down to basic consideration for the feelings of others, especially folks we don´t know, we´re thoughtless more often than not.
Here are just two examples: driving and waiting in line. There are lots of others, however.
On the street or on the highway, the foremost attitude is, "What I want to do is more important than what you want to do."
You can be driving down a highway at a reasonable speed, and someone will approach from behind driving as fast as possible, as usual. And then he discovers that you are in his way!
You may be on a two-lane highway with no shoulder to speak of, but no matter! He wants you out of his way! If he cannot pass, he will start flashing his lights at you so that you can . . . well, who knows? Sprout car wings and fly perhaps.
Careening off the cliff to your right would be okay. Whatever it takes to eliminate you from his onward trajectory. No matter. Drop dead. Get out of the way. That´s the attitude.
Wait till the coast is clear to pass? Ha! Forget that.
Waiting in line: A local will almost always try to butt ahead of you. A friend of mine once was in an emergency room, his leg bleeding from a dog bite.
He was waiting his turn behind another injured person. In strides someone, not bleeding anywhere, and she barges ahead of my friend to get first attention. This is not rare.
In the interest of fairness, I must say that except in the case of motorists the rudeness does not seem intentional. It appears that they simply view other people as annoying speed bumps on life´s highway.
It is as if other people do not exist.
The individual Mexican as a rule thinks much about his own rights and is always ready to assert them. But he does not think so much about the rights of others. -- Dictator Porfirio Díaz (1830-1915)
(For more on the unimportance of others, see item on Crappy Economy up this list.)
2 comments:
Hi Michael,
First, I have been reading your blog for some time now. Really enjoy it. I am a native southerner(N. Ga. mtns) and always smile when I read some of your regional "sayins".
I too have a guapa senora and plan to retire next year. Will live the "gritty" existence in mexico(location yet to be determined). I have spent enough time in Mexico to have encountered the subject behavior and generally it doesn't bother me. But, it seems the longer I am in Mexico without a break, the more this behavior really irritates me. Question, will I, over time, become less likely to react? Do not want to be considered an arrogant, know it all, Gringo....just a good welcome fellow who enjoys almost all the country has to offer.
Thanks,
Dan
PS. We are seriously considering retiring in Guadlajara(not Chapala or Ajjic...to many gringos for my taste). How would you compare Guadalajara and Morelia. We prefer a quiet colonia inside the city as opposed to a small town).
I've encountered this too! It INFURIATES me and I tend to get quite flustered when someone pushes in ahead of me at el banco, el super, la hospital.. much to my Mexicano's disgust at my impatience. I feel guilty for not being relaxed about this, but I find it so offensive. Doesn't matter that I'm actually a Kiwi, I'm just another uptight Gringa as far as Mexicans are concerned! Are you sure that these differences don't diffuse over time living there?
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