Imagine if you were driving/walking in South Compton in Los Angeles and some guy proceeded to cut you off or did some injustice to you. You wanted to flip him off, but then you noticed his ghetto car and ghetto attitude with his Bling-Bling on his neck and the ink on his shoulders, and his mean look like, “MOFO, you want to start something???”
You decided not to flip him off and smartly saved your ass right there.
You saved your ass in that situation because you could tell from your offender’s physical apperance that his was probably some violent lunatic.
However, when the same thing happened in Taiwan, you decided to flip off a guy with an average build, wearing glasses, and driving a blue family sedan.
Later the guy comes out of his car with a gun/bat/wrench and wanted to pick a fight with you, you becamse all surprised because he looked so harmless.
Only if the dangerous Taiwanese guys looked as dangerous as the guys back in the States, then perhaps people wouldn’t have acted so impulsively.
Without the bigoted language, he may have a point. I LIVED in the areas of New Zealand that are considered to be the South Central LA of the South Pacific. Although it may not always be the case, I can still see a point to be made.
I don’t agree with the ghetto car stuff, geez, I had a ghetto car, I had my ghetto clothes, wait… where do you get off with the term ghetto? I hate that word.
Point is, without the emotion, it is not as easy for a westerner to identify those who may be dangerous here compared to back home. My wife can’t ID danger spots in NZ and I struggled for a while here.
Most people in the US would just give the finger back, cuss at you from their car , or ignore you, they wouldn’t chase you down and try to beat you with a tire iron.
Exactly. Even in South Central, East Los, Inglewood, parts of Long Beach etc…all the bad “areas” in L.A., if you, flipped someone off this is exactly what would happen. The “gangstas” are too preoccupied with offing rival members to give a toss about making any kind of effort to harm the common driver. If you aren’t bearing the standard or color of a rival gang, chances are you’ll get back only what you gave.
I am not sure how I have survived in Taiwan for the last two years without feeling the need to flip someone off…of course, needless to say, no one has chased me down the street with a baseball either. Maybe there is a corelation? I don’t know.
Exactly. Even in South Central, East Los, Inglewood, parts of Long Beach etc…all the bad “areas” in L.A., if you, flipped someone off this is exactly what would happen. The “gangstas” are too preoccupied with offing rival members to give a toss about making any kind of effort to harm the common driver. If you aren’t bearing the standard or color of a rival gang, chances are you’ll get back only what you gave.[/quote]
Didn’t we discuss this elsewhere Mortal? It all depends…I know people in ‘red neck’ America that will chase you down if you give them the finger…maybe LA is more laid back. But good ole boys don’t appreciate this gesture…let’s just hope they don’t have a gun in the pick up.
Recently, a lady gave me the finger here in the states when I was driving. I just ignored it. There is no reason to simply do the same thing. In Taiwan, even though I may be able win many fights with the locals, I have no desire to do any street fighting anymore.
If someone doesn’t really try to challenge me to a fight, I will allow things to just pass. I woud rather just walk away than risk hurting the other person and getting arrested or deported. Even in the states, I don’t want the problems. (Plus, I don’t want to mess up my good looks )
I think the original poster has a point. One should learn the cultural and society cues that lead to a physical confrontation in a new country.
Of all the things to die over, I think “road rage” probably ranks as low as “in grown toenail”
I once got into an altercation with an unmark police car and cut him off in traffic in NYC. Fortunately for me he was part of the Anti-Terrorist force and had no authority hand out summons for traffic violations. But I learned my lesson about flipping off middle age pasty white people in American cars with fully tinted windows.
It’s not the getting beat up on the spot that’s scary… It’s the possibility that the guy will bring 10 of his friends and do his business the next morning when you step out of your house to go to work.
I’m actually surprised that there isn’t more violence on the roads between foreigners and locals. It’s amazing that no one has been killed.
I had lived here for quite some time before I started driving. Imagine some guy coming here from small town NA where the roads are wide, the drivers considerate and respectful, and the rules followed. Someone who is perhaps spun a bit tight. This person being thrust into the madness that is driving here should surely lose it, shouldn’t he?
Personally I consider the experience a great learning exercise. Outside of a war zone, where else can I learn patience and practice controlling my temper at such an extreme level?
Just give them the good old “two fingers - Fuck You” treatment. You will get the satisfaction of flipping them off and they will think that you want them to take your photograph.
[quote=“Dangermouse”]Just give them the good old “two fingers - Fuck You” treatment. You will get the satisfaction of flipping them off and they will think that you want them to take your photograph.
The locals dont understand it.[/quote]
I must confess, I don’t either. :loco:
The English “two fingers” originates from the 200 years war against the French. When the French captured any English archers they would cut off the two fingers on their right hand so they could no longer use their bows, i.e. they were useless to the opposing army. Therefore when the English archers were lined up across the battlefield they would show the two fingers to the French mockingly. This is how it entered the culture.
Perhaps someone should inform Fred Smith for the next time he meets a French man?
)
