I was once sitting in the window of a busy restaurant/bar full of foreign expats in downtown Tokyo, in one the the buzziest, ritziest nightlife areas. On a Friday night around 10pm, I sat sipping my cocktail and witnessed two men hold a guy by the arms while a third guy repeatedly ran up to him and brutally punched and kicked him. This happened in the middle of the sidewalk with literally hundreds of people walking by and the street jammed packed with vehicles. They were right in the middle of the sidewalk. The crowds walking by just flowed around, giving wide berth, looking away. I sat and watched it all frozen in disbelief because I did not know what to do. No one did a thing. The guys had tattoos. Any logical person would have therefore concluded that they were yakuza (Japanese gangsters) and so certainly would not have wanted to go anywhere near that. I have intervened in other types of situations but having experienced this I have some perspective.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In Egypt I saw a dead body that had just been hit by a car. People covered it with newspapers.

40 minutes later I passed by the area again, still no ambulance, still there.

Well if the person's already dead, no need to rush over - not like there's anything that can be done for them anymore.

I doubt that they knew, or cared.

This is true. Living in America, we're taught that every human life is valuable. Just call 911, they'll come and help you! In certain other countries, it is not like this at ALL. Nobody is coming. You watch out for yourself and don't expect anyone else to be doing it for you.

I can't speak to the specific situation the PP posted about, but Egyptians are very caring in general. But they are also very poor. They have very limited governmental resources like ambulances and fire trucks. We expect responses within minutes. They are happy with days. I think the fact they covered it with newspapers shows that someone cars.

Be thankful for what you have.

I am an Egyptian by birth, I posted the first post in this line, and I can tell you, a great many people there simply don't care. They're so tired/poor/religious/miserable/sexually repressed that basic decency has become a luxury in many cases. That's why so many of the original revolutionary protesters were young, educated, and well-to-do. They hadn't been broken yet. I don't know what the ratio is of good/bad, but it is definitely skewed at this point. Living there I found myself disgusted despite myself, even though I knew that bad circumstances had pushed people to bad ends. It's horrific, but it's the truth.

Isn't a dead body on the street something of a health hazard?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In India, burning bodies and sending them into the Ganga river, where downstream the bathe, wash clothes and get drinking water.

Planned Parenthood does that in DC and MD. What? Too graphic?

Nope, just stupid and unrelated.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In Egypt I saw a dead body that had just been hit by a car. People covered it with newspapers.

40 minutes later I passed by the area again, still no ambulance, still there.

Well if the person's already dead, no need to rush over - not like there's anything that can be done for them anymore.

I doubt that they knew, or cared.

This is true. Living in America, we're taught that every human life is valuable. Just call 911, they'll come and help you! In certain other countries, it is not like this at ALL. Nobody is coming. You watch out for yourself and don't expect anyone else to be doing it for you.

I can't speak to the specific situation the PP posted about, but Egyptians are very caring in general. But they are also very poor. They have very limited governmental resources like ambulances and fire trucks. We expect responses within minutes. They are happy with days. I think the fact they covered it with newspapers shows that someone cars.

Be thankful for what you have.

I am an Egyptian by birth, I posted the first post in this line, and I can tell you, a great many people there simply don't care. They're so tired/poor/religious/miserable/sexually repressed that basic decency has become a luxury in many cases. That's why so many of the original revolutionary protesters were young, educated, and well-to-do. They hadn't been broken yet. I don't know what the ratio is of good/bad, but it is definitely skewed at this point. Living there I found myself disgusted despite myself, even though I knew that bad circumstances had pushed people to bad ends. It's horrific, but it's the truth.

Anonymous wrote:In India, burning bodies and sending them into the Ganga river, where downstream the bathe, wash clothes and get drinking water.

Planned Parenthood does that in DC and MD. What? Too graphic?

In India, burning bodies and sending them into the Ganga river, where downstream the bathe, wash clothes and get drinking water.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Toilet attendants in Germany and France. Having to tip someone for using the bathrooms, and thinking that the person spends their entire day in that bathroom struck me as strange.

Yes!! I also thought it was the strangest job ever, however, I don't think you had to tip them, you had to pay a fixed fee.

That's why their bathrooms are clean.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In Amsterdam, you smoke joints in a coffee shop, and drink beers in a cafe. And a table of people would sing softly in a restaurant - not rowdy ones, just canal side boutique restaurants.

Speaking of interesting things in Amsterdam, a few years ago I visited my friend there (she is American, but she married a Dutch man so they are living there). Every single restaurant we went in to, there was a cat just roaming around! My Dh said it's to keep out the rats...

It's because of the canals they have so many rats. Totally normal. I'm surprised more cities don't use cats, but use poison. What would you rather?

China loves Buicks, apparently.

In Spain and France, interesting "challenges" to figure out in public restrooms, such as flushing the toilet by pulling a chain from the ceiling or a sink that turned on with a foot pedal.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Toilet attendants in Germany and France. Having to tip someone for using the bathrooms, and thinking that the person spends their entire day in that bathroom struck me as strange.

Yes!! I also thought it was the strangest job ever, however, I don't think you had to tip them, you had to pay a fixed fee.

They have this here in some restaurants.

Anonymous wrote:Toilet attendants in Germany and France. Having to tip someone for using the bathrooms, and thinking that the person spends their entire day in that bathroom struck me as strange.

Yes!! I also thought it was the strangest job ever, however, I don't think you had to tip them, you had to pay a fixed fee.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've heard no one uses umbrellas in Seattle. (I know, not another country)

People in the Bay Area don't speed even when there's no traffic.

I had never really seen stray animals roaming around until I went to Mexico.

Not true! I grew up in the Bay Area and live there now.

As long as we're on domestic weird things...at BART (the local rapid transit system) people stand in line where the doors will open, rather than just crowd around the door. Two lines, when people get off, you enter the car in a line. So civilized.

WTF BART line are YOU taking? Because I live in SF too and never see that, and definitely don't see it on Muni ever.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dosens of Babies sleeping in buggies out in the cold on Danish streets while their moms ate lunch at a cafe inside. Totally unattended.

There was a story, about 15 years ago or so? A couple from Europe (may have been Denmark) was living or visiting in the US, and they did that! Left the baby in it's stroller asleep while they went into a restaurant to eat. Of course, the police were called, and they were arrested, but I think in the end charges were dropped....anyone else remember that? I can't remember what US city this happened in...

NYC

Anonymous wrote:I've heard no one uses umbrellas in Seattle. (I know, not another country)

People in the Bay Area don't speed even when there's no traffic.

I had never really seen stray animals roaming around until I went to Mexico.

Not true! I grew up in the Bay Area and live there now.

As long as we're on domestic weird things...at BART (the local rapid transit system) people stand in line where the doors will open, rather than just crowd around the door. Two lines, when people get off, you enter the car in a line. So civilized.