Foreigners lacking respect

We all know that the Italian's can be...well...different to us.

Many of them throw litter recklessly onto the street even when there is a rubbish bin in front of them. Those that do make it to the bin, often put everything into the green general rubbish bin rather then bother to recycle. They drive the wrong way down one way streets, they smoke in places where there are no smoking signs, they try to push to the front of the queues, - they do a lot of things that annoy us but then this is there country and this is the way perhaps they were brought up.

I on the other hand was bought up in Australia in a country that prides itself on being clean and polite. We all try hard to recycle, we don't want to litter our lovely country. When there is a no smoking sign we obey, where there is a red traffic light most of the time we stop. We would rarely drive the wrong way down a one way street and we always wait in the queue even if we don't want to. There are heavy, heavy water restrictions in Australia due to a severe drought. Most of the people obey the restrictions and GO OUT OF THERE WAY to use even LESS water then they are allocated. Australia is an honest country and we would never think NOT to obey the many simple requests set upon us.


The point of my story however is NOT that Italians are messy where as we are clean. The point of my story has NOTHING TO DO WITH ITALIANS. It is the rude foreigners who come to live or holiday in this bel paese and leave their manners at home.

I was on the train and across from me was an Asian lady with her British husband and two children. I knew the man was British from his accent and from the maps they were holding they were obviously here for a holiday. The lady chose to sit on a seat covered with newspapers. Rather then sit of the papers or move them to the back of the seat she picked them up and threw them on the floor. Yes. She just grabbed them and threw them sending papers flying everywhere.

I gave here an evil glance and wanted to say something, but was so hot I could not be bothered.

I got off the train and the conductors were checking tickets and had accosted two young Americans who had failed to buy a ticket and they were getting a fine. They were speaking in English and trying to say that they didn't know you had to buy a ticket. Come on! We all know that in every country you HAVE TO BUY A TRAIN TICKET.

This morning I was at the supermarket (shocked at the price of food yet again. The pasta we buy has risen 11 cents per pack in one week, and our biscuits 30 cents...don't get me started on that.) So bel ragazzo and I were in the queue when suddenly this man, possibly from India, appeared in front of us. We looked at each other, and then at the check out girl. Where the had he come from? He was not in front of us a minute before.

Bel ragazzo started muttering quite loudly how people seem to have no manners and that this man had not even asked to cut in the queue.

I on the other hand do not like to mutter. I was angry over the price of food, angry that it was so hot and humid and this was just the icing on the cake so I asked him directly why he had not bothered to ask us to cut in front. I told him I would have said YES had he asked, but that it was very rude to just push in front of someone. He pretended not to understand Italian and muttered that there was no harm done, and I said there actually was as he lacks manners and respect. We let him go on his way, but were so outraged at this blatant lack of respect.

My list goes on...and on....and on....and......on some more.

Just because you may see Italian's littering, not buying train tickets or cutting in the queues does not mean you have to. We have decided to visit this country be it for what ever reason and therefore we should treat it with respect.