The Rudeness of People

I don't understand the people living here at all. Be they foreigners or locals, once you've stepped foot on Malaysian soil, you tend to forget all the manners your parents have taught you and resort to cutting queues, not giving people way, trying to mow down pedestrians, pushing and shoving people to get out of your way on public transportation, lying, cheating, conning, bribing...

and still this country wants first world status in 2010? Huh! Good luck with that. Try changing people's minds and perspectives first, then you can concentrate on providing first world luxuries.

I'm trying to be positive here by letting my anger simmer when one of these things happens to me but sometimes, I just gotta let out steam.

I was waiting in line to purchase a monorail ticket in a station in KL when this foreigner (not tourist, in Malaysia there are two cases of foreigners: rich tourists, or dirt poor migrants from Bangladesh, Nepal, Vietnam, Pakistan, Laos, etc who have either come here legally or in most cases illegally) who was standing next to his friend in another line, sees that the lady in front of me is leaving and just pushes himself to the screen. I just stood there gob-smacked until I went up to him, said, "Excuse me, did you not see me standing there?"

He pretended not to understand me or maybe he did not understand English, but he pressed the button of his location, looked at me and pointed at the screen as if saying, 'oh, I just pressed the computer screen and chose my location so that means I was next.' I looked at him, and I felt like pushing him out of the way and I almost did, but contained my anger. Instead, I snarled, "Next time don't do that and cut in front of people. Now hurry up."

I think he understood because he kinda laughed in disbelief that I kept going, "Mhhhmmm...okay, you have the money, now hurry, hurry, you're wasting my time." Because of that asshole, I had to wait 5 more minutes in the line when I should have been the next one up and I missed the first train. I am not sure where he is from (guessing Nepalese), because it did not seem that he respected women at all and was shocked that someone talked back at him.

I told my sister about this and she agreed at what an asshole he was. The thing is, Malaysians do the same thing too by cutting queue when they get the chance but when it comes to standing in lines at the banks or public transportation kiosks, it is rare to see a local jump queue. Unless they wanted to die because I would gladly help them on their merry way to hell.

From the past 7 months that I have been here, I just have to say that the rules here are so lax. Granted, I do not want a rigorous or strict authoritarian regime, but I wish people wouldn't be so selfish here and at least give some consideration to other people. Asians think about saving face all the time but when it comes to the public, they do not give a fuck if they act like pigs in the wild. Sad to say but there needs to be some damn good changes if this country ever wants to play with the big boys.