In each community or society there are simple rules that need to be observed and followed to help that society function. This last Sat. I found myself a little frustrated because people were not following simple rules. I was riding my bike on a trail heading up Provo Canyon. My frustration was due to the fact that people, in particular young teenagers walking in groups, up the trail were not staying on their designated side of the path. You see the path is divided into three sections. One for bikers heading North, one for bikers heading South, and one section is for those people who are walking. There is logic behind all of this. As one on a bike it is very difficult to ride quickly if there is a person in front of you. There are also bikes coming toward you from the opposite direction and if you are not in your space, and them in theirs, it is possible to collide with them. Sat. I found myself frustrated because some of the youth would walk outside the designated areas in my biking lane. Due to the fact that I was trying to bike fast it was frustrating when there was someone in my lane. I would have to yell, "Biker on your left." They would then move, well usually they would move. Some were not paying attention and almost did not move in time. I almost hit them or on occasion I would almost hit a biker who was coming the opposite direction of me, all because the person walking was not walking in their designated area. I thought about this as I rode. It's not like the rules were that hard to follow. They even had pictures painted on the path with figures and arrows telling you which lanes to proceed forth in. It hit me that there are rules for safety reasons in each society. Some of these rules might not be clearly understood to those in that society as well as those not from that society. I wondered if there would be rules that I might not understand or know of when I’m in Mexico that I should follow. Rules that will help protect me. They could be simple rules like what to do in which lane to help protect me as I travel somewhere. To those around me in that culture/society I might appear foolish because I am not following those rules. Maybe like those teenagers I will be clueless as to what those rules are. I hope not. I hope to see these rules and follow them. Not just for my safety but also for the safety of those around me. I would like to pay attention to this in Mexico. What are the written and unwritten rules that I will need to follow when I'm there?
Monday, May 9, 2011
Community Rules
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You should have run them over!! ;) I'm kidding of course. You should watch Brian Regan talk about airports, and the people who don't know where to stand on the moving walkways.
ReplyDeleteI just wrote a comment on here, but for whatever reason, it did not post. These rules, you said there were pictures demonstrating which lanes were for which. Why do you think the group of youth didn't notice them? Were they just too comfortable in their surroundings that they didn't even see the illustrations? Maybe they saw them but just didn't give them heed or didn't care. You're already a step ahead in realizing that there are different "rules" around the world.
I remember one night on the Paris metro (subway) my American girlfriends and I were very tired and as a result were pretty loud and boisterous. I noticed that not only were we being so loud and probably obnoxious, but that all of the Frenchmen/women were quiet, and some were staring at us. I had broken a social "rule", but I learned from it. I never let myself get loud or boisterous again. I think the thing that matters is that when we make a mistake or break a "rule" -which, we will- that we learn from it and next time, keep the rule. Adapt to it.
P.S. Why in the world did you post this at 4:54 am?! I hope the time telling when you wrote this is wrong!
I did think about running them over...okay maybe only for a little bit, but I choose not to. You posed a great question. I was wondering myself if they didn't see the painted signs or if they really just choose not to follow the rules. I could see them knowing the rules and choosing not to follow them. They were in groups and the walking part of the path was very thin. They could have chosen not to follow the rules so they could have more than two people walking next to each other. It makes sense and I've wondered if I would stay on the correct side of the path myself if I had a group of girlfriends with me. However, it wouldn't surprise me if they hadn't seen the painted signs either. They were in large groups and when you are in a group I feel you sometimes tend to follow the crowd. You don't seem to pay attention to what is going on around you. Not to mention the pictures were not posted very often. They were only posted occasionally and if you were not paying attention in a big group I could see how you might miss seeing them.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your cultural experience in Paris as well. You are right. I'm sure that I will break some rules. I hope that if I do break them though I realize it and then afterward I try to follow and adapt to it.
Yes, I did write this at 4:54. I am not a night person. Instead of staying up way late into the night to get my homework done because of my work schedule I just choose to go to bed around 10pm and get up way early to do my homework instead. This works better for me.
Thanks for the feedback!
I'm proud of you for not hitting any of the kids but especially for doing the biking thing. Why to go!!! All I can say is good luck and you'll do fine in Mexico. Just remember you are a guest and need to act that way.
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