# Does common-sense courtesy differ between cultures? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 8, 2010, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-common-sense-courtesy-differ-between-cultures/542417 "2010-06-08T12:58:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 26
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-common-sense-courtesy-differ-between-cultures/542417/26 "2010-06-09T06:06:16Z")
> [@PsyXe](#): > > But what I think is important is that members of “slower” cultures have just as much courtesy as those of “faster” cultures. It’s just that the system is different. > > In other words, yes, what is “common sense” in courtesy is different between cultures. For example: > > Switzerland / USA > Rude: Standing in someone’s way > > South Africa / Thailand > Rude: Getting upset or lecturing people for being in the way Yes, excellent point! I alluded to this in OP. The Thai customs may be less _efficient_ but they are also often less _stressful_. However some posters overlook that a more absolute common-sense sometimes applies. If one ethnic group, as a poster mentioned, insists on boarding a crowded car before passengers disembark, can be agree their common-sense/courtesy is sub-optimal? I made the mistake of starting with a rather trivial example. My post in the earlier thread should be a better example of discourteous parking. (Indeed I posted it there because all the American parking erros in that thread were trivial compared with those we see here.) > [@Do you leave notes on the windows of poorly parked cars](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-leave-notes-on-the-windows-of-poorly-parked-cars/541946/36): > > I once parked about noon at my car dealer’s and, since the errand didn’t involve my car, parked in the dirt next to the street as a courtesy rather than using up their limited customer parking. Shortly later I wanted to leave but it was _impossible_: someone had pulled in behind; there’d have been no room to manouevre even if the other neighboring cars had been entreated to move. Parking was scarce on the street, but there were problem-free places had the driver been willing to walk a few extra yards. > > This happens all the time in rural Thailand, and is little problem: One tracks down the driver, asks them politely to move; they’re happy to move their car (with a smile); one could argue it’s a happy easy-going life and this gives opportunity to meet strangers. > > In the one case I’m posting about, however, the driver had gone with someone else to a different city, taking his car-key with him! The car-dealer manager called him, and the driver came back (I don’t know if they had to curtail their errand for me). In their defense, they must have thought I was an employee based on where I parked, but even an employee might have had a sudden emergency requiring his car. In giving examples one needs to compromise between too few (“Oh those are just _anecdotes_, **Septimus** , you can find a few bad drivers anywhere.”) and filibusters! I have _lots_ of stories about driving in rural Thailand which are amazing and amusing. That might be fodder for a fun thread, but I won’t start it; I seem to do a poor job of setting up the crucial thread title and OP. > [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > One thing I’ve wondered about; when you move to a completely different country, do you not, at some point, notice that people do things differently there and adapt to the ways of your new country? Yes. To counter-paraphrase Alex Trebek, you’ll need to state your question in the form of a comment if you expect more than a one-word answer! 😃 One thing that _is_ true is that outsiders often see some aspects more clearly. An interesting thread might be to review things about America that foreigners see more clearly than Americans. --- _[View the full topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-common-sense-courtesy-differ-between-cultures/542417)._