Being Civil ?

[Jack Peterson]

 Now there is a Word we could all Think About from time to time. Civility, Yes I know how we feel about what the Locals will call us and yes I know we can all get annoyed and get Humpty about it But.............. Should we not just give a thought that they are are not always as quick as we would like and can feel the face thing by the answers we give usually un-Civil. I have a Friend (Well not any ONE in Particular) that tends to embarrass me at times when I am out. The Boulevard is full of Beggars and others, many trying to earn a living by selling. C...p mainly but to them it may be their next meal ( yes or Fix or Beer or bet on a C....k) but again they are just trying whatever. So when I hear people say why don't you just F.....Off I get a pang of Guilt, I am here having a beer, a smoke and maybe a meal, Yes it annoys me when I am Pestered by them. We are Lucky ( If that is the right word) but I feel we could and should just be a little more Civil and help ourselves into the Bargain, to be known as Nice guys instead of some of the Comments we do get. So How about we all try and say No! thank you. or just a wave away. If we do get called Joe so What, better than getting Called Hey long nose or some other Derogatory term, We can't put ourselves in their shoes but just think on, It could have been us if we had been Born here.

We weren't and we should know better. So How about it, lets ease up a Little and make that bit of Difference.

 Deep for me maybe! But there are days when I am  baffled by the things we say. I wonder how many will sit back and say but I Don't do that, YEAH Pull the other one

Sorry but this is in my Thoughts Today

[Jake]

23 minutes ago, Jack Peterson said:

 Now there is a Word we could all Think About from time to time. Civility, 

Sorry but this is in my Thoughts Today

Triple LIKE Jack P!

[not so old china hand]

Triple like this Jack. I do try to say "no" in a polite way. However I do find it difficult to be civil with beggars who reply to "sorry no" by trying to grab hold of me....

Edited June 20, 2016 by not so old china hand

[Jack Peterson]

Just now, not so old china hand said:

Triple like this Jack. I do try to say "no" in a polite way. However I do do find it difficult to be civil with beggars who reply to "sorry no" by trying to grab hold of me....

 Of Course there will always be the exception, this is when the Security all seem to have need to show the Filipino Civility to the Local

[Jake]

4 minutes ago, not so old china hand said:

Triple like this Jack. I do try to say "no" in a polite way. However I do find it difficult to be civil with beggars who reply to "sorry no" by trying to grab hold of me....

Now this is becoming more interesting.  I'm curious to know if this issue with people struggling in poverty is unique to the Philippines only.  How do you guys handle similar encounters living in other Asian or middle eastern countries?

[Dave Hounddriver]

Civility only works on people who are being civil to you.

To turn it around, many foreign men here will prey on young ladies by approaching them and not taking NO for an answer.  I have instructed "Y" that she should make a first attempt to be polite but if they continue to pressure her after she says no, and if they will not be ignored, then a firm "F--k Off" is required.

I feel the same about the beggars who are trying to sell me a pair of shoddy sunglasses when I am already wearing some of better quality. First be civil, second try to ignore them, third be rude and firm.

[Jack Peterson]

15 minutes ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

. First be civil,

Question answered then EH?

[not so old china hand]

15 minutes ago, Jake said:

Now this is becoming more interesting.  I'm curious to know if this issue with people struggling in poverty is unique to the Philippines only.  How do you guys handle similar encounters living in other Asian or middle eastern countries?

My reply was mainly based on my experience in China. For example there is a certain pedestrian underpass in the downtown area of Beijing. It is frequented by an old lady sitting on the steps with an enamal mug in front of her with small change and low-denomination notes. She knows at least one word of English "Money". If you ignore her or say "Sorry no" she makes a grab for you. I normally manage to avoid this by a swift sidestep, at which point she enhances my Chinese with a few choice words that were not included in my "learn living Chinese in 100 hours" course.

Child beggars are now thankfully fairly rare in Beijing. Their favourite trick is to block your way by standing in front of you with hand outstreched, dancing to-and-fro so you can't pass and chanting "Money, money...". Any form of violence, physical or verbal, on your part is out of the question so the only option is to hope that a passing Chinese citizen will step in and chase them away.

Between these beggars and honest (?) pedlars of tourist tat there is really no middle ground. With the true pedlars a polite "Not today thank you" given with a smile always seems to be accpted without further sales pressure.

Then again there are the tea-house scammers: but that is a whole different story.

[Dave Hounddriver]

1 hour ago, Jack Peterson said:

So How about we all try and say No! thank you. or just a wave away.

 

19 minutes ago, Jack Peterson said:

Question answered then EH?

Its not always so simple.  Perhaps the man being rude to the beggar already knows the man. Perhaps he has already tried civility and trying to ignore and it has not worked in the past. What you are seeing may be the last resort where rudeness must be used.  Is that possible?

[Jack Peterson]

3 minutes ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

 

Its not always so simple.  Perhaps the man being rude to the beggar already knows the man. Perhaps he has already tried civility and trying to ignore and it has not worked in the past. What you are seeing may be the last resort where rudeness must be used.  Is that possible?

Well we are in the World of I don't understand a part of NO! so anything is possible