Well let me be the first to say, and I quote, “Duh.” According to the recent CNN story, Diplomats in the U.S. who hail from such corrupt countries as Nigeria are less likely to pay their parking tickets in time (or at all) than those who call honest countries like Norway their home.
This would seem to illustrate the prevelance of cultural norms even when a Diplomat has been working abroad for several years. This does make a lot of sense: if you’ve survived 25 years of your life by not paying parking tickets, why start now?
But the article revealed there was another, perhaps more sinister, reason for Diplomats to not pay their parking tickets. It seems that the less a country respects the U.S. Government and its policies, the less likely they are to pay parking tickets. So I think what we can learn from this article is that, since Egypt had the second most unpaid parking tickets, Egypt hates us more than everyone else but Kuwait.
… Right?
But I think the real question is, what brought all of these great countries, so disparate in traditions, beliefs, and values, together in their one great talent: Terrible parking? I guess that’s what makes the U.S. so wonderful – we unite people.
In all honesty, though, I agree with this article. I think that one’s perception of the country does tend to play a role in how you react to their laws. And for good reason: If I’m living in a country where, if I get pulled over by the police it’s extremely likely that I’ll get taken to jail and beaten up, I will NOT stop for the cops, even if I know I’ve done something wrong. In fact, in a country where the people in power are in power because they are in power (as opposed to having been elected), I would refuse to participate in anything that would generate more funds for their elaborate buddy-system regime (e.g. parking tickets, taxes, etc.).
Living in Bangladesh, a country that competes with Nigeria and Papua New Guinea for most corrupt, I learned the importance of maintaining my own value system. I couldn’t rely on the infrastructure to accurately tell me what was right and what was wrong. I didn’t park legally because it was legal, I parked legally because it was the better way to park. I didn’t disobey the police because they were a figure of authority at which I wanted to thumb my nose, rather, I disobeyed the police because they were telling me to do stupid things. “Oh – yes, Madame, red light means GO.”
My own personal value system defined how many of the laws I followed or broke, it’s true. But this was not because I felt I could flaunt the law in the face of such ineffective governing practices. Rather, I believed that my way was better than their way. I was breaking their laws so that I could respect myself as a driver and as a person.
Not that I’m condoning the bad parking of foreign diplomats. Many are the times when I’ve been late for a meeting because some damn diplomat from Djibouti had parked illegally. “Not again, Djibouti!” I always say, shaking my head. “When will you learn, Djibouti?” Then I quietly laugh as I repeat the name Djibouti to myself over and over. Hahaha… Djibouti.
But really, to suggest that Diplomats are breaking our laws because they don’t agree with our foreign policy is insulting. What a childish way to hope to effect change! If our PARKING laws were as ineffective, irrational and inappropriate as our foreign policy, I could understand. But if they don’t agree with our foreign policy, the only thing I can say is: “Join the Club!” As for bad parking, I guess New York is the place to be. Learn from the best, I always say.
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