Day 80

South Africans have no awareness or concern for physical space.

Lets begin with walking. Whether it's walking through campus, along the crowded streets, up stairs, people here do not understand how to move without it negatively effecting someone else. For example, I'll be walking through campus, and people infront of me will literally come to a dead halt in the middle of traffic. And then have no idea that if they want to continue their conversation, they should probably move to the side to let other people through. Nope. No awareness.

The Jammie. This is one I have a big problem with. It's a battlefield. As soon as people see the next shuttle coming, people swarm to the scene, elbows out. I could be standing right outside the doors and with the amount of pushing and shoving that goes on, it could be standing room only by the time I get on. No "excuse me", no "sorry" nothing. Just fifty people trying to wedge their way in front of the next guy.

Then, there is the minibus. I'm starting to boycot the minibus system not because I don't appreciate the convenience, but because I am so sick of having no personal space on them. You're in a twelve passenger bus that's filled with 16 people. Then the guy who operates the door and collects money, keeps pushing people in, telling the other passengers to practically move on top of each other to make room for the extra R6 profit. And then while you're being shuffled around, the enormous woman sitting in the middle of the way, doesn't understand that she too needs to move or at least let you through.

The stairs. Now, this one is far less significant, but you know how we in America walk on the right side of the stairs? Anything goes here. Lots of awkwardness between the whole, "should I move over or do I think they will?"

I really don't understand it. How do people not respect the space of others or even their own? One of those cultural things here I can't say I'll miss.