It’s no proven fact, but just an observation on my part. If we think about it, then the average city person is very intimidating – constantly working, constantly fussing, constantly foul-mouthing. It’s with little doubt then that most people, city dwellers included, feel that it’s the non-city dweller who is more amicable and accommodating. The modern city dweller is just too intense.[break]
For example, the beautiful city of Paris was ranked as home to the nation with the world’s rudest people, according to a new survey by Skyscanner.net and cited by Huffington Post in 2012.This rudeness or arrogance seems conspicuous even in the way city-dwellers choose to carry themselves.
For one, just look at how city people walk. They seem to move at an alarmingly fast pace: pushing anyone in their way, not even bothering to apologize. I can actually recall “tero bauko sadak ho?” arguments involving such episodes. Indeed, this pace of walking and maybe even some cursing is very often the hallmark of cities. People in these modern cities simply have no time to waste by walking at a relaxed pace.
Major cities like New York are (in)famous the world over for people racing around as opposed to walking. But it’s not just New York. Here in Bangkok, too, people, especially in and around the business centers, seem to walk at this brisk pace as if every second is indeed worth their money.
Illustration: Sworup Nhasiju
And this brings me back to wonder with awe how interesting the whole notion of a city is.
This sense of awe is only intensified when I observe another peculiar thing: That in cities, very often you’ll be required to fight for cabs. Another trivial consideration perhaps, but I’m still amazed by how such trivial things can contribute to shaping subjectivities.
Sure, people are in perennial rushes and walk at lightening-fast speed in modern cities. But they push this sense of urgency to a whole new level when it comes to cabs. I don’t know how many of you can relate to this experience but I’ve had enough of angry stares and rude remarks over taxis to brush it aside as negligible.
I had never in my life imagined that ‘fighting for a cab’ was even a thing until I had to undergo the experience myself. And up until a while back, I used to think that I was the only one being victimized by such experiences, and most people wouldn’t encounter these seemingly absurd circumstances. But this was only to be proven wrong. Surprisingly, quite a significant number of people I’ve talked to seem to have come across similar situations.
But a situation particular to Kathmandu lies in what I would like to call the famous car horn wars. If you piss off one driver, then be assured that he’ll make this known to you, thanks to his deafening honking. Of course, no one cares how inconsiderate it’s to honk the engines out. When you’re angry, which seems to be always, the best venting out is to honk, of course.
The wonders of the city life I tell you about: People walking like they have no time to lose and blatantly fight for cabs like their whole existence depended on getting it, and blow horns like they were firing missiles off of their launcher.
The bizarreness seems never-ending. And then we wonder why people living in cities are so stressed, rude, robotic…
The writer is a student of Political Science at Thammasat University who enjoys exploring life and all that it has to offer.
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