Let's get back to the subject. There may or may not be a cultural difference--we learned a lot about misunderstandings in my Somali language course. (Their 1:00 in the morning starts at dawn--our 6:00 a.m.--for example.) However, yesterday a taxicab nearly made a left turn into me while I was in the crosswalk, and the driver talking on his cell phone happened to be Somali. He saw me after I saw him and stopped and motioned me to go ahead. Talking on a cell phone while driving is a human foible, not a cultural one.
As a general rule, when someone is being rude or inconsiderate, I recommend pointing it out. Be reasonable and yes, judge each individual situation in order to be safe. I don't know a great deal about Somali culture, but in most areas of the world the street is where people, not exclusively cars, congregate. That said, in America it is just plain inconsiderate to hold up traffic. The offenders may be surprised to learn that they are being rude. Or they may get defensive because they don't care--each situation will be different because we're all individuals, ultimately, whatever culture we were raised in. But it does no good to not speak up. I think people remain silent because they fear a violent reaction, but this is not Los Angeles. And hey, I've stood up to people three times my size, and I'm still here, and MOST :) of the time the discussion ended amicably. Kristine Harley Sheridan _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
