People have left some pretty interesting comments about their relationship with Chile. Perhaps because it's clear from the blog that I'm from New York, or maybe because it's a city that many people have been to, there have been a few comparisons made as far as rudeness/crowdedness/etc. that I'd like to address. In rant form.
The absolute, without a doubt, worst thing about living in Santiago is the in-your-face lack of etiquette on both the transportation system, and in the street. If you are not pregnant, you deserve to be pushed, shoved, and otherwise manhandled at any time. As I've mentioned before, personal space not a thing here. It makes me absolutely crazy. It makes me hate everyone and everything, not leave my apartment, and give up entirely. When I get to the Metro during rush hour, get shoved in with the crowed and actually make it on the train, and then some man in the doorway puts out his arms and pushes everyone even further onto the train just so he doesn't have to wait for the next one...let's just say, if I could move my arms, there would be violence.
I want to make something clear: This doesn't really happen in New York. I've lived in the city for almost my whole life, and have commuted from both the UES and the Bronx. Sure, some idiots push themselves onto trains, but generally people don't want to spend their half hour-to- an-hour on their way home after a long day pressed up against a stranger. I'll just say it: that's really strange. I admittedly also find it strange how much people make out with each other in public, but that's because I'm not much for PDA. Culturally, people have very different notions of physical boundries in this city, and it is that mentality, combined with the "big city get ahead" thing, combined with lingering memories of scarcity and oppression under Pinochet that makes walking down the street, or getting on a micro, sometimes unbearable.
So I understand. I sort of get the why. But please, for the love of God, let people off the metro before you get on. Wait for the next train, since it's coming in 2 minutes anyway. Wait in line for the micro. Walk to right in the street. That's what we New Yorkers do (except for the last thing), otherwise the entire city would implode.
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ah, everything is relative indeed! wait until you take the subways in tokyo during the rush hours. in some lines, they even have a special personnel employed carrying a long stick, that is used (not to poke, as it is placed horizontally as the door closes) to push people in. and dirty perverts have been very daring in recent years that they needed to have female only wagons.
I was just in New York, walking a lot and on many occasions I swerved left because it was the more convenient way to go but literally at least 4-5 times I did this people swerved to their right so I had to correct and head back to my right. I thought this was kinda annoying but after a day running some errands in Santiago I realize that pedestrians here don't even acknowledge the presence of others. The *problem* I faced in New York was common courtesy, something that I'd long-since ceased to expect.
And ditto on the dejar bajar antes de subir, a line that I usually accompany with an elbow and an evil eye when I get off the metro. My other circus-animal peeve is the escalator. If you're on the left side, you better get your butt in gear. People fuck that up in the States but a lot less - there's an awareness of the right thing to do.
We hate the same things about Santiago and I absolutely agree that is the worst aspect of Santiago de Chile. In this city people don't know what personal space is. These things are what I call "standards" or behaviours.
You are talking about new yorker behaviour on public transportation and comparing with santiaguinos. I insist: education, stories, culture are different. There is a lot of reasons in background that make people different and rude.
Even more: most of people here don't know other lifestyle and think Santiago's public transportation and customs is OK.
The media can do so much to change micros and subway chaos.
P.S.: do you know Rome's metro system? Santiago's Subways looks like the Paradise LOL
Regards.
Carlos, I think we're in agreement. But I will admit, I was put off by your post from the other day, if only because everything about this blog has to do with cultural differences; it can be condescending to imply that Chileno or I don't understand that Santiago is culturally different from the U.S, or that making that comparison is a bad thing. There are things in Chile's recent history that make the culture darker, more cautious. The point here isn't whether that's true, but whether or not I like living here because of it.
And I absolutely HATE the Rome metro.
Chileno: The escalator thing is a HUGE pet peeve of mine, which was ingrained in me when I lived in London...they don't mess around with the walk to left thing.
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