For a country with so much crime, and for a people who are referred to as Trickidadians by other Caribbean folk, we trinis are confusingly honest in a lot of ways.
Examples...
We will exit a maxi and line up to pay the driver. No one walks off without paying, even though it is more than likely that the driver would not notice. Or, the driver would ask 'where you coming from?' and we say where. We don't say Champs Fleurs if in fact we boarded at City Gate, or say Mon Repos when we boarded in San Fernando. Weird, huh?
How about buying doubles? It's one thing to buy takeaway, but what about the many who stand there eating multiple doubles and when its time to pay the doubles man asks 'how much?'. We tell him the right amount, and we remind him about us drinking the red Solo from the cooler. And he takes our word for it. Just like the maxi driver.
In the crowd of the market, we handle the produce, we pick what we want, we sometimes put items in our bags, and all the while the vendor is dealing with someone else and not paying us any attention. Many times the vendor walks away to get change or see about another customer, and we stand there, free to slip an extra lemon or celery in our market bag - but we don't. We wait patiently (or impatiently) for our turn, and then proceed to say how many items we took or what the pumpkin weighed or how many pimentos we counted out. And the vendor takes our word for it!
I have had many experiences where I was left standing with money clutched in my hand, waiting to pay, and the vendor just bustles about ignoring me until I finally remind her that I'm still there. Amazing.
Now, obviously I know that there are many out there who love these opportunities to steal or capitalize on the situation, but they are in the minority. I can only marvel at how culture shapes us (or is it the other way around?), and how we respond at these times.
Another thing that I like is that the majority of the travelling public, as they enter the taxi or maxi, acknowledge other passengers or the driver with a 'good morning/evening/night'. I myself tend to say 'good morning everyone' or sometimes simply an 'everybody'. And I love it that people respond, and that those coming after me offer greetings as well.
Where did we learn that? Who taught us to do that? For a society that has so very obviously chosen to embrace an individualist culture and discard the collectivist ideals of old, we trinis are marvellously old fashioned yet. And honest. And still, we are trickidadians, and smartmen, and like to mamaguy.
lol
Don't you just love us?!
We just weird.
Examples...
We will exit a maxi and line up to pay the driver. No one walks off without paying, even though it is more than likely that the driver would not notice. Or, the driver would ask 'where you coming from?' and we say where. We don't say Champs Fleurs if in fact we boarded at City Gate, or say Mon Repos when we boarded in San Fernando. Weird, huh?
How about buying doubles? It's one thing to buy takeaway, but what about the many who stand there eating multiple doubles and when its time to pay the doubles man asks 'how much?'. We tell him the right amount, and we remind him about us drinking the red Solo from the cooler. And he takes our word for it. Just like the maxi driver.
In the crowd of the market, we handle the produce, we pick what we want, we sometimes put items in our bags, and all the while the vendor is dealing with someone else and not paying us any attention. Many times the vendor walks away to get change or see about another customer, and we stand there, free to slip an extra lemon or celery in our market bag - but we don't. We wait patiently (or impatiently) for our turn, and then proceed to say how many items we took or what the pumpkin weighed or how many pimentos we counted out. And the vendor takes our word for it!
I have had many experiences where I was left standing with money clutched in my hand, waiting to pay, and the vendor just bustles about ignoring me until I finally remind her that I'm still there. Amazing.
Now, obviously I know that there are many out there who love these opportunities to steal or capitalize on the situation, but they are in the minority. I can only marvel at how culture shapes us (or is it the other way around?), and how we respond at these times.
Another thing that I like is that the majority of the travelling public, as they enter the taxi or maxi, acknowledge other passengers or the driver with a 'good morning/evening/night'. I myself tend to say 'good morning everyone' or sometimes simply an 'everybody'. And I love it that people respond, and that those coming after me offer greetings as well.
Where did we learn that? Who taught us to do that? For a society that has so very obviously chosen to embrace an individualist culture and discard the collectivist ideals of old, we trinis are marvellously old fashioned yet. And honest. And still, we are trickidadians, and smartmen, and like to mamaguy.
lol
Don't you just love us?!
We just weird.
I love my country!!
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