Tonight on the way out of the subway Danny and I slowed
down to let a little girl and her parents ahead of us on the escalator. The guy
behind us shoved into Danny’s side and pushed ahead of him. Now he was standing
a whole step ahead of us on the crowded escalator.
Danny (laughing to me): I don’t understand these people.
(The rest of the conversation was in Chinese so I’m
basing this on Danny’s rough translation and the few words I caught.)
Rude guy on the escalator: Why were you walking so slowly?
Danny (laughing): I was letting the little girl go.
Rude guy on the escalator: This is China. It isn’t
America. I’m in a rush. You can’t do that.
Danny (laughing): Oh, so in China people don’t have
manners.
Rude guy on the escalator: He looked very sad and confused, couldn’t think of a retort and walked
away.
One point to Danny in the debate between civilized
society and Shanghai.
