Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Cultural Norm

If Finland is a spitting culture and England is a proper culture, I think I've figured out what Iceland is.  It is a PEEING culture.  I cannot tell you how many times I've looked out my window and seen someone peeing in our back parking lot or out front in the bank parking lot.  It is unreal.  I have started tapping on the window just to make sure the perpetrator knows he is spotted.  Most of the time, the criminal is unashamed.

The other day's experience takes the cake.   I was coming out of Kringlan (the mall here) and was walking through the underground parking garage when I noticed a man standing next to his car in a suspicious position.  The closer I got, the more disgusted I became.  Not only was this man peeing in a PARKING GARAGE, but his wife and kids were patiently and nonchalantly waiting in the vehicle.  I don't even know what to say.  I guess some people are more offended/disgusted by spitting in public, so maybe I should just hold my tongue.

1 comment:

Dagný said...

I can't say that the peeing thing is a cultural norm... Maybe if you're out in the country and there isn't a place to use the bathroom for quite a while then peeing in "public" is the norm. But in the middle of Kringlan's parking lot... that's just disgusting haha. I've never seen that happen before, thank goodness!

Maybe you're just unlucky to witness it all?? haha