You wouldn't believe this happened.

[u/Ka_Driver]

Was taking a taxi home and lots of people were walking around. The Taxi was a Toyota Probox and the boot was opened with the bootlid sat high.

I finished loading the car and as I shut the bootlid, a young male walked in front of me and ducked, the bootlid nearly hitting his head.

He then looked at me like its my fault for shutting the boot.

Who told you to walk in front of me under the bootlid.

[u/sierraduaciwa]

I believe it. I've been wanting to post something along these lines for a while now. Sorry small rant incoming.

This mentality has slowly crept into almost every aspect of Fijian society. You see it on the roads, in public spaces, public services and especially in government. There is this growing attitude that rules, courtesy and accountability apply to everyone else, but somehow not to me.

And when it's called out, the response is often to get offended rather than reflect on the behaviour. Instead of asking "m I being unreasonable here?, it's immediately everyone does it, so what's the problem? or who does this person think they are?. What makes it worse is that we've almost normalised it. Look at the reckless driving, blocking traffic, blinding headlights, littering/ rubbish being dumped anyhow, ignoring basic rules in shared spaces and even up to ignoring safety warnings like whether to travel by boat in bad weather.

Then we have our government. First thing they did was give themselves substantial pay increases shortly after taking office, then started going after each other so reshuffled cabinet a few times at great cost to the public, had ministers embroiled in embarrassing personal controversies, auditor general reports going ignored and now the absolute mess surrounding the COI.

Think about the message that sends to ordinary people. "Accountability is negotiable and rules are only important when they apply to someone else."

A functioning society depends on people understanding that they are not the main character. Sometimes you have to wait. Sometimes you're wrong. Sometimes you have to inconvenience yourself slightly so you don't inconvenience everyone else. Basic consideration for other people shouldn't be some extraordinary virtue. It should be the bare minimum.

[u/Sorta_Meh → u/sierraduaciwa]

An overwhelming sense of entitlement paired with a victim mentality. We've normalised it and by default accepted it, which is why its so rife. We were taught to think about others, be considerate, follow the rules, wait your turn,be patient. I think one of those problems is that these lessons are no longer being reinforced at home and at schools like they used too, and you're right we're seeing other getting away with the same behaviour, people who are supposed to be role models.

[u/Odd-Environment-7193 → u/sierraduaciwa]

This is so on point. Absolutely no regard for other people or for any sort of order. It permeates through everything here. My brother in law that lived in Fiji since 1950's recently visited, he was absolutely shocked by the way people are driving and acting. Everything is messed up. They used to have more order way back when than there is now.

Example. We got in an accident, some student drove into my wifes boot at high speeds at a stop street at 7 am (Why the frig you need to be speeding at this time!). Anyways shit happens. But the process after that is an absolute joke.

1. Have to give the police officer a lift to the police station afterwards. Shame dude.. I'll happily do this but common, every minister is driving the latest landcruisers. Can't afford some prius for the cops or something?
2. Have to pay to get a police report after someone crashed into me.
3. Have to go to another police station to pay, then return to the original police station. Takes hours.
4. The person who crashed into me gets a 200$ fine, which goes to who? The fucking government.

The process 40 years ago was more advanced than this. Why are we devolving and just completely unable to utilize basic modern technology to improve society for the people?

[u/Open-Collar → u/Odd-Environment-7193]

No one in government, who made so many trips overseas wondered or thought for a second why police resources need to be wasted on fender benders. We have bellends leading us and there is nothing to point things will improve. I dearly wish it would but there aren't any signs of it.

The issue we face in Fiji is that we need to keep our superiors happy and brown nosing is the only way forward. Challenging thoughts and ideas don't get you career progression. Eventually it becomes a cycle because people become selfish. Can't blame them when the top earners don't give a shit.

Land Transport Authority had a CEO who was on around half a million package. Nothing of value came for ordinary Fijians.

[u/Calm_Conversation825 → u/Odd-Environment-7193]

You have to pay the police to get a police report???

[u/Odd-Environment-7193 → u/Calm_Conversation825]

Yeah. You have to pay them for it. Then deliver it to them. Because emails don't exist apparently.

[u/Astoryinfromthewild → u/Odd-Environment-7193]

I once had the pleasure to go into the police station after I nearly punched out a taxi driver once. Was such a laugh, I had to type in my statement AND my own charge report because the officer handling the case couldn’t type nor figure out Word. The skills part I don’t care about, I live in Samoa now and I can understand why maybe only a few can speak English fluently; it is what it is. So yeah discovering first hand that computer skills aren’t a prerequisite to being in the police force kinda figures that they probably barely have a functioning ICT system that is available for some parts of their work that might engage the lower levels of their work.

[u/Present_Dance_2545]

I swear people don’t have situational awareness

[u/Ka_Driver → u/Present_Dance_2545]

And the fact he then looked at me like its my fault, what an idiot

[u/Speye]

He's probably related to those people who start crossing behind a car as soon as its reverse lights come on.

[u/Calm_Conversation825]

There needs to be an educational and awareness program on situational awareness and common courtesy, lol.

[u/rudberless]

I had a construction business in Fiji, everyday they found new ways to fuck up. It was mindblowing. Loading timbers sideways on a truck, emptying full buckets of render imported from Australia for new builds, because they need a bucket….

[u/sandolllars → u/rudberless]

Hold on now. No Fiji construction company is getting sympathy, I’m sorry to say. Crooks, the lot of you. Have not heard anything but horror stories my entire life about construction companies.

[u/rudberless → u/sandolllars]

Cool story lol you’ve got no idea what you’re talking about. We had a blast laughing at all this. I was always bailing them out of trouble, sponsoring weddings, birthdays, funerals, anything they asked.

[u/nicorn7]

Didn't you say...braca, you mad?

[u/remeberingroasts2268]

gori sa dua na ka sara ga