Ctitizen's Guide to the Third World by Wimarshana - HTML preview

—2—

BEHAVE

“NO CORRUPTION”

Do not engage in any corruption on any scale whatsoever. Cleanse your behaviour of all corrupt practices. Take the lead or assist in stamping out corruption whenever and wherever you see it in your community or neighbourhood.

Corruption is any act or failure to act on your part for personal gain that prevents or limits the goals of the system you are functioning in from being achieved.

To prevent corruption, single-mindedly use the resources, power and opportunities you are entrusted with by the system for no reason other than achieving the goals of the system and in no way other than the specific way set out by the system.

For example, if you are a school teacher, and you announce in class that students who require extra help can attend your paid private tuition classes—this is corruption on your part. Why, you might ask? After all, you are offering a service that society generally considers to be acceptable, and one which society generally considers it acceptable to charge for. Well, this is corruption because the school system requires that you achieve only its goal of educating your students using only the specific ways it has set out. That is by using the time allotted in the school day and without requesting any additional resources from your students. This is for several good reasons. Amongst which are the following: The school can monitor what is being taught, the safety of the students can be ensured, students whose families cannot afford to pay your tuition fees are not disadvantaged, students do not feel pressurised into unnecessarily attending your classes and, perhaps most importantly, you do not have an incentive to disadvantage students who do not attend your paid classes and you do not have an incentive to teach better in your paid classes than during the school day. All good reasons, and all of which, if they are not prevented, will soon defeat the goal of the school system which is to give the best possible education to all its students. Now you can see why you must use the resources, power and opportunities you are entrusted with by the system for no reason other than achieving the goals of the system and in no way other than the specific way set out by the system. Since even though when we start adding goals to those of the system and we start nudging away from its methods, it seems that the system's goals will still be achieved—very soon we find that these goals are defeated.

The following are all types of corruption, DO NOT ENGAGE IN ANY OF THEM: 

• PAYING OR ACCEPTING BRIBES. Bribes are most often paid and received in the form of money but need not only be so. Anything of value to the party it is offered to can be a bribe, including the following:
• Gifts.
• Favours.
• Opportunities to avoid due punishment.
• NEPOTISM. When entrusted with resources, power or the opportunity to do so, do not favour family and friends over those more deserving.
• CRONYISM. When entrusted with power or the opportunity to do so, do not appoint to positions of authority those who are undeserving solely because such appointees will be in debt to you and will have to act according to your orders and best-interests.
• GRAFT. Do not steal money and other resources meant to be used to achieve the system's goals for your own personal gain.
• DO NOT APPEAR TO BE CORRUPT. It is important not only that you completely cleanse your behaviour of corruption but also that your behaviour does not appear to be corrupt. For example, let us say that you are a manager looking to hire an employee to fill a vacant position in your organisation. You honestly believe that your daughter is the best person for the job: she is the most qualified and experienced. You still cannot hire her. This particular situation is one example of a conflict-of-interest. Since the best-interest of the system (to hire the best person for the job) naturally tends to pull in the opposite direction from your own best-interest (to hire your daughter). Whether you have the honest intention to act according to the best-interest of the system (not act in a nepotistic way) is not a factor that you should take into consideration—you cannot hire your daughter. What you must always do is disclose a conflict-of-interest: in this case, that the candidate in question is your daughter. Then, if those with suitable authority in your organisation agree, allow them to appoint an individual or a panel other than yourself to assess the suitability of your daughter to fill the position. In no way must you influence the decision of this impartial individual or panel.

“RESPECT WOMEN”

• DO NOT HARASS. Do not under any circumstances behave in a way that makes a fellow female citizen feel embarrassed, scared or uncomfortable. This is called harassment. In nearly all countries harassment is a serious crime—and where it is not, it should be. Harassment includes (but is not limited to) the following: 
• Making any kind of uninvited communication with a fellow female citizen beyond a polite greeting. This includes uninvited telephone calls, romantic offers and comments about their appearance.
• Any shouting, screaming, hooting or whistling aimed at a fellow female citizen or group of fellow female citizens.
• Making any kind of uninvited physical contact whatsoever with a fellow female citizen.
• Preventing or impeding a fellow female citizen from walking or moving freely.

“RESPECT PROPERTY”

• USE IT LIKE IT WERE YOURS. Use and maintain the property of fellow citizens and public property the way you would use and maintain your own property. Do not do any of the following:
• Draw, etch or write on historical monuments.
• Draw, etch or write on public or private walls, public transport or any other public or private property.
• Remove the whole or parts of public or private property for personal use.
• Use public or private property for any use other than the specific use it is intended for.
• Use public property for which permission is required for its use without such permission.
• Use private property without the permission of the owner.
• Stick posters on public or private walls.
• Spill food or drink on public or private property or places.
• Pluck flowers, leaves or fruits from plants or trees growing in private property or public parks.
• REPLACE. Always replace items of public and private property back to their correct place or position after using them. For instance, replace chairs back to their correct positions under desks and books back to their correct positions on shelves.
• REPLACE ANYWAY. If you find public property left in incorrect places or positions, replace them back to their correct place or position even if you are not going to use them.
• STOP MISUSE AND WASTE. If you find public property or a public resource being misused or wasted take steps to stop this. For instance, if you find a tap open or a light left on during the day, try to turn them off and/or report this to the relevant authorities.
• RETURN. If a fellow citizen has lost an item or items of their private property such as their wallet or mobile phone, take all steps necessary to return the lost item or items to their rightful owner.
• TAKE FAIRLY. When free things are being handed out, no matter what they are, only take your or your family’s fair share. To do so, firstly be sure that you or family belong to the group that is entitled to the hand-out—if you are not entitled, do not accept the hand-out. Secondly, if you are entitled but do not genuinely need the hand-out—do not accept the hand-out. Finally, ensure that you take no more than you are properly entitled to.

“QUEUE UP”

• JOIN. Where there is a queue, join it.
• FORM. Where there is no queue, form one.
• QUEUE UP SINGLE-FILE. In a proper queue you should be able to see the back of the head of the person in front of you. This formation is referred to as single-file.
• KEEP SPACE. Respect the personal space of fellow citizens in the queue by maintaining a reasonable space—at least one arm’s length—between yourself and the person in front of you. Getting closer than this only inconveniences fellow citizens. It does not make the queue move any faster.
• QUEUES CAN BE MADE UP OF ANYTHING. Queues need not only be made up of people. They can consist of cars, documents or anything where it is fair and/or best that a policy of 'first-come, first-served' operates.
• NEVER JUMP. Under no circumstances should you jump a queue.

“MOVE EFFICIENTLY”

• WAIT TO ENTER. When getting into a bus, elevator or any other place or vehicle from which fellow citizens are getting off or out from, allow them to exit before entering. When all of them have comfortably exited, if you are not alone, enter in single-file.
• GET OFF AT THE PROPER POINT. Do not get off or on to public transport from anywhere other than the proper halt, station or entry/exit point.
• NEVER PUSH OR SHOVE. Do not push or shove your way out when you find yourself in a crowd of fellow citizens.
• SAY 'EXCUSE ME'. When a fellow citizen is in your way, politely say 'Excuse me'. Do not touch them or make any noises at them to move them out of your way.
• DO NOT BLOCK ENTRANCES/EXITS IN ANYWAY.
• ALWAYS KNOCK. Before you enter a room, to announce your entry, knock on the door. Then wait till the person whom you want to meet asks you to enter. Do this even if the room door is partially or completely open.
• KEEP TO ONE SIDE. When standing still on an escalator (lift), stay, along with your fellow citizens, on the left-hand side so that those walking faster than you can pass.
• HOLD OPEN. When entering or leaving a place, hold the door open for the next citizen entering or leaving.
• CROSS ONLY AT THE CROSSING. Always cross the road at a marked crossing. Before doing so, carefully look both ways; always walk across, never run.
• ENTER/EXIT AT RIGHT-ANGLES. Do not exit or enter a pedestrian crossing diagonally. Enter a crossing by making a right-angle turn from the pavement you are walking along. Walk all the way to the end of the crossing, and make a right-angle turn toward where you want to go.
• CROSS ONLY ON GREEN. Do not cross the road, even at a crossing, where a lit red man or a red light faces you from the traffic light on the opposite side of the road. Wait for a green man or a green light to appear.
• CROSS FIRST, TALK/TEXT LATER. Do not talk or text on your mobile phone while crossing the road.
• DO NOT JAYWALK. Where there is a pavement, always walk along it. Do not walk on the road, this is known as jaywalking. Where there is no pavement and you must walk along the road, do not walk shoulder-to-shoulder (abreast) with your friends. Instead walk in single-file.
• TALK LESS, WALK MORE. Try to minimise conversations with your friends on public roads. Roads are intended to get you and your fellow citizens to your destinations as quickly and as safely as possible, and nothing else.

“DRIVE/RIDE SAFELY”

Your country has a long list of road rules, learn them and follow them precisely. The following are not meant to be a replacement for these rules; instead they are intended to help you overcome the most common bad habits of Third World motorists:

• DO NOT HONK. The horn is neither a means of communication nor a means to vent your frustration or impatience. It should be used solely in EMERGENCIES. Firstly, by honking your horn endlessly you are defeating its purpose. Fellow motorists and pedestrians will not react to it in an emergency thereby increasing the likelihood of an accident. Secondly, you are causing sound pollution (see “No Pollution”). So start off by making your mind up to NOT HONK. Do not worry, when you face an emergency, you will instinctively honk—and would have done so only where it was absolutely necessary.
• ALWAYS STOP AT PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS. Apply the brakes well in advance so that you come to a halt at least five feet in advance of the pedestrian crossing. If there is no pedestrian crossing in sight, give way to pedestrians, especially groups of pedestrians, that are attempting to cross the road.
• GIVE WAY. This may be totally alien to you, but keep in mind that your traffic code has a pre-established set of guidelines that tell you when to give way to fellow motorists. In those situations where according to the traffic code you must give way to a fellow motorist or pedestrian, it is termed that such a fellow motorist or pedestrian has right-of-way. Learn these situations well. Particularly, be aware that when entering roundabouts you must give way to fellow motorists passing from a particular side. In countries where you drive on the left-hand side, you must give way to fellow motorists on your right-hand side of the roundabout. Or, in other words, motorists passing from the right-hand side of the roundabout have right-of-way.
• FOLLOW THE LINES. There are several different types of lines on the road, follow each and every one of them even if they are not clearly marked:
• Start with the ones that create lanes. Always keep all your wheels within lane markings. Remember, within a lane all vehicles must be in single-file. Only cross lane markings when you are changing lanes (only do so after indicating, see below). Immediately after you change lanes get back into single-file.
• Unbroken single or double lines that divide one direction of traffic from the opposite direction should not be crossed under any circumstances.
• At the end of any road that meets a junction, a line parallel to your shoulders marks where you should stop and look before turning. If such a line is not drawn, draw an imaginary line in your head. Do not overshoot this line and then stop to look in order to turn.
• INDICATE. In every situation where your vehicle for whatever reason is veering away from a straight line, indicate this by using your signal or indicator lights (or if you are a bicyclist, thrust out an arm in the direction you are veering or turning toward). This includes when you are doing the following:
• Turning into a road.
• Changing lanes.
• Overtaking.
• Coming to a halt on the side of a road.
• Starting from a halt from the side of a road.
• Turning along the curvature of a roundabout as opposed to exiting it.
• ENTER AND EXIT AT RIGHT-ANGLES. When you are turning in or out of a road, always enter or exit it at a right-angle. Do not enter or exit a road diagonally.
• KEEP A SAFE DISTANCE. Always maintain a safe distance between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you. Getting a few feet closer does not get you to your destination any faster. When the vehicle in front of you is moving, use this guideline: Keep enough distance behind it so that if it comes to an instant stop, you can comfortably come to a halt without hitting it. When coming to a halt behind a single-file of stopped traffic, use this guideline: Keep a distance that enables you to clearly see the number plate (or in the case of a truck or SUV, the bottom of the back buffer) of the vehicle in front of you.
• OVERTAKE WITH CAUTION. In the Third World we encounter many one lane roads and there is a great variation between the fastest and slowest type of vehicle. This means that sometimes overtaking the vehicle in front of you is necessary. Do this with extreme caution. Follow these guidelines:
• Do not cross an unbroken single or double line in order to overtake.
• Do not overtake at bends, hills or anywhere else where you cannot clearly see oncoming traffic.
• Do not overtake more than one vehicle at a time.
• Only overtake where you can comfortably get on to the lane of oncoming traffic and steer back on to your original lane without the need for sudden braking and/or extreme acceleration.
• SLOWER VEHICLES KEEP TO ONE SIDE. If your vehicle is generally capable of only slower speeds or if for some other reason (for instance, you are searching for a place or a road) you are moving slowly, keep to one side of the road. Usually in left-hand side countries this will be the left and in right-hand side countries the right. Particularly, motorcycles and bicycles should try to hug the very corner of the road.
• FOLLOW THE BENDS OF THE ROAD. On narrow bendy roads carefully manoeuvre your vehicle hugging these bends as opposed to driving straight along the middle of the road. Stay as close as possible to the side of the road that in your country you are supposed to drive on.
• DO NOT TAKE SUDDEN U-TURNS. If you must take a U-turn, continue on till you find a proper allocated point to do so. Do not simply make a U-turn whenever you decide you need to go in the opposite direction. If no proper point is in visible range and you are on the main road, try turning into a by-lane to make your U-turn. Only if no by-lane is visible and then only after giving way to traffic flowing in all directions, may you make a U-turn.
• MAINTAIN YOUR LIGHTS AND BRAKES. Vehicle maintenance can be expensive, but always ensure that your brakes and lights are working properly.
• DO NOT HIT-AND-RUN. If you hit a vehicle or pedestrian in any way whatsoever, indicate and come to a safe halt by the side of the road. Do this no matter how slight you believe the contact was. If you have hit a parked vehicle or property and the owner is absent, leave your contact details on the said vehicle or property so that they may contact you.
• DO NOT FIGHT. When you meet with an accident, do not blame each other and argue over whose fault it was. Instead, with the least fuss, if your fellow citizen is injured in any way immediately seek medical help. If not, exchange insurance information and part ways in a friendly manner.
• DO NOT TALK OR TEXT WHILE DRIVING/RIDING. If the call or text that you have to send or receive is urgent, indicate and then carefully come to a halt by the side of the road first.
• ALWAYS WEAR YOUR SEATBELT. If your vehicle has a seatbelt—wear it. Make your passengers and children wear their seatbelts as well.
• DO NOT TAKE CHILDREN IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT. Do not take small children under the age of 12 in the front passenger seat.
• DO NOT DRIVE OR RIDE WHILE INTOXICATED. Whether the police are able and equipped to catch you or not—do not drive while intoxicated.
• PARK PROPERLY. Always park so that there is equal space on both sides between the lines that mark your parking slot and your vehicle. Never park in such a way that obstructs fellow citizens from parking and/or  wastes a parking slot. Where possible, always reverse park into a parking slot so that you do not have to reverse on to the main road when you are leaving.

“NO POLLUTION”

The resources that Mother Nature has blessed us with are fast running out. Through our activities we are killing our mother. Small steps taken by you can help sustain, restore and replenish Mother Nature for the benefit of you and future generations.

Pollution includes anything that you do that harms Mother Nature and/or anything that makes your local environment less pleasant and less liveable. Your first step is to learn as much as possible about how Mother Nature functions. Start off by learning the difference between renewable and non-renewable resources. Most importantly, carefully learn about the many ways in which we are killing our mother—AND STOP THEM.

• REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE. Always practise the three R's. Firstly REDUCE the amount of resources, especially non-renewable resources, that you use to live your life. Secondly, when you are using a product that has already taken up resources, RE-USE it as much as possible. Thirdly, once there is no possible way to re-use the product, RECYCLE the product: Try to break it down and use its ingredients for some other use thereby conserving resources.
• PLAY YOUR PART. Specifically, to keep your immediate surroundings pleasant and safe, do the following:
• Do not Litter. From a toffee wrapper on your way to work to your household garbage, always dispose of your litter and garbage in a proper way. In the long term, if no proper way such as a bin is provided, cooperate with your fellow citizens to come up with a proper way. In the short term, if you generate some litter, say when you are on the bus, and there is no bin to throw it in, keep it with you until you find a proper bin.
• Do not smoke in enclosed areas and/or near fellow citizens. Smoking is a habit that is extremely harmful to your health and the health of those around you—try to rid yourself of this habit. If you have to smoke, ensure that you are not in any type of enclosed area and that you are a safe distance away from fellow citizens. Do not dispose of your cigarette butts in anything other than an ashtray.
• Mind your toilet manners. Always flush a public toilet after you use it, and generally keep it clean and pleasant for the next citizen who is going to use it.
• Always wash your hands thoroughly with soap after you use the toilet.
• Wash your hands regularly throughout the day including each time before you eat or handle food.
• After eating, do not wash your hands onto the road, garden or any other place not intended for this. Find a proper tap and sink.
• Do not play loud music or watch TV loudly at home. Do not play loud music or use a loudspeaker to advertise your business. These all contribute to sound pollution.
• Do not hang your clothes on the front face of your house or apartment. This is a form of visual pollution.
• Try, as much as affordability allows, to maintain the pleasantness of the front face of your residence, by, for instance, regularly painting your walls.

“MIND BODILY FUNCTIONS”

• KEEP YOUR BODILY FUNCTIONS PRIVATE. Do not do any of the following in public:
• Urinate.
• Spit.
• Make throat clearing noises.
• Pick your nose.
• Dig your ears.
• SAY 'EXCUSE ME'. If any of the following happens or is going to happen involuntarily, cover your mouth and say 'Excuse me':
• Burp.
• Sneeze.
• Cough.
• Yawn.
• EAT QUIETLY. Whilst you are eating, make sure that you are not making any munching, chewing or slurping sounds or any clanking sounds with your cutlery. After you eat, if there is anything stuck between your teeth, cover your mouth with one hand whilst using a toothpick with the other to remove it.
• USE KNIVES, FORKS AND SPOONS. When you are eating in public try, as far as possible, to use utensils such as knives, forks and spoons instead of your hands. There are foods such as sandwiches and snacks where obviously this rule does not apply. However, particularly in countries where staple meals such as rice-and-curry are normally eaten by hand, strictly abide by this rule in public.
• TEACH YOUR CHILDREN. No exceptions to these rules should be made for your children. So start teaching them these rules at the earliest possible age.
• DO NOT BREAST FEED IN PUBLIC. Instead, feed your child prior to leaving the house. If you must breast feed, do so in an enclosed area away from the eyes of fellow citizens.

 “MIND CHILDREN”

• DO NOT ALLOW NUDITY. Do not in any way allow your children to run around or be seen naked in public.
• DO NOT CHANGE YOUR CHILDREN IN PUBLIC. Always look for a nearby toilet to change your children. If one is not available, look for an enclosed area away from the eyes of fellow citizens.
• DO NOT ALLOW SCREAMING OR SHOUTING. Do not allow your children to scream or shout in public. If your child is crying in an enclosed public space such as a cinema or a restaurant, take him or her outside or to a place with less patrons.
• DO NOT ALLOW MEDDLING. Do not allow your children to play or meddle with the property of businesses or fellow citizens unless they have given permission to do so.
• NEVER LEAVE THEM UNATTENDED. Do not leave your children (below the age they can take care of themselves) unattended in public spaces, even for a moment.

“BE PLEASANT”

• DO NOT STARE AT FELLOW CITIZENS. No matter if any of the following are true:
• They are dressed in a different way from you or differently from how people you know generally dress.
• They behave in a different way from you or differently from how people you know generally behave.
• They suffer from a visible disease, injury, deformity or disability.
• They have met with an accident. In this case look to see if you can help, if you cannot, move on.
• They are from a foreign country and look different from citizens of your country.
• They are crying or having a personal argument with a friend, relative or partner.
• They are particularly attractive.
• They have just entered the room.
• SAY SORRY. If in any way you do something wrong against a fellow citizen, no matter how minor your wrong, apologise immediately. Do so even if you are not quite sure it was your mistake. For example, if you accidentally step on a fellow citizen’s foot, immediately say 'Sorry'. The greater the wrong, the greater the apology will have to be.
•  RIGHT YOUR WRONG. If your fellow citizen has suffered injury or loss due to your wrong, take all steps necessary to return him or her to the state they were at before you committed the wrong.
• BE OF ASSISTANCE. If a fellow citizen asks you for any reasonable assistance, such as for instance with directions, do your very best to help him or her.
• BE QUIET. In enclosed public spaces such as restaurants and public transport, do not talk to those around you or on the phone too loudly. In certain public places, particularly libraries and cinemas, try to talk as little as possible and when you have to, whisper.
• GREET. If you come into eye contact with fellow citizens in public spaces, greet them with a polite greeting such as 'Hello' or 'Good Morning/Afternoon/Evening'.
• DO NOT MISREAD. Such greetings as above are nothing more than politeness. Do not automatically regard such greetings as any of the following:
• A sign of flirtation.
• A sign that a fellow citizen wants something from you.
• A sign that a fellow citizen is a danger to you.
• SAY 'PLEASE' AND 'THANK YOU'. Whenever you ask for something from a fellow citizen always say 'Please'. Whenever you receive something from a fellow citizen always say 'Thank You'. Here is an example of using the 'Please-Thank You' brackets when you are buying something: 'Ok I'll have this one please. [And when you receive it say] Thank you.' 
• SAY 'YOU'RE WELCOME'. Whenever someone thanks you, reply by saying ‘You’re Welcome’.

“BE PUNCTUAL”

• BE ON TIME. For every single engagement whether professional or social—be on time. Do so by planning well ahead. Take into consideration the method of transport you are going to use, the likely travel time and possible delays that may occur along the way.
• BE PRECISE. Punctuality is