The guy was assaulting a woman with a baby in the car. How
sh!tty can your manners get?
Many people in the US don't care about the environment, but many
people do.
In Florida and places where it is hot, a baby can die in car in a matter
of a few minutes. There are several cases a year where a baby
unfortunately dies in an unairconditioned car. For him, he is just
not used to Swiss temperature.
Has anyone looked at the OP profile? His occupation is down as a "Energy Trader"
I am afraid that I have no idea what that is - but energy to me = fuel or other resource?
How about saving some?
It's Saturday night and this is a wind up, right?
One sound advice: tone down, create a new ID.
Nobody likes your arrogant story.
You may be right that the guy over-reacted, but this is their country and there are laws here about leaving engine running.
To be fair to you, I had EXACTLY the same situation back in 2004. My baby was also few weeks old. I ran into an Apotheke to get some medicines, hot summer, left engine running. One mad looking man, started shouting and banging on my window. As I could not understand him, and I did not want to break his neck (I really could, with adrenaline and some Kungfu Panda moves), I moved off just a little.
Afterwards I went to a policestation, and asked about my rights. They told me I should not have left the engine running, but the man was also wrong to shout and threaten me.
Both WRONG.
So go ahead, start anew and please write courteously and with special attention to sensitive Swiss and also EF people here.
We don't need another gun-slinging Bush-like American.
Peace.
HAT
I would like to show my support to the OP..... by risking myself to be groaned by all of the ladies/gentlemen attacking him in his case...
- first it's a complaint corner : people not just wanting to tell what happened but also vent their emotion ! Say if you're upset with someone and you mention in the thread that you want to "kill" them, you surely didn't mean to act to that extreme. I don't think the OP meant to show off his superior wealth vs the attacker, it's just a natural flash of thought when people calling you fxxx foreigner !
- in my home country, it's not allowed to leave engine on, too. Even if it's a mistake made by the OP, however, he does NOT deserve to be treated this way --banging on the window and people speaking foul to him.
- If your partner, esp if it's wife (and baby in the car) are being scared/threatened like that, it's very natural to be furious. Sw is a civilized country, i think there would be more civilized way to deal with this case. Come on, the OP did not murder someone !!!
- as a new mom, I still remember the time when a baby cry at this age. it's a very sharp scream to the ear. Also, a baby could sweat seriously in just a couple of minutes when feeling hot, making them very suffering. Having said that, the OP might have to take the baby out with them if it's illegal to leave the engine on (but certainly he didn't know that at that time).
I would appreciate demonstration of empathy apart from simply telling the OP off.
To the OP, sorry to say that but I think your follow up posts could be less aggressive even though some comments are a bit mean....
He is surely 100% responsible for all of the global warming
that has ever occurred since he is an energy trader, right?
I've also had problems with "not" what people want to tell me but "how" they tell me. I'm a willing learner but I cant learn when someone screams in my face. I become totally blocked and cant absorb anything because the aggression I'm faced with frightens me and puts me on the defensive. Sometimes it's not "why" and "where" it's "how" and "what"?
I don't agree with the OP's attitude after the case, but I can associate with his first gut reaction.
This thread has ended in a very anticlimatic fashion. Here I was hoping for a furious fight on multiple levels: usa vs rest of the world, green wackos vs gas guzzlers and opportunistic contributions from disgruntled foreigners bashing on anything Swiss.
Outrageous.
shall I get my coat?
As much as this story might rise some important issues regarding the who was right, but one has to respect the Swiss law. If vehicles are not allowed to be running on the engine without movement that should be respected! Surely the child and wife threatend from banging at the window is also not pleasant but it is not reason to get over the board and suggest to solve the conflict with the gun. It is surely not wild wild west and there is no reasons for further insults...
BTW: If someone breaks the window there is the legal way to solve it and the insurance will pay
Hopefully usaingeneva will take heart and remain a member of EF. His first post smacked of self righteous indignation but I'm sure given a bit more time he will appreciate all that Switzerland has to offer.
Peace
I appreciate those that understood my complaint and those that supported me. I was ranting a bit when I wrote it and did not expect the first comment I received to be go home hence the response I gave. I will take some advice from some and not come off so strong in the future and I may post again.
I am an American and was born in Texas. A car it is private property and if someone banged on the windows and tried to enter, you would be well within your rights to shoot the person trying to break in. If another man saw this scenario with a woman in the car with an infant and a person banging and trying to enter I suspect in Texas they would intervene on their behalf. Here I see they all pile on you. Seriously, if the guy has a problem with the car running, call the police. Do not terrorize the woman and baby.
If the Swiss have problems with SUVs then outlaw them. I was told that Geneva is one of the largest buyers of Range Rovers. I do see them everywhere. Mine is a new generation low emission diesel with great fuel economy (for a V8 6,000 lb car) but people are angry about 4x4s as the psychotic guy told me very plainly in my face yesterday.
My comment about taxes that I pay was not meant to be an arrogant statement. A vast portion of these taxes I pay here do not benefit me at all and benefit the Swiss population. Geneva is a very international city and many expats like me will come and go leaving the tax revenue behind.
I do not dislike the Swiss and have found some great people here. It is the expat haters that really annoy me. A colleague of mine who is English went to the train station to buy a newspaper. He asked the clerk in French if he spoke English. He replied yes and they consummated the transaction in English. A man walked over and began yelling at my colleague about how this is a French speaking county etc. He did this in English at the train station while the Euro cup was here. There are so many examples of the locals making Geneva unwelcoming to us. We know this is not our country. Many of us like living here temporarily for various reasons and have no desire to be here long term. I know I try to respect the local customs and language(s).
Bottom line here is I will turn off my engine if the temperatures are not extreme. I absolutely will not turn off the heater in the winter if my baby is in the car and the car is not warm nor will I do the same in the summer with the ac. It would be irresponsible on my part and I would hope the local Swiss vigilantes will cut me some slack. If not, call the police or at least wait until I get back to the car to confront me and not a woman and child.
Everyone be nice now. It is Sunday and is supposed to be a day of peace and quiet.
i'm gonna have to agree with muffin here. this guy is probably new in the country, and joined this forum just like many here, to learn more about the country in a language they understand. now, i'm not suggesting handling all newbies with kid-gloves, but some sympathy would be nice.
every negative or positive encounter between a local and a foreigner contributes to the overall impression one group has of the other and EF offers a unique opportunity to help nudge the balance in the positive direction by helping newbies deal with culture shocks ... even if it means (maybe, perhaps, dare-i-suggest) overlooking some emotional comments.
i once attended a cultural workshop in germany, and part of the workshop included how to provide feedback and criticism after a presentation: 1 compliment followed by 1 critique critique, as it helps cushion the blow of the critique and its acceptance.
if the point to be made is, that's how it is here, why not say it nicely?
The broader question is: is this kind of crazy, excessive reaction to petty offences common here? I mean, should you also expect to be yelled at and insulted (or worse) if you, say, throw glass bottles and cans in the containers on a Sunday?
Well I don't know about glass bottles but I've certainly had a few run-ins with the "lint police" (and not just on Sundays).
Unbelievable, really.
Well, in the places I've lived so far there are signs on the containers prohibiting throwing glass bottles into them on Sundays.
Newbie charges into Forum without Introduction...
You get as much as you give.
Well, judging by the comment below, I'd say that he has learned something. Maybe we have too.
Have a pleasant Sunday.
can we get things into perspective please ?
No, it's not common. If I saw you throwing glass bottles in the container on a Sunday, I would simple tell you not to do so without shouting and being offensive. I hope most of the Swiss people would act like this. And I hope most of the people would tell you if you do something that is not allowed.
To: usaingeneva
How is it possible that so many children survived without car air conditioning? When I was a child the cars in CH normally weren't equipped with air conditioning.
So I would like to encourage you at least to try to handle the climatisation of a non moving car differently (I mean if "non moving" means more than 3 minutes standing). There are ways to handle it. I'm a survivor too.