“Serving overseas as a small-town boy from America is intense, stressful and humorous! Enjoy a light-hearted story with me from our last 20 years overseas!”
—Matt
People are More Territorial than Dogs
I have many favorite running routes along sleepy country roads around small-town America. However, I get shaken awake on the sleepy road when a large dog stares me down and begins to approach as I pass its property. In most cases the dogs calm down and stop barking once past their territory.
Nevertheless, people are far more territorial than dogs. It seems more striking overseas as it happens in such spectacular ways. For example, the garbage collection in our neighborhood happens at large containers at the corners of streets. Each day we lug our garbage 100 yards to the container (not leaving trash in the home overnight to attract cockroaches). There are not garages and yards like America, so no garage sales and yard sales, and people just have less stuff. Old stuff gets taken to the neighborhood garbage containers and “trash pickers” have their territories (neighborhoods) where they will violently guard their trash containers. They sort through the garbage (even climbing into the containers) and then sell anything of value to flea markets.
We have coastlands near us and locals will guard their territory from others who come to use their area to surf. “Locals only” is commonly graffitied and those who defy the warning too many times will have their cars “keyed” or even torched.
My only problem with “territorial humans” overseas has been with taxi drivers. They work long hours and changing shifts, so this probably makes them more likely to get irritated and aggressive quickly. I was traveling through a large city and stayed at lodging that provided a free airport shuttle. I awoke early one morning and got loaded into the airport shuttle van with other weary-eyed travelers. We only drove about 50 yards as 3 taxi cabs pulled in front and blocked the path. The drivers got out of their cabs with very aggressive postures and just stood there blocking the way. We waited, and waited, and waited. The shuttle van driver just looked expressionless at the taxi drivers, and I don’t know if he was scared, but the passengers were! We not only feared getting beat up, we feared missing our flights. After this went on for what seemed like an eternity, the shuttle van driver slowly maneuvered the vehicle around the taxi drivers and their cars and out through a flower bed.
It wasn’t my only run in with angry territorial taxi drivers. Friends stayed at a hotel near our overseas apartment, and while I was loading them into my van to get to the airport, two angry taxi drivers approached me. The taxi drivers thought I was working in their territory. I tried to avoid them and explained that I was happy to contact the police to sort it out. They grudgingly let us drive away and get to the airport.
I think the best approach with territorial animals, people or dogs, is to avoid any confrontation when you are in their perceived territory as they are only in a barking and biting mood.
Something similar ever happen to you? Contact me and let me hear your story!
Matt’s Mishaps, PO BOX 114, Grabill, IN 46741
