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Q: How would you have handled this
Last night I got off work around midnight. The street was dark and I went out to wait for a cab. I stepped off the sidewalk and into the car pullout area and began to wait. A minute later a young woman walked up behind me. I thought, "Well, it's dark and late, so if a cab comes I'll let her take it."
Then, before I could even finish that, she walks 20 feet up the road from me and starts hailing cabs. Part of me wanted to give her shit I know people do this all the time here, but I don't care, I usually don't let them off. I couldn't decide what would be worse; start yelling at a lone woman on a dark street at midnight, or leave her there to fend for a cab on her own. I didn't do anything cause neither felt right, but that rude biatch needed someone to tell her off.
What would you have done?
12 years 25 weeks ago in Health & Safety - China
Well, 1) I am a woman and 2) I HATE when people do that so I either would have let her have it or simply repositioned myself to be in front of her like she did to me . I have done and do do this often. I think for as rude as some Chinese people can be , they are typically non-confrontational and aren't really prepared to have any sort of verbal conflict. But if one did want to I'd be equally as prepared to stand my ground , ESP if I was there first .
Well, being a man, I probably would have done the same as you. Quietly fumed but only because it was late at night and lonely. A screaming male foreigner and a local female late a t night is just asking for troulbe. Now in the daytime I would have done as Ichickman suggests.
Yeah, you did the right thing. Doing the right thing can be hard to do sometimes. Try not to yell at people too often. Easier said than done sometimes. I know!
So what if she's a woman? The rules for being a gentleman go out the window in a situation like that.
I would have walked past her further up the road, glared and then hailed a cab.
I would do the same thing, although I would still be pissed.
Women get enough grief and rudeness from local men, they deserve a break.
I would also go further and get the first taxi. Only way to feel good about it!
By the way nevermind, you finish work at midnight??? 
what do you do?
Shame on you, Rakifi! Rules for being a gentleman never go out the window. We don't throw our rules away just because it's inconvenient or because others have none. Nevermind did the right thing. Don't let rude people change you.
You can only be a gentleman and offer. Trying to tell her off at that time of night could cause you extra problems. Drunken Chinese guys get really defensive if a group of them see a laowai and Chinese girl having words. My ex looks Chinese and she was ready to kick some local ass for a group trying butt in on one of our discussions after a drunken night.
I understand being irked by it in the moment, but this is nothing to hold a grudge against Chinese people about (especially considering that I could easily imagine the same scenario happening in America, my home country).
In truth, there is nothing anchoring you where you are, walk 40 feet. Keep walking until you find a taxi. Yelling at people or trying to help people in a language they don't know isn't helpful, especially in a "dangerous situation" like a street at midnight.
In this situation, I would have done what I have done before:
Walk 10 feet ahead of her and when the taxi arrives, offer it to her. The look on the girls face when I did this was a wonderful mix of anger, shock and gratitude.
