Following the recent Saudi Super Cup match played at the English football club Fulham’s Craven Cottage, there was an apology sent by the officials of the club to the inhabitants of the neighborhood. This was because of some Saudis who attended the match in London and threw litter in the stadium and the roads around it. This apology dismayed many of us. There needs to be a recognition of the problem we’re facing in how we treat public places.
Some Saudis when they travel abroad do continue with the lack of respect for public spaces that they unfortunately do at home, throwing their waste. These negative and unfortunate practices of ignoring the regulations and customs of the place regarding litter have a negative impact on our nation’s image.
How did we get here? Is it because of a lack of education? Or is it just a lack of respect or manners? On the beaches, in the parks; throughout Saudi Arabia there has been a proliferation of waste and while municipal workers are hired to clean it up, it has created that sense of carelessness. I ask you to see the manifestations of an unfortunate and painful breach of regulations and a lack of respect for the feelings and rights of others in the streets and public places.
For example, we have a significant deterioration in the behavior of car drivers, with many poor practices becoming the norm, such as using the pavement as a place to stop the car. Another issue is the dumping of cars in the streets. It’s common to see young boys signaling and maneuvering moments before their cars come to a standstill with no thought for those around them.
No one gets upset or protests at the lack of regard, in fact it’s seen as funny that you would be surprised at this.
This poor treatment of public places isn’t just “in our nature” nor is it just fashionable to not clean up after ourselves. It is reaching a point where it is a real danger to us. I think that if we fail to recognize that what happened in London is not correct and we don’t do something to counter the rise in disregard for the customs of others and the decline in respect for ourselves by carrying out an integrated project of national education, we are approaching a crisis in our public life. People develop positive behavior in public places through education. We need to teach people to respect others.
Some Saudis when they travel abroad do continue with the lack of respect for public spaces that they unfortunately do at home, throwing their waste. These negative and unfortunate practices of ignoring the regulations and customs of the place regarding litter have a negative impact on our nation’s image.
How did we get here? Is it because of a lack of education? Or is it just a lack of respect or manners? On the beaches, in the parks; throughout Saudi Arabia there has been a proliferation of waste and while municipal workers are hired to clean it up, it has created that sense of carelessness. I ask you to see the manifestations of an unfortunate and painful breach of regulations and a lack of respect for the feelings and rights of others in the streets and public places.
For example, we have a significant deterioration in the behavior of car drivers, with many poor practices becoming the norm, such as using the pavement as a place to stop the car. Another issue is the dumping of cars in the streets. It’s common to see young boys signaling and maneuvering moments before their cars come to a standstill with no thought for those around them.
No one gets upset or protests at the lack of regard, in fact it’s seen as funny that you would be surprised at this.
This poor treatment of public places isn’t just “in our nature” nor is it just fashionable to not clean up after ourselves. It is reaching a point where it is a real danger to us. I think that if we fail to recognize that what happened in London is not correct and we don’t do something to counter the rise in disregard for the customs of others and the decline in respect for ourselves by carrying out an integrated project of national education, we are approaching a crisis in our public life. People develop positive behavior in public places through education. We need to teach people to respect others.
