What struck the American in relation to neighbors in Russia

Our friend Tom recently returned from Russia to the United States. From this trip, he brought a lot of impressions, and I am grateful that he took the time to share his observations with me. Today we will talk about relations with our neighbors in Russia and about what impressed Tom from the most.

Фото: Depositphotos

Smoking in the entrance

Smoking in the entrances is prohibited. This is an administrative offense, and a fine is imposed for it. But, of course, there are people in our porches who “know better” or smoke on the sly. This one got to Tom - it was smoky at the entrance, but nobody was there. Residents even knew the apartment number, but shrugged it off - now do not beat this grandfather if he is “not in himself”. Complaining to the police is still useless.

In the US, smoking is prohibited not only in the porches, but often in the house and near the house. Somehow my friend was visiting with a smoking husband who lives in her house. When we were gone, her husband decided to jump out onto the balcony and quickly “smoke a cigarette”. We found out about this on the same day by a letter from the administration of the residential complex with a warning that it is impossible to smoke on the balconies and if there is a violation, we will be fined, or even eviction.

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Using the entrance to store their belongings

Tom was very surprised when, going up the stairs to Katya’s relatives’ apartment, he saw boxes with the remains of building materials on the landing near one door, and a children’s sled and a bicycle near the other. In the entrance of Katya’s house, on almost every platform near the windows there were some tables and stands with flowers. Both boxes with the remains of building tiles and stands with flowers occupied part of the already narrow passage, which was used by all the residents of the house.

Tom explained the reason for his concern. In the US, it is illegal to use stairwells (and other common areas) to store your belongings, and the main reason is safety. In the event of an emergency (for example, a fire), people should be able to quickly leave their apartments. Any evacuation means panic, and foreign objects standing in the passages (even along the walls) can become an obstacle. Someone touched a box standing under the wall and overturned it. Loose tiles can block a neighbor's door, preventing people from leaving their apartment. Someone could trip over the boxes and create a traffic jam, the consequences could be lethal, and the cause would be a simple box, flower stand, or sled that shouldn't be there.

To Tom’s question “whose things are these and why are they kept in common areas?” They couldn’t give him a clear answer. Nobody knew the neighbor who was doing the renovations, the sled was Galina’s daughter, and the flowers were supposedly for beauty (according to Tom, old, shabby furniture and stunted plants hardly fell under the definition of “beauty,” but that’s not about that now). Both Katya and Katya’s aunt were not delighted with other people’s things that littered their entrances, but they did not want to demand that these things be removed, because they were afraid of ruining relations with their neighbors.

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Tom was shocked by this situation: some people violate the rules, endangering other residents of the house, while others do not want to deal with it, because they are afraid to spoil relations with the violators or do not want to deal with the police.

Appeal to prudence or swear because of noise

Speaking of the police. Somehow it turns out that we resort to the help of the police in relations with our neighbors in the most extreme case, when all the arguments have been exhausted and the stage of negotiations has ended with nothing. Even if the neighbors had a big party. Moreover, it is usually assumed that not only will you spoil the relationship, but also the headache from communicating with the police will be more in the caller than in the violator. It is easier to go quarrel.

Tom was surprised by this attitude! In his view, as in the view of most Americans, the police are called in order not to spoil relations with their neighbors. First, when the peace officer indicates an offense, and not a neighbor, this is perceived constructively. Secondly, the police did not disclose who caused them, and relations with neighbors do not deteriorate. And thirdly, you just do not need to waste your time and nerves.

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Borrow

I already wrote once that Tom was cooking a beef steak on a grill pan, which, by the way, everyone liked, except Tom himself. But that’s not about that now. So, when he started cooking it, it turned out that the house was out of black pepper. “Two minutes,” said Katya’s aunt, she ran out the door in her slippers and literally immediately returned with black pepper from her neighbor.

A completely banal situation for us, but not common for an American. In the States it is not customary to do this. It seems like there’s nothing reprehensible or strange, it’s just that everyone has their own private life, which Americans treat very scrupulously and respectfully, and once again try not to disturb. And it is also not accepted to shift responsibility to others. I forgot to buy pepper: everyone has a car, 5 minutes - and ran to the nearest store to buy pepper.

Good or bad - you decide.

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