Legit Question - Do Chinese and Indian cultures have different ideas on "personal space"?

[Organic Damage]

Yes their culture is different. Standing in line is not always done, often you just crowd around and push your way to the front.

And they are comfortable being very close or even touching you.

I was in line at Disneyland and this Chinese guy kept standing so close behind me that every time I moved an inch I would bump him. So I strategically put my hands on my hips so my elbows were pointing out, and every time he stepped too close he got an elbow in the sternum.

Took about 3 times before he learned to stand back. Welcome to murrica!

I don't even think it's just China and India. I experienced the same thing in West Africa. Places where there are a lot of people and not a lot of resources to go around (or at least an organized, efficient distribution of them) seem to engender this mentality. And frankly there are probably more places like that than not worldwide.

The places that seem to have an idea of "personal" space also seem to be more individualistic as opposed to communal societies.

 

[Jim Cozad Jr.]

I worked with a guy from Pakistan at my last job and I would avoid asking him things due to his need to physically respond to everything. He would get out of his desk, come over to mine and put his hand in it right next to my hand on my mouse, and lean over me looking at my screen while his nasty breath blew all over everything. I fucking hated it. They also don't mind coughing on you and all your stuff.

And there are many Americans that have zero concept of personal space and it infuriates me. I tell people to back up off me at the store. Or I ask them questions like "Do you mind if I finish paying for my groceries before you stand in front of the card reader?" I want to assault so many people for so many things on a daily basis. People are just fucking terrible in general.

I seriously want to fill the grocery store with uppercuts when people crowd me checking out...I've had times when I'm putting my stuff towards the front of the belt then working my way back with the rest, and some jackass behind me has already put their stuff on and I have to move it back just so I can finish putting my stuff on...or I'm paying and they're already on top of me with their cart...

 

[DrVanNostrand]

A lot of fat black and spanish women black my way. Maybe it is their midget steps.

 

[chrisdiaz]

Yes their culture is different. Standing in line is not always done, often you just crowd around and push your way to the front.

And they are comfortable being very close or even touching you.

I was in line at Disneyland and this Chinese guy kept standing so close behind me that every time I moved an inch I would bump him. So I strategically put my hands on my hips so my elbows were pointing out, and every time he stepped too close he got an elbow in the sternum.

Took about 3 times before he learned to stand back. Welcome to murrica!

I walk through crowded bar crowds with my elbow in a v shape, kinda like im simulating having ariel helwanis nose with my arm up. It works so well when people see this seperation point and they just go one way or another. There are certain people who arent fans but it works so well people usually walk behind me because of this.

Try it out sometime in a crowded room, works very well.

EDIT: Kinda like this, you put your elbow up and use it to sort people out of the way. They see it coming and usually move without issue.

 

[looktwice]

I don't like rude small people

 

[marioh]

yeah, lots of people have no idea of personal space.
i run into it all the time on the subways. from people who get within an inch of you, despite there being plenty of space on the train, or the motherfuckers who stand right in front of the opening train doors while on the platform. i don't mind that as much since it gives me a chance to practice my shoulder check technique on them. that will move people, whether they want to or not.

 

[bandicoot]

Legit question - Have you never seen video or pictures of India/China?

 

[bufetadanacara]

I've always found that Brazilians are close talkers, but them women also do it so it isn't that bad.

Much better than Indians and mainland Chinese. I find the mainland Chinese among the rudest on Earth.

 

[loyalyolayal]

EDIT: Kinda like this, you put your elbow up and use it to sort people out of the way. They see it coming and usually move without issue.

Yeah. People tend to avoid assholes.

 

[Henry Swanson]

I was just in vegas as well and the number one thing that pisses me off more than anything is when people just stop in front of you when walking. Chinese families were doing this everywhere I went. It wasnt just them but they seemed to be the main culprit. I cant stand when people dont have respect for other peoples space. Like when uber drivers think they can just stop and throw on hazards in the middle of a busy street cause they need to drop someone off.

Lolol. Yep. I notice this at the mall. Not only do they stop in the middle of the mall, they also stop at the bottom and tops of escalators. The one time I had to push this Chinese dude and his wife out of the way at the bottom of the escalator because they just decided to stop there and look around this see where they wanted to go.

 

[puppybird]

Americans have a different idea about personal space

Ask the Middle East and how the USA invaded their ‘personal space’

 

[Starck]

Lolol. Yep. I notice this at the mall. Not only do they stop in the middle of the mall, they also stop at the bottom and tops of escalators. The one time I had to push this Chinese dude and his wife out of the way at the bottom of the escalator because they just decided to stop there and look around this see where they wanted to go.

On the other side of the coin, they don't take being pushed aside seriously like westerners would.

 

[Kitafuji]

People who leave to much space between them and the person in front of them in a line is just as irritating to me for some reason.
It's not like I will get there any faster...........What evsssss

 

[chrisdiaz]

Yeah. People tend to avoid assholes.

Its not done in a rude way and gets me through every crowd I have been through. Im not a tall person (5"10) so it gets me right through and they can see where I am trying to go. I dont care if you have a problem with it, It works well for me and I was making a suggestion to someone that was having similar issues.

You seem to be the asshole.

 

[loyalyolayal]

Its not done in a rude way and gets me through every crowd I have been through. Im not a tall person (5"10) so it gets me right through and they can see where I am trying to go. I dont care if you have a problem with it, It works well for me and I was making a suggestion to someone that was having similar issues.

You seem to be the asshole.

A simple "excuse me" works for me. I am a polite asshole. Asshole.

 

[chrisdiaz]

A simple "excuse me" works for me. I am a polite asshole. Asshole.

Have you never been to a club or crowded bar? You cant even talk to the person next to you. Theres no place or time to just say excuse me to everyone. I would be saying it a 100 times. Im talking about being in a wall to wall people environment. Maybe you have just never experienced it. You can use your hand to slice through but its below in the crowd and no one can see it, which is why i use the elbow.

It sounds like you might be having a bad day.

 

[MicroBrew]

I live in America and grew up in America and we are very serious (sometimes too much so) about our "personal space". I find that in many large social settings (airports, stores, resturuants, etc.) many people have no clue about personal space or lines and stuff like that. It tends to be people from India and China.

For example waiting to get my luggage from the airport there are very clear lines and lanes. I had staked out my little space and was maybe a foot or 2 back to leave space if someone needed to swoop in and grab their luggage. A group of Indian families come literally right in front of me with 2 luggage carts and about a dozen people. They kept moving over and over and I stood there to see what would happen. One of them was literally touching my arm standing right next to me.

So my question is......are people like that rude? selfish? Clueless? Ignorant? A cultural thing? all of the above?

Note this isn't a race or cultural bashing thread. I'm legit interested to know if other cultures have different standards in this regard. Are Americans too uptight and insecure about their space? Are overpopulated countries more relaxed on personal space?

Yeah those Asian cultures don't value others' personal space like we do. I have a hunch the Indian family are recent immigrants. India and China (China's cities) are over crowded so they are forced to encroach into others' personal space. I don't think the family in your example were deliberately trying to be rude, I think they just didn't realize our societal norms are quite different.

I used to live in the MidEast a long time ago, so I was around a lot of Indians and Arabs. It wasn't uncommon for the local Arabs to not get in line, they would just barge up to the counter, because they are arrogant. The shop keepers were never helpful or polite like store employees here in the US .

On the road, I always let people merge lanes or enter the road from a side road or gas station or some other premise. Some people wave a thank you , but most don't.

 

[loyalyolayal]

Have you never been to a club or crowded bar? You cant even talk to the person next to you. Theres no place or time to just say excuse me to everyone. I would be saying it a 100 times. Im talking about being in a wall to wall people environment. Maybe you have just never experienced it. You can use your hand to slice through but its below in the crowd and no one can see it, which is why i use the elbow.

It sounds like you might be having a bad day.

An elbow flared out would still require you to be closer to people. I extend my arm and part them with the back of my hand. A good distance away from vomit trajectory.

 

[TheNinja]

Legit question - Have you never seen video or pictures of India/China?

Yes. But not many.

 

[bandicoot]

Yes. But not many.

Well, I'm no shithole expert, but from what I can gather, these people are similar to insects, moving in large droves and decimating everything in their path.

Jk