No Dog At The End
“No cheese in this fight” and “no dog at the end of this tunnel” are meant to be humorous twists on the common expressions “no cheese at the end of this tunnel” and “no dog in this fight.” They both mean no stake in the outcome of something. It is my attitude towards foreign cultures I visit. I have no stake in foreign cultures other than having an enjoyable visit.
Citizens of other cultures may love, envy or hate me. I am just an ATM to them. Locals’ primary interest in me is discovering the PIN that causes dollars to magically spew from my wallet. I bear them no ill will. I might do the same thing in their shoes. But I am not in their shoes. My health, wealth and American passport allow me to go where I am treated well. People who mistreat me do not get my dollars.
A common form of mistreatment is the mañana attitude. Disingenuous commitments are made to deliver goods or service tomorrow, this week or next week. Tomorrow does not mean the next calendar or work day. Tomorrow means someday, maybe never. This week does not mean within seven calendar or five work days. It means not soon, maybe never. Next week means unknown, probably never. Many tourists and expats feel the mañana attitude is an attempt to be agreeable. It feeIs to me like passive aggression, deception and fraud. The intent really doesn’t matter. Only results count. I don’t waste time in places where locals are unable to make and keep commitments. I just walk away from the mañana attitude and find better treatment elsewhere.
I really appreciate being treated well where I sleep. At the time of this post, I had stayed in short-term rentals for more than four thousand (4,000) consecutive nights. Most of these nights were booked through Airbnb and similar agents. When a host mistreats me, I let them know they are subcontractors of huge multinational corporations whose mission is to provide the services I pay for. Failure to provide adequate customer service results in poor performance ratings, less client referrals, eventual delisting and reduced profits for local hosts. I have no stake in their business success. It is their choice to treat me well or jeopardize their livelihood.
More rants and raves about good and bad treatment of this old nomad.
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