The Bathroom Attendant

I have to preface this by mentioning I was raised to be a genteel person, and not deliberately hurt people’s feelings, and that is how I ended up eating sliced and peeled apples, from the public bathroom attendants outstretched palm. He kept insisting I try them; that they were fresh from the organic bazaar, etc. I couldn’t refuse as I see him fairly often…I go to that park on a regular basis. At least I did, until one day, he tried to charge me twice because I brought my 2 year old into the bathroom with me. I was furious. I thought, ‘I eat your apples, even though I don’t know where your hands have been, I have been gracious to you, and this is how you repay me, by scamming me.’ There you go…a perfect example of the Istanbul mentality . One has to continuously guard against being used and scammed. You try to treat people with at least a modicum of respect and dignity, which they interpret as weakness every time. It’s one of those frustrating cultural differences an expat has to contend with.