The ugly American way<\/p>\n
How often have our monies (foreign notes) been refused in
\nIndonesian banks because they are not pristine and perfect? Last
\nyear I traveled throughout Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.
\nNot once did I receive the spoilt brat arrogance that I
\nconstantly have to put up with here.<\/p>\n
I try to use banks with a decent background and provenance. I
\nwent to ANZ, I have an account in Australia with them -- maybe
\nnot for much longer, depending on their reply, and I took US$ to
\nconvert to A$ and to transfer to a Commonwealth Bank account in
\nAustralia.<\/p>\n
The bills were perfect except for a wallet fold in the middle.
\nThey, of course, were refused -- the battle raged on for an hour.
\nManagers were all conveniently unavailable. Business behind me
\ncame to a stand still. Eventually, I had to resort to \"the ugly
\nAmerican\" method, obnoxious and loud insults. I let them know
\nthat it stops right here, right now with me and I'm not leaving.
\nFinally, hypocritically, they would accept my \"dirty\" money only
\nif I converted from dollar to rupiah first and then to A$ at far
\nworse than the usual exorbitant bank rates. The birthday kid at
\nhome ate the loss.<\/p>\n
This arrogant attitude sickeningly pervades all levels of the
\neconomic, judicial and government sectors of this nation. Ethics,
\na foreign concept and all its strange global connotations, has no
\nmeaning here. It must be force fed, as must be done with
\nrecalcitrant children. How's about we all add five minutes of
\ngrief towards those who try to enforce these bumptious policies.<\/p>\n
BRIEN D.<\/p>\n
Jakarta<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/the-ugly-american-way-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }