I find it very interesting that most Kiwis’ are very patriotic and of course the rugby is a good example but if one looks at how loyal the Kiwi patriotism stretches does it hold water?

Just have a look at this NZ area of the BE site and you will see Kiwis making strong defence of their country. I remember when I first starting using this forum there was a “Kiwi Jet Pilot” that would end up arguing with anyone that had anything that resembled a negative comment towards NZ. Of course you also get the hard approach if you comment anything negative re NZ – why don’t you go somewhere else?

My point:
Proud to be Kiwi – Scenario 1.

I come here to NZ with my family, rent a mobile home and take to the road. The roads here are mad, you have 15 year olds that will tailgate you, cut you off at any motorway on-ramp, shove there Boom-ska music down you ears ( at any quite beach) and give you the finger and yell abuse at you as you drive past. The big trucks throw their weight around. This coupled with a dire shortage of road signs. Welcome to New Zealand.

Proud to be Kiwi ? – Scenario 2:
You may say something to one of the boy (lots of girls too) racers about their life threatening driving. Be prepared for a real welcome to New Zealand and an attitude from hell. If you threaten to phone the police you will get the response. “What are they going to do?” This teen yob attitude is not just restricted to the roads.

So proud to be Kiwi – Scenario 3.
Litter & graffiti everywhere. So outside the rugby fields does the Proud to be Kiwi hold any water? The All Blacks is great for NZ and certainly big business but not the main business of NZ. Newsflash: Tourism is !

So proud to be Kiwi – Scenario 4:
Try complaining about the Kiwi service levels and you will no doubt get this vacant expression. If Proud to be Kiwi extends with sincerity then surely NZ would want to up-their-game? For example, let me ask you how many times you go to a restaurant in NZ and have had someone come to the table and ask how the meal was and if everything was okay?

So proud to be Kiwi – Scenario 5:
Air New Zealand. The attitude I experienced on a couple of their flights was shocking and in one case when we were travelling with our wee lad ( three at the time) needed to go to the toilet and the service trolley was in the isle, my wife asked the steward if she could past and was advised that our son should just wait with such a nasty attitude. By comparison Qantas were amazing and all the flight attendants made a fuss of our wee lad and at boarding calls the announcements requested the elderly and families with small children to board first. WOW, service !

So where does Proud to be Kiwi start and where does it end ? At the end of the rugby match?

Be interesting to hear comments on this ?

Beats me why you imagined that NZ wasn't going to have its share of idiots, just the same as the rest of the world.

I am also interested to know why if you take note of all the negative things that happen to you, that you perhaps come to expect bad things/service etc. Sort of a self-fulfilling prophecy.

I really don't understand when people complain about service levels here - I have never had a problem at all. Things will always go wrong but it's how they're fixed that stays with you and I've been blown away on numerous occasions by how far people will go out of their way to help. I have worked in customer service (still do really) and I never approach a situation in a confrontational manner - maybe that's why I get the results I do?

I don't WANT someone to keep coming up to my table if I'm out to dinner, asking if we've enjoyed our meal. Having said that, I've never walked out of a restaurant here feeling that I've had bad service. Never. I hate when someone comes up to me in a shop asking if I need help too. I'm a big girl now, if I need help I'll ask for it.

I'm afraid that to me you're coming across as a bit of a Victor Meldrew (no offence to Nice Guy ). I don't notice these things you're talking about. Kids are kids. 30 years ago in a rural part of Ireland I would probably have reacted the same to a complete stranger reading me the riot act. Yes, the actions may be different but the DNA isn't - teenagers don't take kindly to being ordered around.

I very rarely see graffiti on the Shore - a bit NIMBY of me maybe but this is where I live and is what I'm concerned with. No litter either.

I haven't flown with Air NZ but am going to Tonga in July with them so can relate my experience then.

There's a great saying - So valuable a smile, you'll find out that it's true. That if you smile at everyone, Your smile comes back to you. ..

Actually, think I'll use that as my signature from now on

Points 1 & 2........ Have you ever lived in the US!!!!!!!! My 15 yr old son has just got his licence over here in NZ & I'm sure he can only drive when we are with him. He's had his licence in the States since he was 14 & is a very capable driver. Stop clumping all 15 yr olds in the same category

Point 3.......... Jeez how long ago were you in the UK. Litter everywhere!!!!! So what they like rugby, UK = football. USA = American football + baseball. Your point is??????

Point 4...... Again have you ever lived in the States. That sort of insincere service is a real pain in the butt.

Point 5.... can remember that happening to us years ago on a Saudia flight & also on a BA flight. Air NZ are not the only ones, we had great flights out here with them.

Good God come off your high horse & stop blaming NZ for things that can & do happen everywhere.

My point exactly:

Anyone care to see room for improvement? Are we all locked in a comfort zone?

So what I hear so far is that NZ service levels are up there with USA ?

Graffiti is acceptable because you get it in the UK too ? So I suppose we can just say that drugs in schools are okay in NZ because it happens in the UK? Murder are okay in NZ because they happen in the USA ?

The thread generalises all 15 year old drivers to be bad drivers with attitude and I need to be aware that teenagers don’t like being told what to do. ? Who is running your household ? I guess the teenagers need to given a lot more freedom in NZ as they are too controlled here ?

There is no graffiti or litter on the North Shore ? I guess I haven’t been to the North Shore, is that in New Zealand ?

Maybe if I smile a lot more all this stuff will just go away? Have you hugged a tree lately ?

I just see the negative things in NZ. Yup, that’s me Mr Negative I should be grateful for all the good things in NZ and disregard the negatives, this will offer me a positive outlook?

Is that it ?? I mean is this the best you can do ?

I must apologise I should have called the thread Ripley’s Believe It Or Not.

It’s amazing, you can get blasted for supposedly posting negative things but it attracts lots more viewers to the thread. Let me ask how many of you took the time to responds to my positive posts abut New Zealand ?

Change is man’s biggest fear and I guess if I present a topic stating that there is room to make New Zealand better which will require change, it represent change = fear.

No waves – no ride

^ needs to lay down the crack pipe. Not making any sense at all.

I have no idea what customer service is like in the USA - I've never had the inclination to go there! It's certainly better than in Ireland and most definitely better than in the UK.

I think you're missing the point. I don't see the things you see. I'd notice if there was litter or tagging - strangely enough NZ is not the only country in the world to call it this - and actually some of it is quite good. You might only see vandalism, I can often see art. And, I'm quite open to someone directing me to it around where I live because I haven't seen any.

The very suggestion that people on here think change = fear is laughable. We, above all people, are not afraid of change - if that were the case we'd all be in a semi somewhere 5 miles from where we grew up!

I do smile a lot and funnily enough I don't have the problems you seem to be having so maybe I'll just go out and give my trees an extra big hug now and be thankful that I love my life and am grateful to New Zealand for accepting me and giving me a chance to live here. Or, should I go looking for 'grafitti' and rude teenagers and end up annoying myself for nothing when I could just as well have had a lovely day enjoying the sunshine Decisions, decisions.

And, I think you'll find that 'back in the day' I often posted on your positive threads. You seem very dissatisfied at the moment so I don't bother much.

Ok, lets for a minute that I actually understand your rant. Could it be summarised into: I see all these problems, NZ is a great place, now what are we going to do to fix these problems. Is this what you meant?

If so, the world only changes if everyone does their own little bit, bit like the argument for recycling, compost heaps and washable cloth nappies. That is, the world is turning into 1 big landfill, lets all work together to do our bit to make things better.

So. If you have a problem with agressive drivers, what are you going to do about it? Drive courteously yourself, ensure your children do defensive driving, lobby the government for an increase in the driving age or compulsory defensive driving lessons, or whatever.

Say you want good service in shops. What do you do to make it better? Say please and thank you, and smile when ordering your meal. Be pleasant to check-out chicks. Tip generously when you do receive good service.

Anti-graffiti. Donate money to youth centres so that kids have something better to do, or giive of your time to set up music lessons or support local music. Be an "anti-tagger", there is one random person in my neighbourhood that de-tags.

Do you see how much of your rant is directed to what other people should do or behave. The only way to change this is one step at a time, starting with your own behaviour.

This is a very peculiar thing to say on a board where 99% of people have made a huge change in their lives by emigrating, and an even bigger change in themselves to be able to settle into their new lives.

Hi,
Of course there are negatives wherever you live, but nothing in comparison to the UK IN MY OPINION. In terms of Kiwi's being patriotic Yes I would say the ones I have met are...who's to say the rubbish, vandalism and graffiti you speak of are not the results of visitors or migrants!

My hubby is a truck driver in NZ and gets totally fed up with people in campers hogging the road, thinking because they are tourists they suddenly own the place. As a professional driver their licence is their livelihood, they drive the largest most dangerous vehicles on the road so they take driving and safety far more seriously than most drivers. Perhaps it was your driving that provoked the problems you have had.

As for teenagers being a pain, when we first moved to our new house there were a gang of about 15 locals hanging around the bus stop, I felt intimidated until they came up and asked if we wanted a hand shifting out stuff in...so don't let your prejudices and sterotyping lead you to label the whole youth culture of New Zealand!

In terms of customer service having had my UK money transfer buggered up by my bank in the UK I finally realised what customer service was when the National Bank over here spent hours sorting it all out for me, with coffee and sweeties on offer while I waited.

I'm only here on a temporary work visa but I feel defensive of the country. It's beautiful, the people I have come across have been incredibly welcoming and friendly and I am grateful for the opportunity to live here.

Debbie

My message in an image :-

Read my post in context please and thank you &

That is an excellent point,
So how could that point be proven ?

Yes, you are so right, perhaps I am wrong and New Zealand has the best driving standard in the world.

Perhaps you have misjudged my post ?

Exactly my point again. If we are take one incident then should we not generalise ?


Yes, I agree with you BUT …..

Sorry, I don’t understand

I really think you are assuming a lot, you have no idea how I am involved within the community and on a broader scale regarding these issues.

Exactly my point. You assume that these details I have posted about are not going to become greater and more degrading to NZ so therefore it is easy to say there is no problem and actually I have the problem.

I recall folk saying similar about these things in the UK and of course NY in the 80s “ graffiti was not a problem”, yeah right, it is art. Who pays for the damage to the property when the aerosol artist has decided to use your wall as a canvas?

So how is my behaviour bad ? I am open to hear your point of view so please enlighten me.

[QUOTE=Batty;4505823]
I do smile a lot and funnily enough I don't have the problems you seem to be having so maybe I'll just go out and give my trees an extra big hug now and be thankful that I love my life and am grateful to New Zealand for accepting me and giving me a chance to live here. QUOTE]