‘My role as a citizen’

Late last week I drove to a pharmacy in Amman located in a usually crowded small shopping neighbourhood.

The three parking spaces in front of that pharmacy were all blocked by a car that was parked sideways right in front of the three spaces, blocking them, as well as one lane of the narrow street in front of the pharmacy.

When I noticed that the owner of that car was standing next to it, I waved to him to allow me to use the space, but he ignored my request.

I had to leave my car, walk to him and explain that by doing what he did he blocked designated parking and obstructed flowing traffic at the same time.

His explanation was that he was not planning to stay there for a long time. But he did move forward just enough to allow me entry. He kept his car in the street, blocking the remaining space.

In the growing city of Amman, we complain all the time about chronic traffic congestion and delays. We constantly blame the authorities for failing to put an end to the growing traffic chaos. But we hardly realise the role of the motorists in creating the problem in the first place.

The incident I just cited is by no means unusual; it happens all the time.

I find myself repeatedly blocked by a car left locked right behind me when I park legally, and I just have to wait for any amount of time until the owner of that vehicle reappears.

I hardly dare protest to avoid being abused.

It is not totally untrue, however, that the authorities are not doing their best to crack down on violators. When they do, though, we, the people, rush to blame the police for not being kind, to put it very mildly.

If the Greater Amman Municipality would regulate city parking rules and traffic, it would be harshly condemned for imposing additional difficulties on the people.

And yet, there are serious plans towards that goal. 

But success can only be guaranteed if the citizen, whose interest stands to benefit first and foremost, lends cooperation and support to such regulations.

I am writing this article from Zurich, the largest city in Switzerland, with a population of close to two million people in its larger metropolitan area, just about the area and the population of Amman.

Every time I visit, I cannot help but admire the orderly life prevailing in this city, which is normal for any other city in this country, and Europe as a whole.

One primary factor in achieving such a civil standard of spontaneous conduct are the people.

They are the ones who maintain law and order, not out of fear of the police — often invisible — but just out of their respect for the law, which they believe is made for their own good.

They do not violate established rules. Life flows smoothly and cordially. Police potential therefore is reserved for unusual emergencies, while routine is taken care of by the citizens themselves.

It is quite unfortunate that many in our lovely country do not view the law as a regulatory system meant to make their lives easier, happier, safer and much more comfortable.

Some, sadly, see the law as obstructing their freedom of movement, as they see it, as well as a punishment tool in the hand of the government.

This is a serious matter that needs to be dealt with at the earliest stages of education.

The depressing reality is that we litter and blame the authorities for not keeping our cities clean. We commit the worst traffic violations, park in the middle of the road, and violate the freedom, even the very rights, of fellow citizens, and rush to blame the authorities for traffic chaos and for not keeping our cities tidy and easy moving.

While taking a long walk last Sunday in central Zurich, witnessing the spotless streets and the orderly flow of life, I remembered a joke that kept circulating in Jordan for some time.

It was about a former mayor of the heavily populated city of Zarqa, who, when just elected, promised to make the city as perfect as a Swiss city. One of those present sarcastically asked: “You may be able to make Zarqa Swiss but can you make the Zarqa population Swiss too?”

In fact why not?

The population of Zarqa, like all others, does not originate from a different species. It is the same as any other people, except when it comes to upbringing, community development and education.

The moment we, citizens, realise that the law is meant to serve us, not the authorities, that it is meant to make the quality of our life better and when, as a result, we volunteer not only to abide by the law but to protect it too, we also become “Swiss”.

People worldwide are similar. No particular people anywhere can be distinguished as angels. It is a matter of education and responsible citizenry.

It is the individual citizen that makes all the difference.

The moment we see the entire country the same way as we see home, we solve major problems, just like other people successfully did.