nnoble, if you cut out the personal attacks, it would be easier to discuss the topic.

My neighbor, a 90 year old lady, puts her trash bags outside the door until she can take them down. Am I to yell at her, insisting that she walk down and up 8 flights of stairs several times a day? It is more convenient. Yes, it is cultural. Most things are cultural.

Who are the "rip off merchants" you describe? A taxi driver who charges a mere 2 kuai more because he will lose money on the lack of such a far return trip? Do you begrudge him his 2 kuai? Again, this is cultural: harmony above the law. For Westerners: law above all else, even above humans or reality.

Those are cultural differences. Now, can you respond with calm, reasoned wording, without personal attacks, please?

@Campo, I don't think anybody is going to argue about your decency in helping the girl pick up her bike, but not all of your examples are like that.
@Neddy: I agree with a lot of what you say, but saying that things are 'cultural' doesn't make them sacred - culture is in the process of change all the time, and there's nothing wrong with reasoning about what those changes might be. So I don't spit on the street, and nobody is offended by my not spitting. But I agree with you about not Commanding people to adopt what I may think of as better practices, first because I'm not so smart as to think I'll always be right in doing so and secondly because it offends people and is likely to be counterproductive.
And Campo, I'm not saying that you do this, but you often write as if you do.
None of this should be hard to understand. It's not cultural differences that have to be a problem, it's that cultural arrogance almost always is.

Alien:

"It's not cultural differences that have to be a problem, it's that cultural arrogance almost always is."

Bravo.

'For Westerners: law above all else, even above humans or reality'

Bollocks

sometimes cultural arrogance is necessary. some things are better in some countries than others. it's just a fact. you don't go to japan and tell them how to roll sushi, but maybe you go to saudi arabia and tell them how to treat their ayis with respect.

Forsooth Noddy, MM, Teacher, that I should attack your revered person, I aim only to identify thee clearly. Invoking the mythical 90 year old is an old trick, though if indeed I'm wrong then clearly you should be offering to dispose of the elderly citizens waste for her. Please consider doing this. Laziness and inconsiderate actions cross cultural boundaries. Furthermore, you stomach has all the infrastructure to dispose of spittle in a satisfactory manner. All that is taught is not necessarily correct. Come place your residual garbage in my vicinity, or spit on my stair-well - and I'll refer to you as a dirty, inconsiderate lazy bastard too. Have a very nice day your eminence. And do remember to look after your elderly neighbour.

Don't some of you ever get tired of whining and complaining about a country that you actively choose to live in, but do not have to?

@mmeddy, since you like to invoke respecting one's culture, I'm sure as you know, freedom of speech and complaining is an American culture and past time.

Why do you insist on confronting people that are exercising their culture, especially considering GoK is an expat watering hole and Western values and culture should be respected.

if no one says its broke, no one is gonna fix it. and many chinese know things are broke, bad and need to change.

Whato Noddy that was terrifically weak and tired response. Pucker up, we'd be lost without a ship's idiot. Tell you what, let's play hide and seek. You get yourself a new ID and we'll see if we can find you.