X-Pats are no longer Seniors.

This all relates to my posting in the thread 'Balikbayan Boxes' and how we 'aliens' are treated in The Philippines; I was told once we can even be deported for using Senior Citizens' priorities. Of course, I accept we are not citizens and never will be under current law. I just want my country to treat Filipino citizens the same way I am treated here and for all your countries to do the same; perhaps Filipinos living abroad can then inform their government what life is like being treated with disrespect based on race.

 

On the other hand. Many foreigners, including myself, have asked about employment at a call center where we can be very helpful as native English speakers. Result: "We cannot hire you because after age 60 you are considered a senior citizen and not eligible to work here."

So how do I convince them that I am not a senior, at age 62 so they can give me the job?

 

I was also going to suggest singing and dancing (twitching) for no obvious reason plus making faces (into a camera) would also prove you to be young but then I realised it is also a sign of senility.

 

If she were in the US the discounts she would be receiving are offered by the individual companies. The Philippine Senior Citizen Discount should be thought of as a Social Security benefit as the businesses are reimbursed for the discounts by the government. She would not be showing up on vacation and recieve Social Security checks at her hotel.

It is a valid business strategy to include all seniors for priority service and even discounts but they are not 'rights'. I would be willing to bet there has been one, likely many, foreigners recently in that particular store yelling about 'knowing thier rights' and the company will pay, and blah blah blah. That/those are the people we need to thank for being treated without respect. And if it happened in our business back in our country enough we would have the same reaction.

There are bad apples here but there are many bad apples in our bushel also.

 

I've always been surprised that non citizen seniors have been able to take advantage of the occasional benefit which is plainly intended for the locals.
Enjoy it when you can,don't complain about it when you can't.

 

I wouldn't ask for special treatment of any kind even if I did become a Citizen here. Even though I am on Crutches and am disabled, I do not like it when people make a fuss and push me to the front of a queue or whatever. I know many are just being polite, but I did not expect preferential treatment back home, nor do I expect it here.

 

Think about it from their perspective Brian; if you did not have your disability, would you sit on a bus and allow an elderly person or a person on crutches to stand? I know enough about you to know you would not. And the same for such people standing in a queue. I would feel bad inside if I allowed these things and so I am doing it as much for my own self-respect as for their needs.