X-Pats are no longer Seniors.

As a disabled foreigner, I do no expect special treatment and will wait my turn in line with my brother-in-law helper. I do appreciate when a PWD parking spot is available. Lately, there are some foreigners claiming those parking spots by telling the Robinson's guard they are senior citizens or disabled and walking away. I know them but don't say anything....

 

Good point as I have stood up and allowed an elderly person to sit in my seat before, and all around me able bodied people looked away, but that is just how it is. But I do understand where you are coming from.

But one example;
We use to attend a local Church here, I like to sit in the back row, always have done, but at this particular Church, the elders in charge would rush forwards and relocate worshipers (locals) sitting right in the front row, and then usher my wife and I to sit in their place telling us the seats were better for me to sit on. I asked the Pastor several times not to do that anymore, but it happened each time we went there, in the end I would go sit in the back row regardless of the scowling looks I got from the helpers beckoning us forwards. I felt very uncomfortable with that so in the end I stopped attending after hearing a few stories about preferential treatment and miffed parishioners.

Same thing when someone calls me "Sir". If it is a friend or a friend of a friend, I always tell them to call me Brian, not Sir as I am not a Teacher, Police Officer or figure of Authority. In a Business I let it slide as they are instructed to do so when serving Customers, but I do find it uncomfortable when I am called Sir.

Sorry to all you guys who are Seniors and/or Disabled. Please; I am not having a go at you at all, just my stubbornness and refusal to let go of my own independence. I am a stubborn @ss who should be in a wheel chair by now but would rather crawl then do that. I am sure you understand that, so to those who feel they are due the respect of being a Senior or Disabled person, I do not begrudge you.

 

I am 67 (fortunately women think I look 45 ) but I will not queue in 'Seniors' Lanes' and I give up my seat in the bus even when many young, fit and able locals do not ... but again, that is about my self respect (the same way I put my litter in a bin while they throw their's on the ground). I am well aware of the deference people here feel to foreigners but it is not deserved. My own country raped and pillaged the world and that is nothing to be proud of. I address security guards and many other people as "Sir" to try to redress the balance. I have more respect for the elderly lady trying to sell enough peanuts to feed her children than for the smart *rse banker making millions by playing games with other people's cash. So people like us Brian (including many others here), just want to be seen as ordinary people - not as better than the locals but, in my case, I do not want to be treated like a sub-class 'alien' either.

 

I really do not think 'we' will be fully accepted here mate no matter what, I have my 13a but feel it is pointless to go the next step and gain citizenship as I feel many would probably feel insulted if I was able to call myself 'Filipino' just as my old Dutch Boss back in Oz was so proud to have a Certificate proclaiming he was an 'Australian' where I had nothing of the sort.

I come from poor as a Rat stock so feel I could never sit back with a silver spoon in my mouth holding up my pinkie even if I did win the big one! It wouldn't make my sh*t smell like roses!

As for 67 going on 45; refer to my Post in the Celebrity Look-alikes thread regards my Wife's impression of me, I think we just chose the right place to put up our feet! lol

 

Funnily enough at the age of 60 when I was telling everyone who mattered that I was 50, it was my future Filipino wife who thought I looked old for my 'age' .... but the others (long story) thought I looked younger!

 

I was treated as a senior citizen today at Lee Hypermart. A courteous young man took my cart from me and escorted me to the appropriate line (1) and offered me a stool to sit on and rest my aged bones. It might have been because I was wearing a tee-shirt that said "I am not American" or it might have been because I am obviously older than 65.

 

I NEED to get one of those Shirts Lorraine! lol
(I use to correct people here who called me Americano and tell them I was Australiano NOT Americano, until I was informed that ALL Foreigners here are "Americano" Oops!!)

Those lil seats scare me on shiny tiled floors! I have been offered a seat many a time but being a FAT Basturd I err on the side of safety! hehe

 

I will be getting me a couple of those t's. Before retiring here I lived in Alaska for 35 years. Most of the time when I'm ask if I'm an American or where I'm from I tell them I'm from Alaska. This situation reminds me of when Alaska first became a state it was denied federal highway funds even though they paid a heavy federal highway tax. Federal said that those federal highway funds were for interstate highway construction and maintenance. Alaska was and is not connected to any other state so therefore they were not qualified for the "federal highway interstate funds"
As for the discount I do not need it or even want it. As for the teenagers in line ahead of my in a priority line, I just comment to then as to how well they hold their young looks because they do not look a day over 20. Most of then did not understand what I just said to them. There has been a time right here in BPI when I sat on the floor because my bun knees and swollen legs would not hold me up any longer. Besides are those lines "priority line"? or are they "senior lines"? I have been here for 7 + years and NEVER had any problem of this nature. Do I want to live any where else? Hell no.

 

My husband had the t-shirt embossed for me at the t-shirt kiosk downstairs at Robinson's mall.

 

Had a similar experience, I told the representative that they obviously did not need my business and walked out. All other establishments that offer senior citizen lines have always accepted me. They changed the law several years ago that did not allow expats to avail of the discount card, they now will. I have not used it because I don't need the discount, but I still like using the lines for shopping and other services. I too no longer avail of Mercury, they seem they are too big and have gotten away from customer service. I speak with my wallet.