While on our way to Battersea by the school minibus for the weekend retreat/pilgrimage, just as we rounded the last corner to reach the Salesian house, Fr John scraped the rear end of a stationary BMW. After dropping us off at the house, I led the group in and Fr John walked back to the car. He assessed the damage but could not locate the owner. He returned and then wrote out a note of apology with his name and number on the note. I volunteered to go and leave the note on the car. I too assessed the damage and honestly it was hardly a scratch. Not even the paint had scraped off, leave alone anything being broken or dented. If I were the owner, I would not even have noticed it right away. Yet the note of apology was duly placed on the windscreen. Fr John was visibly upset but this whole event.
Back in India where no one holds anyone accountable to anything at all, is the way it is. So I'm not very sure if I'd do this if I were to scrape a stationary car back at home. But I suppose that element of courtesy and honesty is inbuilt in the cultural system of the people here.
Back in India where no one holds anyone accountable to anything at all, is the way it is. So I'm not very sure if I'd do this if I were to scrape a stationary car back at home. But I suppose that element of courtesy and honesty is inbuilt in the cultural system of the people here.
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