• About Us
  • Readers Write
Carthage Magazine
The Authentic Tunisian Cookbook — sixty traditional recipes from the heart of North Africa. $9.99 Get the cookbook→
  • Home
  • Food
  • Culture
  • Travel
  • News
  • Editors’ Picks
  • Shop
CultureEditors' Picks

5 Things are Normal for Tunisians but Weird for Foreign People2 min read

By Editorial Staff July 15, 2019
Written by Editorial Staff July 15, 2019
Normal things for Tunisians

Bureaucracy is a Lifestyle

It takes a month or two, sometimes more to have your Passport ready or renewed. Everybody knows that the Tunisian bureaucracy crushes productivity, wastes time and costs an enormous amount of money. No politician is ever punished for not changing it.

Mosquito Trucks

Once, twice, maybe even three times a week, especially in summer, a truck will drive by neighborhood that distributes an anti-mosquito spray in a gaseous form.

Suggested Read: 5 Things Tunisians Will Never Say Sorry For

Driving & Parking

Even when there are dozens of free parallel spaces, Tunisians will park diagonally on narrow streets. Then, of course, even with all of these free spaces, someone will park on the opposite side, with their blinkers on, for half an hour, in the exact spot where the other car has parked diagonally blocking the driving lane. Or, two people will stop in the middle of the road and talk to each other.

Complaining

Tunisians love to complain about just anything, but rarely act for change.

Peeing in Public Places

Guys feel it’s Ok to pee in public places if it’s an emergency. Apparently, bladder control is a problem. Public toilets are not readily available and traffic forces you to pee in the streets.


If you would like to comment on this article or anything else you have seen on Carthage Magazine, leave a comment below or head over to our Facebook page. You may also message us via this page.

And if you liked this article, sign up for the monthly features newsletter. A handpicked selection of stories from Carthage Magazine, delivered to your inbox.


Support Carthage Magazine
1 comment
3
FacebookTwitterEmail
Editorial Staff

Editorial staff account at Carthage Magazine, Tunisia's premier English lifestyle magazine with thousands of page-views per month and over 200,000 social media followers.

previous post
Top 20 Social Skills Every Tunisian Student Should Know
next post
1846, Slavery Abolished in Tunisia — Both the first Arab and the First Muslim Country to Do So

Related Articles

El Ghriba Synagogue, Djerba: Africa’s Oldest Synagogue

May 16, 2026

The Island of Djerba: Tunisia’s UNESCO World Heritage...

May 16, 2026

The Women Who Shape Memory: Inside Sejnane, Tunisia’s...

May 16, 2026

Djebba and the Bouhouli Fig: Tunisia’s Only AOC...

May 16, 2026

Tunisian Cuisine: The Complete Guide to Food in...

May 16, 2026

Cost of Living in Tunisia: Prices for Travelers,...

May 16, 2026

UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Tunisia

April 28, 2026

Tunisia Emerges as Global Leader in Organic Olive...

March 30, 2026

حق الملح: A Tunisian Tradition of Appreciation and...

March 21, 2026

How to Stick to a Healthy Iftar Table...

February 26, 2026

1 comment

Esra September 10, 2020 - 11:31 pm

I’m Tunisian and peeing in the streets is not normal here .. it’s rather considered crazy
also I think the only Tunisians who see mosquito trunks are the ones who live on the coast or close.. we don’t suffer from mosquitoes in western Tunisia

Reply

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

From the Magazine

The Bookshelf

✦ ✦ ✦
Carthage Magazine
✦ ✦ ✦
The Authentic
Tunisian Cookbook
60 traditional recipes from the heart of North Africa
✦ ✦ ✦
Rahma Rekik & Amira Ben Harcha
N° 01 · Cookbook

The Authentic Tunisian Cookbook

Sixty recipes, ten chapters — the cuisine the world hasn't tasted yet.

$9.99 PDF · EPUB
Get it →
✦ ✦
Carthage Magazine
— ◆ —
Speak Like
a Local
Tunisian Arabic for travelers — with native audio
— ◆ —
Saber Ben Hassen
N° 02 · Phrasebook

Speak Like a Local

200+ phrases. 13 chapters. Audio recorded in Tunis.

$14.99 PDF · EPUB · MP3
Get it →

If language opens the door, food sits you at the table.

Explore the bookshelf →

Just For You

  • 1

    Tunisia Publishes Salary and Pension Increase Decrees

    May 1, 2026
  • 2

    Alcohol in Tunisia: What Visitors Need to Know

    May 6, 2026
  • 3

    Map of Genetic Admixture of Individuals from Different Tunisian Cities

    September 24, 2024
  • 4

    Fruits From Tunisia: 15 Tunisian Fruits to Eat When Traveling

    August 20, 2023
  • 5

    Tunisia’s Official 26-Man Squad for the 2026 World Cup

    May 15, 2026

Explore

Carthage Magazine

Independent journalism from Tunis. We tell Tunisia’s story — its culture, economy, and civil society — to the English-speaking world.

 

— About Us

— Media Kit

— Advertising

— Editorial Standards

— Transparency

— Contact Us

Facebook Twitter Instagram Linkedin Youtube

Newsletter

Spread the word

Spread the word

Our goal is to get these stories out in the public arena, and by doing this, keep promoting Tunisia and changing attitudes towards the MENA region.

 

— Ambassadors

— Readers Write

— What You Can Do to Help

Editor’s Picks

  • El Ghriba Synagogue, Djerba: Africa’s Oldest Synagogue

    May 16, 2026
  • The Island of Djerba: Tunisia’s UNESCO World Heritage Island

    May 16, 2026
  • The Women Who Shape Memory: Inside Sejnane, Tunisia’s 3,000-Year-Old Pottery

    May 16, 2026

Published in Tunis © 2019 - 2026 Carthage Magazine. Privacy | Terms | Refunds | RSS Feed

Carthage Magazine
  • Home
  • Food
  • Culture
  • Travel
  • News
  • Editors’ Picks
  • Shop
Carthage Magazine
  • Home
  • Food
  • Culture
  • Travel
  • News
  • Editors’ Picks
  • Shop

Published in Tunis © 2019 - 2026 Carthage Magazine. Privacy | Terms | Refunds | RSS Feed

Read alsox

Tunisian Olive Oil Makes Its Way to...

December 26, 2024

Tunisia’s “Challenge ONE” First Homebuilt Satellite Launched...

February 2, 2021

15 Tunisian Lifestyle & Fashion Influencers You...

June 14, 2020