• About Us
  • Readers Write
  • Our People
Carthage Magazine
  • Home
  • News
  • Food & Drinks
    • Taste Tunisia
  • People
    • Interviews
    • No Sugarcoating
    • Environment
  • Style & Travel
    • Attractions
    • Trip Planning
      • Travel Information
      • Hotels in Tunisia
      • Cost of Living
      • Tunisia’s Language
      • Tunisia’s Weather
      • Tunisia’s Currency
      • Tunisia’s Visa
    • Transport in Tunisia
      • Traveling Around
      • Local Transport
      • Flights to Tunisia
      • Ferries to Tunisia
      • Tunisia Overland
    • Things to Do
      • Leisure
  • Local History
    • Museums
    • Monuments
    • Heritage Sites
    • Historical Figures
  • Education
  • Tech & Startups
  • Editors’ Picks
Editors' PicksNo SugarcoatingPeople

5 Things Tunisians Will Never Say Sorry For4 min read

By Contributing Editor April 26, 2023
Written by Contributing Editor April 26, 2023
5 Things Tunisians Will Never Say Sorry For

Being late, setting you up with a friend and asking how much you earn are surely nothing worth apologizing for.

We take a lighthearted look at a few things that certainly won’t be among the apologies any Tunisians – us included, of course – will ever be making. Because really, what is wrong with setting you up with a friend?

Yes, for Tunisians, there are some items they have no intention of apologizing for!

Things Tunisians Will Never Say Sorry For

Cutting Queue & Pushing in Line

Pushing in line is a phenomenon that no doubt already hits any foreign visitors upon touching down at Tunis–Carthage Airport is the absolute Tunisian inability to stand in line like the rest of humanity.

Episode 1 Waiting In Line GIF by The Simpsons - Find & Share on GIPHY

While leaving said visitors confused as to where the line begins and ends, us locals know exactly who’s where and the best spot in which to sneak further up the line.

For us Tunisians, it’s also usually quickly looked over – because hand on heart, who here hasn’t done something similar just the day before?

Driving Like a Maniac 

As anyone who’s survived a short trip to the grocery store can tell you. Crazy speeding, zero common courtesy and a deadly habit of running red lights are all the hallmarks of Tunisia’s roads.

Driving Homer Simpson GIF - Find & Share on GIPHY

Suggested Read: Driving in Tunisia: 10 Tunisian Road Habits to Watch Out For

The thing is, Tunisians are only too aware of the risky behavior going on here. But it’s never them. No, it’s always the other crazy drivers.

Setting You Up with a Friend

Pretty much like in most Mediterranean countries, family is very important in Tunisia. So important, that the fact that some people have yet to establish their own is enough to drive others insane.

Awkward Dating GIF - Find & Share on GIPHY

As any single Tunisian can tell you, it’s a full-time job warding off matchmakers.

Everyone has a friend, a cousin, a neighbor, they can’t stand – who would be absolutely a perfect match for you.

Asking How Much You Earn

Considered absolutely unpleasant and perhaps taboo everywhere else in the world, discussing how much you and others earn is pretty much a national pastime in Tunisia.

Happy Music Video GIF by DJ Mustard - Find & Share on GIPHY

And we’re not talking discreet conversations among family and close friends – even relative strangers won’t sometimes be shy from asking you what’s your salary and how much you earn and save, each month.

Being Late

You have arranged a gathering with your Tunisian friends at 8PM? Well, don’t expect to find them in place until at least quarter to nine, or to apologize for leaving you waiting.

Hurry Up Reaction GIF - Find & Share on GIPHY

It’s apparently an unwritten rule never to arrive anywhere on time, and in fact arriving right on time, or, God forbid, early, is considered rude.

To be honest with you, this doesn’t only apply to Tunisia, it’s actually a Mediterranean way of living.

Suggested Read: 5 Things are Normal for Tunisians but Weird for Foreign People


*The opinions and ideas expressed in this article do not reflect the views of Carthage Magazine’s editorial team. To submit an opinion article, please email info@carthagemagazine.com. Learn more.


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
0 comment
6
FacebookTwitterEmail
Contributing Editor

Contributing Editor account at Carthage Magazine. Tunisia's premier English general-interest Magazine with thousands of page-views per month and over 200,000 social media followers.

previous post
Tunisia Coast Guard Returns 372 Migrants Intercepted Off Sfax Coast
next post
As of April, Tunisia’s Tourism Revenues Soars 60.3%

Related Articles

Tunisia Celebrates International Labor Day on May 1st

May 1, 2025

Former Tunisia President Fouad Mebazaa Dies at 91

April 23, 2025

April 9th, Tunisian Martyrs’ Day 🇹🇳

April 2, 2025

Tunisian Mloukhiya, Your Grandma’s Favorite Dish (& Likely...

April 2, 2025

Tunisia’s Favorite Pastry: Kaak Warka — A Taste...

March 26, 2025

The Best Authentic Tunisian Rice Dish — “Rouz...

March 26, 2025

10 Very Tunisian Proverbs to Live By

March 19, 2025

How to Stick to a Healthy Iftar Table...

March 9, 2025

Guide to Spending a Tunisian-Spirited Ramadan Alone Abroad

February 24, 2025

9 Things to Know about Ramadan in Tunisia

February 24, 2025

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

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

Flavors of Tunisia

Taste-Tunisia-Tunisian-Cuisine-3

Want more top stories?

Carthage Magazine Newsletter

Sign up today and you’ll get our latest stories delivered straight to your inbox.

Just For You

  • 1

    The Tunisia Land Aid Convoy Reaches Libya, Thousands Join

    June 10, 2025
  • 2

    Alcohol in Tunisia: What Visitors Need to Know

    August 2, 2021
  • 3

    Fruits From Tunisia: 15 Tunisian Fruits to Eat When Traveling

    August 20, 2023
  • 4

    Tunisia Land Convoy Heads to Gaza in Effort to Break the Siege

    June 9, 2025
  • 5

    Top 3 Largest Colosseums Around the World

    October 4, 2024

Latest

  • Egypt Refuses Entry to Tunisian Convoy Participants Heading to Gaza

  • Tunisian Diaspora Transfers Exceed $1 Billion by End of May 2025

  • The Tunisia Land Aid Convoy Reaches Libya, Thousands Join

  • Tunisia Land Convoy Heads to Gaza in Effort to Break the Siege

Sections

  • Editors' Picks
  • Education
  • Environment
  • Food & Drinks
  • Local History
  • News
  • No Sugarcoating
  • People
  • Quizzes
  • Style & Travel
  • Tech & Startups
  • Things to Do
  • Videos

Eá™­á‘­á’ªOá–‡E

Carthage Magazine

We’re on a mission to create content that inspires people about experiences, places, products and people in Tunisia!

 

— About Us

— Adverstising

— Transparency

— Contact Us

Facebook Twitter Instagram Linkedin Youtube

ᗯᗩᑎT ᗰOᖇE TOᑭ ᔕTOᖇIEᔕ?

Carthage Magazine Newsletter

Sign up today and you’ll get our latest stories delivered straight to your inbox.

ᔕᑭᖇEᗩᗪ TᕼE ᗯOᖇᗪ

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

EᗪITOᖇᔕ’ ᑭIᑕKᔕ

  • Tunisian Mloukhiya, Your Grandma’s Favorite Dish (& Likely Yours, Too!)

    April 2, 2025
  • Tunisia’s Favorite Pastry: Kaak Warka — A Taste of Heaven

    March 26, 2025
  • The Best Authentic Tunisian Rice Dish — “Rouz Jerbi”

    March 26, 2025

© 2019 - 2025 Carthage Magazine. Privacy Policy

Carthage Magazine
  • Home
  • News
  • Food & Drinks
    • Taste Tunisia
  • People
    • Interviews
    • No Sugarcoating
    • Environment
  • Style & Travel
    • Attractions
    • Trip Planning
      • Travel Information
      • Hotels in Tunisia
      • Cost of Living
      • Tunisia’s Language
      • Tunisia’s Weather
      • Tunisia’s Currency
      • Tunisia’s Visa
    • Transport in Tunisia
      • Traveling Around
      • Local Transport
      • Flights to Tunisia
      • Ferries to Tunisia
      • Tunisia Overland
    • Things to Do
      • Leisure
  • Local History
    • Museums
    • Monuments
    • Heritage Sites
    • Historical Figures
  • Education
  • Tech & Startups
  • Editors’ Picks
Carthage Magazine
  • Home
  • News
  • Food & Drinks
    • Taste Tunisia
  • People
    • Interviews
    • No Sugarcoating
    • Environment
  • Style & Travel
    • Attractions
    • Trip Planning
      • Travel Information
      • Hotels in Tunisia
      • Cost of Living
      • Tunisia’s Language
      • Tunisia’s Weather
      • Tunisia’s Currency
      • Tunisia’s Visa
    • Transport in Tunisia
      • Traveling Around
      • Local Transport
      • Flights to Tunisia
      • Ferries to Tunisia
      • Tunisia Overland
    • Things to Do
      • Leisure
  • Local History
    • Museums
    • Monuments
    • Heritage Sites
    • Historical Figures
  • Education
  • Tech & Startups
  • Editors’ Picks
© 2019 - 2025 Carthage Magazine. Privacy Policy

Read alsox

10 Most Exciting ‘Live Like a Local’...

September 6, 2021

10 Tunisian Podcasts to Listen to Right...

February 19, 2024

20 Photos Showcasing Tunisia’s Diverse Landscapes

December 2, 2020