Si fueris Romae, Romano vivito more; si fueris alibi, vivito sicut ibi - 'When you are in Rome live in the Roman style; when you are elsewhere live as they live elsewhere'.When St. Augustine arrived in Milan, he observed that the Church did not fast on Saturday as did the Church at Rome. He consulted St. Ambrose, bishop of Milan, who replied: "When I am at Rome, I fast on a Saturday; when I am at Milan, I do not. Follow the custom of the Church where you are." The comment was changed to "When they are at Rome, they do there as they see done" by Robert Burton in his Anatomy of Melancholy. Eventually it became "When in Rome, do as the Romans do." (Source: Trivia-Library.com)
The phrase is known also in the US: One can find it the "Random House Dictionary of Popular Proverbs and Sayings" by Gregory Y. Titelman (Random House, New York, 1996).
In Iraq the Americans have found it best to follow their own code of conduct, different from the traditional values of the western world.
We do not know if the American soldiers have instructions not to stop their vehicles under any circumstances, and whether such instructions would be communicated to the Iraqi people. We only know the impression and message that is sent by their behavior.
Impressions can also be deceiving: judging by the continuous use of the horn, the vehicle might be on an emergency assignment, when choosing of lanes has to be more free. - But still: would an emergency vehicle keep ramming other vehicles?
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