Yes, courtesy - not curtsey. I'm not demanding that every little oik who passes me in the street should bow or curtsey before me (although that would be quite nice), but a simple 'Excuse me' or 'Sorry' as they shove past me wouldn't go amiss. People these days seem to have forgotten that saying 'please', 'thank you' or 'excuse me' doesn't cost anything except a couple of seconds of your time.
Gone are the days of politeness and consideration for others. These days you see women struggling to board a bus with half a dozen bags of groceries and a pushchair because most conductors wouldn't dream of saying 'Let me give you a hand with those' - has society really reached a point where the majority are so uncaring that kind deeds are no longer the norm and more of an aberration? People say that 'kids today have no manners' but it's not a problem that's confined to younger generations, mature adults seem to have equal problems in remembering that a simple 'thank you' can make people smile, and that saying 'excuse me' is far more effective than simply barging people out of the way.
Is there a solution to this wholesale rudeness? I honestly can't say. Leading by example and being a paragon of good manners probably won't get you very far, but at least it will make a few people smile and remember that not everyone is ignorant of social etiquette.
Failing that, carry a cattle prod and use it to good effect...
01/03/2004 ©
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