Granted I don't look like a nice guy. I do everything I can to avoid that "guy next door" look. I shave my head and have a goatee that is around 4 inches long and I'm working on the whole fu-manchu thing. My normal look is a sneer that shows off the teeth I had knocked out playing hockey. So I'm guessing that people view me as threatening. It also doesn't help that I drive a truck and listen to some extremely hard music (I guess one could call it offensive music as well, though it is NOT rap music or ghetto or hip-hop whatever they call it these days.) So with that being said here's the story:
I go to the post office the other day. The parking lot is a "one-way" design to allow for mail drop off traffic. I drive a truck so I don't bother with the crowded part of the parking lot, I go to pull into the "overflow" lot where there's more room and I can back into a space without the fear of a Mini-Cooper being crushed under my rear wheels. I get cut off by a 4 door sedan that pulls in front of me. Oh well. My horn doesn't work so I can't honk it. It's a beautiful day so I am just enjoying life. It's not like I'm vying for a parking spot anyways.
I get out of the truck and proceed to the first set of double doors. There's an older lady (maybe mid-60's) coming up behind me so I open the door for her and let her go first. (yeah I was brought up to do that)
No "thank you." No acknowledgement at all. Hmmm.
I open up the second set of doors for her as well. No "Thank you." Again no acknowledgement. I say "You're very welcome, ma'am" as she walks into the post office. She doesn't even blink. Now I'm thinking "What a bitch." But I don't say anything. I just go about my business.
Isn't it proper etiquette for me to open the door? Isn't it proper when someone does something for you to at least acknowledge them?
When someone allows me in front of them in traffic I give them a "wave" of thanks. Always. I let people in front of me in traffic and the "wave" percentage is about 50%. Ridiculous I think. I realize that in this DC/Metro area everyone thinks that they are more important than they really are. But people, if you died tomorrow the world would keep turning. People would still be angry and have bad attitudes in traffic. We are all in this together.
Keep that in mind when someone holds the door for you.
1 comment:
The horn doesn't work cuz I'm lazy. But besides that I think that the horn is overused in our traffic society. Most people can't hear it anyway because they've sealed themselves off in this soundproff container on wheels. They isolate themselves behind the air conditioning and the audio barrier of radio/CD stereo bliss.
I'd rather wave when I'm thankful and mutter something regretful when I'm angry. And then go about my business.
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