People Piss Me Off, or Have Manners Gone by the Wayside?

It has been said that chivalry is dead. I think manners are too. Being polite just doesn't seem cool anymore. I notice it more and more in public. At restaurants. In grocery stores. At doctor's offices. In department stores.

I see it mostly in the grocery store. Dueling carts. I'm going one way down the aisle, the other person is coming down the aisle from the opposite direction. It's like a game of chicken. No one wants to say the dreaded phrase, excuse me  or pardon me.  What the fuck? Don't look at me like I have three heads when I say it to you! Say excuse me too, you're excused, that's okay, or go ahead and get over it. I say it. I say it all the time. If I don't, it's a stare-down. People are anti-social freaks. They're afraid to talk to each other. And they lack manners.

It's especially funny when it's the whole family in the store. The wife is pushing the cart with Kid C sitting in the toddler seat. I'm trailing behind with Kid A and B. All of a sudden, we spot them: two people walking towards us pushing carts. They can barely fit down the aisle to pass each other. Then there is a stack of merchandise sitting on the floor by the shelves. And us. So the question is, Who's going to say excuse me first? The wife and I play a game in the store, seeing if anyone will actually say it. I'm going to venture a guess and say that 95% of people don't say a damn thing. Especially not excuse me. Even when they practically run into you because they're talking on the phone or not paying attention when they round a corner.

Then you have the people at restaurants. I have worked in restaurants as a waiter. I have worked in retail behind a counter, serving people. Politeness and manners go a long way in the service industry. If you gave me your order, chances are, I am going to give you what you want. I always tried to give good service with a smile and a thank you, because it makes it so much easier for both of us.

Maybe I'm old fashioned, or I spent too much time in the business. But when I go out to eat, I say please and thank you. I say it when I order. I say thank you when I receive my food. I say please when I ask for a refill on my drink. Maybe there's something wrong with me. Maybe it's my OCD.

Shit people. These things are drilled into our heads when we're kids. Do we forget them? Has society failed to recognize the good in being polite and practicing good manners? Nobody gives a shit any more. Excpet my wife and I. I'll be damned to raise kids that don't say please, thank you, and excuse me!