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Politness and Courtesy

I have mentioned I drive a school bus. Students are 4th through 6th grade. About 10% thank me when getting off the bus both mornings and evenings. This may be a reflection of my greeting each of them with a good morning, good night or just a hello as they enter or exit the bus. I think it also reflects on the parents teaching their children to be polite. As a child I was always taught to say please and thank you to everyone and still do. I also greet people in public with a good morning, good afternoon, or good day. This includes store workers, servers, and anyone whom I may have an in person contact. I think being polite, especially these days, is very important. I think it makes people feel good, even if it is just yourself. How about you?

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Mark013 7 Apr 30
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37 comments (26 - 37)

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4

I am sometimes mistaken for impolite when I fail to make or return a verbal greeting or eye contact.

Social anxiety is a thing, people. Eye contact and speaking can be very difficult and uncomfortable for some. There are some days I'd much rather be mistakenly interpreted as rude than look someone in the eye.

2

I’m polite to everyone. But I do not tolerate intolerance. And if you decide to crack back on me, be prepared for my response. I may be polite, but I am no doormat

2

I am polite, my Mom did her homework well

2

The only way to be!

ebdb Level 7 Apr 30, 2018
2

I try to be polite to everyone.

2

I am generally polite, but not to religious zealots (missionary types), pushy sales people or phone solicitors.

If a person disrupts my life uninvited, they do not deserve politeness, because they themselves are rudely disrupting my life.

Good point.

2

I try very hard to use the golden rule. I do hang up on recorded robo calls but if I were a recording, I would hope all sane people would do the same.

I'm always polite to robots. People, meh.

2

Good manors and politeness are the oil that lubricates society. You can never tell where it will turn up. I still recall a red letter day for me when I signed off welfare and started my own business. On the way I got some petrol. After paying, on my way out. I held the door open for a middle aged, middle class lady. No response, so I waited till she got to the till before saying in a loud voice "YOUR WELCOME." Not 10 minutes later and the same scene at the dole. This time it was an uncouth looking youth. The thank you`s that he gave me was heartwarming and sincere. Goes to show you.

0

I find it strange when I greet people politely and they respond negatively - I wonder what they heard about me - there are a few people in my housing scheme that I have given up talking to because they are pretty ignorant and it doesn't cost me a thought - 26 people are a lot to try to get on with and if they don't like me I don't want to be around them either.

0

The first time I heard passengers thank a bus driver was in Australia. Now I do it and my younger daughter, now 28, always says it with a smile, even when she is not necessarily in a good mood. It a bit of a social lubricant.
One day we took the suburban train together and after exiting I started running towards the head of the train. "Daddy, where are you heading?" "I just want to say Thank you to the train driver."
Do you realise that these guys never get a word of thanks?

Before settling in Australia I lived in a could of other countries. After over 30 years in this vast open air slammer I still think Australia, perhaps just Queenland, is generally very rude. Even the politeness and courtesy is just a very thin cheap veneer. I worked as a teacher here and realised how there is no fertile ground for these qualities to take root. I often blame it on the rough sports and the macho attitude that is catered for in all the beer ads, though I really like some of them.
For many years I had the habit of turning off the engine of my car when I knew I had to spend more than a few seconds at a traffic light especially near restaurants. One day I was sitting at a red light on a popular dining strip. I knew the sequence I that I had to sit there for 90 seconds. I turned off the engine and dimmed the lights. Some guy walking past said: "Mate, your lights are off." "Thank you. I know. I turned off the engine.." His reply: "What a fucking wanker." This not really such an exceptional reaction. I wonder whether this person is now calling all the drivers of cars whose engine turn off automatically fucking wankers.
Schools do nothing to promote the old fashioned virtues. I found it an uphill struggle to convey some other ideas to my daughters. They turned out to very polite which unfortunately is often perceived as a weakness by bullies.

1

Perhaps you should add another option: "I am polite when warranted"
I am vegetating in caravan park, small community, I started greeting when I came with about about 2 metres (metre is a civilised measurement equivalent to about 3 feet plus sales tax) but when there was no reply after several attempts I stopped. I find it extremely weird especially in an enclosed space when someone passes at less than 05 of a metre (metre is a civilised measurement equivalent to about 3 feet plus sales tax) and the persons walks past without acknowledging my presents.

1

As someone that’s an introvert and has social anxiety I’m usually caught off guard when people do speak to me. All I can manage is a smile and a nod or a very quiet hi. I just want to get to where I’m going and back home with the least interaction as possible. That’s as polite as I can be. I will say though that if someone says something to my lo(little one) I always have them say someone back. But my lo is also an extrovert and craves human interaction.

I didn’t vote on the poll because I’m not sure that your version of politeness fits me.

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