Open Thread: Miss Manners?
Last time I was on a plane, I was settled in my customary seat on the aisle, and exchanged brief greetings with my seatmate in the middle seat. Flying is enough of a cattle car as it is; it’s only courtesy to acknowledge there is a person right next to you.
This young creep had the attitude that I was some sort of underling but not an actual human being.
I looked up at the crowd in the aisle looking for their seats, and I caught the eye of a youngish man in a baseball cap. Apparently he had the seat in my row near the window. I had to infer this because he only gave me a look and a nod at his seat.
No “Hi there, that’s my seat there.” No “Could you move for a minute?” I did not even rate the courtesy of a single word. This young creep had the attitude that I was some sort of underling but not an actual human being. I got up…slowly…and as he passed by I said, “Next time, use your words.”
Sadly, my comment probably went over his head and he spent the rest of the flight engrossed in something on his phone.
Don’t get me started about thank you notes!
I still fume when I think about it. Have we reached the Point of No Return in terms of manners? I’m not expecting protocols like we’re at the Court of St. James. But how about some simple, common courtesy – an acknowledgment that there are other humans who also count, even if it’s just a word?
And don’t get me started about thank you notes!
Your Turn
But that’s me. What about you? What was your bad manners ‘hot button’ event, trend or moment? Let us know in the comments!
Photo by Alexander Schimmeck on Unsplash
Virge Randall is Senior Planet’s Managing Editor. She is also a freelance culture reporter who seeks out hidden gems and unsung (or undersung) treasures for Straus Newspapers; her blog “Don’t Get Me Started” puts a quirky new spin on Old School New York City. Send Open Thread suggestions to editor@seniorplanet.org.
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