I have come to a conclusion.
As I drive down the road, I see a great many people on the phone. I see people weaving in and out of traffic without a turn signal.
I walk through the grocery store and people stop and leave their carts in the middle of the isle. They let their kids run around.
Now, hold the door for them, speak with them, say please, and you will get a courteous response.
What is the problem here? Courtesy, in todays world, is primarily found in person. When there is no one to face, no one to see, courtesy is gone. When driving, I call it the fighter pilot syndrome.
This is when the fighter pilot is in a dogfight, he is shooting down the other plane. He generally does not see the person. In WW2 Pilots often mentioned how it was not as much a person as an enemy of target but they tell of the occasion when they saw the youth in the other plane and receognized a human.
This is what people in cars have. The other people on the road are just other cars. Since it is a car, why should people care? They do not think of their car as a weapon. Until someone is killed.
I hear people all the time talk about how sad it is that someone was killed or injured or nearly so because of someone on the phone while driving, then they go out and drive and talk.
Believe it or not people, you are not the onlyones in the world. If you want to take your time, or need a moment to think about what to buy, move out of the way. The world is moving past you. Let them go by. Move your cart to the side.
Show courtesy to other people. It is not just in person or to your friends. Control your kids, people do not want to be concerned or bothered by them. Get off the phone when you drive. Use a turn signal. Show respect and courtesy.
