Comments on: Doesn’t On Get Off First?

By: Kelley Styring

Kelley Styring — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 18:47:07 +0000

I now live near Portland OR, having moved from Dallas more than 4 years ago and I can say there is a dramatic difference. People are belligerently courteous. And, this causes some problems too. Traffic merges super, super early when told by signs. So, entire lanes are empty for miles before the merge, causing backups. Anyone who violates this will NOT be let in at the front for ANY reasons — you are shunned. People will block you with their cars, etc.

Airplane exiting is a clear example too. When going from Portland to Dallas, the plane is full of Oregonians. They exit by row, very orderly, no cutting. If you try to cut, people will block you. Everyone waits for everyone to exit in their turn, even the slowest & inexperienced people digging out plastic bags and putting their shoes on. No one jumps up to open the overhead while taxiing to the gate. When you return to Portland, the plane is full of vacationers. Pure mahem on exiting — jumping up, pushing ahead, etc.

In general, I prefer the courteous way. Though sometimes it’s a little confusing when you visit other cultures in this country.

By: Fee Sepahi

Fee Sepahi — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 14:16:12 +0000

Dear Merrill,
Wow, this is a sensitive issue, as I’m certain we all have our pet peeves about “common courtesy”. The airport bus aside, my largest grievance is traffic jams on roads that are caused by people (s) not reading or paying attention to the large signs and flashing, arrows, beckoning them to move over and yet there is the individual that insists on scooting out from the line of traffic, behind me, to get to the front of the line, making everyone in the interim have to slow down or worse, slam on their brakes to let that individual in. Or the case where a roadway merges into another and the mergers do not allow the car length for that one car to get in…..I believe if each of us provided 8-10 feet of space between each vehicle on any roadway and we abide by the signs, we would have no traffic jams, therefore we would consume less fuel, we would have less pollution, we would get less people killed on roadways……..hope you get the picture!
I would contend that there would be no traffic jams, if common courtesy was ingrained.

By: Lance Hoffman

Lance Hoffman — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 14:02:11 +0000

I think this is a very valid point, Merrill, but the seeming lack of courtesy and common sense that you refer to (and that Janet points to), is a function of a very obvious fact.

Most people that I meet are filled with feeling of self importance. More often that not people seem to be consumed with their own needs, and as such, do not extend the common courtesy that one would think is appropriate for any situation. I don’t know if it’s just a function of being part of the human race, or more of a cultural thing here in the US, but this feeling of “don’t you know who I am” is all around us.

Rather than get resentful, I try and observe these people wherever I am (waiting on a line, getting on or off an elevator or bus, driving, etc.) and remind myself that they are an example of how I DON’T want to be. This way, I am more observant of those times when I might fall into that same trap during random interactions with the people around me of thinking that the fact that I may be in a rush or late for something is justification for being rude or inconsiderate - because it’s not.

By: janet savoie

janet savoie — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 15:06:30 +0000

The scenerio that irritates me the most is when I am getting off the airport parking bus at my stop to retrieve my car. I am carrying luggage and going down the stairs when inevitably someone waiting for the bus will try to push past me. I don’t get it. It’s dangerous and the bus isn’t going anywhere until I am OFF.