DKSuddeth
Senior Member
A former boss of mine was fond of saying, "Common sense and common courtesy isn't so common." Regardless of the bad grammar, he had a point. It certainly stuck with me because that was about the only thing suitable for public consumption to come out of his mouth.
Evidence of common sense having swirled down the toilet drain can be found on the side of most any lawnmower. Certainly you've noticed the warning sticker cautioning people that it's not really such a good idea to reach under a running mower to lift it out from a tight spot.
I can only imagine the Mensa member who first tried that approach to extract a lawnmower -- blade spinning at whatever revolutions per minute -- from between a tree and a fence. He probably picked up the new nickname "Fingers" after that.
Worse yet, he probably picked up a ton of cash after winning a lawsuit against the lawnmower manufacturer. How else can you explain those warning stickers?
But as stupid as some people are, even the reigning world champion moron can exhibit courtesy.
The Defibrillator, Stat!
Courtesy is a dying art, and the prognosis doesn't look so hot. I don't know if it's because we rush around at such a speed we forget to acknowledge the little niceties extended to us during the course of a typical day or if those niceties have all but gone the way of the dodo.
Regardless of the reason, we've become a nation of grumps. When my wife and I registered for our marriage license at the justice of the peace office, I had an encounter with an older gentleman, check that, a crotchety old jerk, who was having a difficult time reading whatever form it was he was there to complete.
I should have known this rancid-tempered geezer had an attitude problem when his alleged friend left him to his own devices after having seen him to the room and, I suspect, departing to wait in the car for Mr. Sourpuss.
Turns out, Mr. S. was legally blind and couldn't pick out which form he needed. I could tell by his mumbling-obscenities he was looking, if you can call it that, for a document I noticed in the rack.
I selected the sheet of bureaucratic paper, handed it to him and waited for his expression of gratitude. Silly me.
Mr. S. snatched the paper from by hand, spun on his heel and went to find his "friend," probably more likely an indentured servant, to help him fill out said form.
Evidently, Mr. S. not only was legally blind, he was legally rude, too.
No, Please, After You
Traffic -- ah, that delight of our everyday lives -- yields a cornucopia of discourteous behavior. Every car trip, no matter how short, seems rife with jerks aplenty.
When was the last time you received a wave of acknowledgement from a grateful driver for letting him or her into the flow of traffic? Been awhile, huh?
I thought so.
My personal favorite was a time I was cruising the far right lane of a Dallas freeway, nearing my exit, when a car came down the entrance ramp. I slowed a bit to allow the driver to get in front of me and merge smoothly without breaking, or braking (hahaha, snort), his motoring stride.
No wave. No sign of appreciation. Nothing.
So, being the overtly polite individual I am, I waved a small acknowledgement to him. OK, so the wave carried more than a note of sarcasm. It carried an entire symphony.
But he couldn't have known that.
Finally, his hand rose above the level of his front seat. Could it be that this self-involved cretin might genuinely be ready to express his gratitude?
Hardly.
The guy had the unmitigated gall to offer his middle finger in thanks. Um, you're welcome.
What a shining example for generations of manners-miscreants yet to come.
NBC5i
Evidence of common sense having swirled down the toilet drain can be found on the side of most any lawnmower. Certainly you've noticed the warning sticker cautioning people that it's not really such a good idea to reach under a running mower to lift it out from a tight spot.
I can only imagine the Mensa member who first tried that approach to extract a lawnmower -- blade spinning at whatever revolutions per minute -- from between a tree and a fence. He probably picked up the new nickname "Fingers" after that.
Worse yet, he probably picked up a ton of cash after winning a lawsuit against the lawnmower manufacturer. How else can you explain those warning stickers?
But as stupid as some people are, even the reigning world champion moron can exhibit courtesy.
The Defibrillator, Stat!
Courtesy is a dying art, and the prognosis doesn't look so hot. I don't know if it's because we rush around at such a speed we forget to acknowledge the little niceties extended to us during the course of a typical day or if those niceties have all but gone the way of the dodo.
Regardless of the reason, we've become a nation of grumps. When my wife and I registered for our marriage license at the justice of the peace office, I had an encounter with an older gentleman, check that, a crotchety old jerk, who was having a difficult time reading whatever form it was he was there to complete.
I should have known this rancid-tempered geezer had an attitude problem when his alleged friend left him to his own devices after having seen him to the room and, I suspect, departing to wait in the car for Mr. Sourpuss.
Turns out, Mr. S. was legally blind and couldn't pick out which form he needed. I could tell by his mumbling-obscenities he was looking, if you can call it that, for a document I noticed in the rack.
I selected the sheet of bureaucratic paper, handed it to him and waited for his expression of gratitude. Silly me.
Mr. S. snatched the paper from by hand, spun on his heel and went to find his "friend," probably more likely an indentured servant, to help him fill out said form.
Evidently, Mr. S. not only was legally blind, he was legally rude, too.
No, Please, After You
Traffic -- ah, that delight of our everyday lives -- yields a cornucopia of discourteous behavior. Every car trip, no matter how short, seems rife with jerks aplenty.
When was the last time you received a wave of acknowledgement from a grateful driver for letting him or her into the flow of traffic? Been awhile, huh?
I thought so.
My personal favorite was a time I was cruising the far right lane of a Dallas freeway, nearing my exit, when a car came down the entrance ramp. I slowed a bit to allow the driver to get in front of me and merge smoothly without breaking, or braking (hahaha, snort), his motoring stride.
No wave. No sign of appreciation. Nothing.
So, being the overtly polite individual I am, I waved a small acknowledgement to him. OK, so the wave carried more than a note of sarcasm. It carried an entire symphony.
But he couldn't have known that.
Finally, his hand rose above the level of his front seat. Could it be that this self-involved cretin might genuinely be ready to express his gratitude?
Hardly.
The guy had the unmitigated gall to offer his middle finger in thanks. Um, you're welcome.
What a shining example for generations of manners-miscreants yet to come.
NBC5i
