Please and Thank You

[findfirefox]

How often do you hear "Sorry" and "Thank You" where you live? (Please note if your in a City, Suburb, Forest, etc.)

I ask this because someone I know from New York City flew over here and we were on the bus and she noticed that most of the people getting off the bus through the back door and almost everyone getting off the through the front door was saying "Thank You" to the bus driver and said that shes never seen that before and found it strange. Thats when I thought about it, and I have always thanked almost everyone who provides me with service including my bus driver (I always, even when I'm late and making a mad dash out the door yell thank you to the driver) I mean everyone, I say thank you to anyone who does pretty much anything for me and no one I know from around here considers it strange in the least.

Also, I bump into people all the time and I always say "Sorry" because I bumped into them and people who normally bump into me always look back and at least make a little face like "Whoops". Again, this is nothing out of the ordinary for me, hell today someone was swinging there key chain thing and it hit me in the side of the head as I walked past and I said sorry to them for throwing off their groove.

Anyway, is this out of the ordinary or is this just how people act? (I assume from what I've heard is that Portland is a bit strange and still polite :tongue

Robert, Portland, OR

 

[IntoxicatingToxin]

I think it depends on where you live. I live in a suburb of Kansas City... I wouldn't say that Kansas Citians are impolite, necessarily, but I'm not exactly in awe of how amazingly nice they are, either... I think I'm just used to it because I've lived here so long. But, my uncle came to visit on a few occasions over the past year, and just marveled at the hospitality he experienced here, how considerate the drivers were, and how much he felt a sense of "community" here... He is from LA. So I guess it's all relative, really.

 

[findfirefox]

I think it depends on where you live. I live in a suburb of Kansas City... I wouldn't say that Kansas Citizans are impolite, necessarily, but I'm not exactly in awe of how amazingly nice they are, either... I think I'm just used to it because I've lived here so long. But, my uncle came to visit on a few occasions over the past year, and just marveled at the hospitality he experienced here, how considerate the drivers were, and how much he felt a sense of "community" here... He is from LA. So I guess it's all relative, really.

Thats a good point, I know that were not the nicest but from what people who visit say we are one of the friendliest places to go, and I'm proud of that.

I love living in little "Little Beirut"

 

[sedated]

Maybe that's depend the place u live... in my case I live in a pretty big city and most the entire population aren't locals mostly people from anothers places of this country and u never see polite behaivor like this in public places like on the bus, etc.... however I'm from another small city here on Baja, in that city everyone says 'good morning'... 'thank you' ... the hospitality is more than this city (tijuana) .. and that's because that city begin like very very small farmers town and grew pretty much in recent years but the feeling of good neiborhood have been prevail in the people who live there. In my case I haven't lost that, I always try to be polite because I grew up on that other city.

 

[Love-it]

I hear it more in my small town than in the big city, Reno or Chico, or even in small cities. I use thank you a lot in my business for many reasons.

I had a new secretary/book-keeper once and at the end of her first day of work I said "Thank You" as she left, she turned around and asked me "What did you say?", she then asked me why I said that, I replied thank you for showing up, doing a good job and just for being happy and efficient, it turns out that she had never been thanked for doing her job before. Sad.

 

[classyron]

I live in Canada for now, and "politeness" is a little over the top in most places. Sometimes it is to the point where you question whether or not they are being sincere. It is funny, when I live in the US and my Canadian politeness comes out people really don't know how to react.

One of my pet peeves, when I lived in VA, was when I said "Thank-you" and people replied with "Uh-huh". For fuck sake, the proper response is "you are welcome". I like the French response to "merci". They say "de rien" which translates to "of nothing", or "it was nothing".

 

[AlteredEgo]

There will always be people everywhere who neglect to teach their children basic manners. I am from NY, and havealways thanked the bus driver if I exit throughthe front. I also give up my seat to preggers and seniors. Unless I'm siting near a child. Then I shame them into getting up.

 

[DC_DEEP]

I live on the outer edge of a bus route here in the metro Washington DC area, and folks on this route don't just generally say "thank you" to the driver, they know his name, and he knows many of his regular riders. When riding on a different route, yes, I thank the driver, as do most of the other riders. I can't figure out why some people think it's unusual, or a bad thing, to be pleasant to others.

I also think it's criminal that all parents don't teach their children basic manners and social skills.

 

[Male Bonding etc]

It's typically harder in larger cities to be polite because the sheer mass of people makes it impossible to say "excuse me" each time one bumps into someone else. Additionally, since we are social animals, we tend to observe what the norm is around us, and sadly, most of us are not courageous enough to stick out by saying "thank you" when no one else seems to be doing it.

However, I feel better being polite. In that small way I believe I am doing perhaps more to make this a "kinder, gentler nation" than the father of the current president did.

 

[B_Jennuine73]

I am Canadian and I find my fellow canucks to be polite. I live in a small city on the border of Detroit, Michigan. When I used to work in the service industry I would hear Americans talking about how nice and polite we are. I think that is a great reputation to have. Beer drinking, pot smoking, nice, polite people LOL.

I don't know if I consider it to be over the top. Being polite and using manners is just the way a person is supposed to act.

I know teaching my daughter to say please and thank you is an ongoing task. I do not let it slide if she forgets to say thank you or please. It is my job to make sure she treats others with respect and use her manners.

 

[DC_DEEP]

Additionally, since we are social animals, we tend to observe what the norm is around us, and sadly, most of us are not courageous enough to stick out by saying "thank you" when no one else seems to be doing it.

However, I feel better being polite. In that small way I believe I am doing perhaps more to make this a "kinder, gentler nation" than the father of the current president did.

Probably true, but I am certainly courageous enough - and don't have much respect for those who aren't.

I don't know if I consider it to be over the top. Being polite and using manners is just the way a person is supposed to act.

I know teaching my daughter to say please and thank you is an ongoing task. I do not let it slide if she forgets to say thank you or please. It is my job to make sure she treats others with respect and use her manners.

**big fat juicy kiss!!!**

 

[fratpack]

It doesn't matter where you live. If you were brought up to respect the rights of others and be polite than you would say please or thank you no matter where you are.

 

[Male Bonding etc]

I had an underlying theme here, DC. Too many men (and plenty of women also) believe courtesy or politeness is somehow a sign of weakness, and thus, they fear being polite and hence, seen as weak. It does sometimes take courage to do something one does not see others doing, but such courage distinguishes us.

 

[DaveyR]

It boils down to basic good manners. Using manners or not says a lot about a person. Thanks for listening :wink:

 

[DC_DEEP]

I had an underlying theme here, DC. Too many men (and plenty of women also) believe courtesy or politeness is somehow a sign of weakness, and thus, they fear being polite and hence, seen as weak. It does sometimes take courage to do something one does not see others doing, but such courage distinguishes us.

Yeah, I got that. And I'm fairly certain that's an accurate assessment of why some people fear having good manners. But again, I think it boils down to how their parents taught them. If, from the time they started learning language, their parents would teach them that good manners are neither a sign of weakness, nor optional, it could only be a good thing.

 

[Male Bonding etc]

I know teaching my daughter to say please and thank you is an ongoing task. I do not let it slide if she forgets to say thank you or please. It is my job to make sure she treats others with respect and use her manners.

Bless you, Jen! This is indeed part of the job of parenting, and too many parents find it too frustrating... if they try at all. What do you tell your daughter (or what will you tell her) when she comes back at you with, "None of my friends have to say, 'Thank you,'" or will that comment simply not come up in Canada?

 

[ManiacalMadMan]

I was raised properly and say yes sir, no sir and yes maam no maam and write thank you notes and say excuse me and sorry and pardon me I hold doors open for both men and women, give up my seat on a train or bus for handicapped and elderly It is just a basic piece of common sense and it is how i want to be treated so I must do the same for others.

 

[vince]

I live in Turkey and people here are very polite in our day to day interactions. Everyone says "good morning, how are you", or "good evening". If you pass by someone working or upon leaving a place of business it's "kolay gelsin"- "may it come easy". There are polite little phrases for almost every interaction.

Also there are small respectful titles added to names depending on the relations between people. For example if a man is older than me, I add the word "abi" to his name- Hasan Abi. If I don't know him I can simply address him as "Abi". (Abi means older brother) For women we say "Abla". For younger people it's "Kardish"

In business there are hierarchies that are observed as well. I call a senior work "Usta" ie "Ali usta". Meaning "master".

It is really a polite and respectful society. UNTIL we get behind the wheel of a car! Then all bets are off! LOL

 

[Osiris]

I live in the posh east suburbs and please and thank you are a common here if you are over 25. The kids, not so much.

I find Washingtonians to be very friendly and courteous. Must be all the rain.

 

[AlteredEgo]

I live in the posh east suburbs and please and thank you are a common here if you are over 25. The kids, not so much.

I find Washingtonians to be very friendly and courteous. Must be all the rain.

Quiet as it's kept, NYC gets more rain than any city in Washington. Doesn't make it any more polite here. If only. LOL