Politeness vs. convenience

Fat Burger

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Sep 30, 2004
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Now let me start off by saying that I've always tried to be polite, and not force other people out of the way in the hallway, or hold doors open for somebody, or whatever. I have three older sisters (NO PICS) and it's been drilled into me.

But it seems to me that there's a point at which politeness just becomes an inconvenience for everyone involved. Let me give a scenario, which happened just a few minutes ago.

To get to the break room, you go through a door that doesn't latch (you just push or pull it open), down a hallway, and through another similar door into the break room. Now this first door seems to create a few bottlenecks, because people are morons. Just now I was walking into that hallway (so I would push the door, someone coming the other way would pull it), and the door opens when I'm a few steps away.

She sees me coming towards her, and decides to stand in the doorway and hold the door open. Now, the door is slightly wider than normal, but not by much. So she's standing there, blocking the door and holding it open, as if to ease my entry through the gateway to the next dimension. I look at her in disbelief, wondering if she expects me to crawl through her legs as if we're playing tunnel tag. Then she continues through the door, I walk through and give it a push to keep it open so I can pass, and continue on my way.

Let me point out the stupidities of what just occured.

1. As I am a man, tradition would dictate I would hold the door open for her, not the other way around. As the door opened towards her, this is impossible (without me pushing hour out of the way and going through first so I could hold it for her, which is the sort of absurd politeness that seems to occur sometimes).

2. She's blocking the door, and not moving. Doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what's wrong with that one.

3. The door opens towards her. This means that the door WILL close towards me, and I'll have to give it a push, no matter how long she stands there holding it. Her effort is completely futile.


Let me give you another scenario, which has happened numerous times. I'm pushing a cart with a couple of computer monitors on it, and go through an intersection of two hallways. Now there's no way I can easily see if there's anyone coming, but it's not too busy, so I Proceed With Caution™. When I can see (meaning that between myself and the cart, I'm more than halfway across the intersecting hallway), I notice that there's someone coming the other way, who stopped to let me pass.

Now, politeness would dictate that I stop and apologize, and let them pass. But if I keep going, and apologize on the way by, then we'll both get where we want to go quicker. It's the people that stop in the middle of the hallway, or back up to let the others by that piss me off.

Is anyone else sick of being inconvenienced by "politeness"? :rolleyes:
 
That was a lot of typing for such a mediocre thread topic.
 
I hate the loss of respect so many people seem to feel towards their fellow man.
 
Fat Burger said:
It did end up rather long, didn't it :eek:

Maybe it's just because I work with Christians, but this kind of thing happens all the time, and it pisses me off.

Its not your fault. It quite possible is a good idea, but I guess I don't run into situations such as this enough to be bothered. I am more irked by the assholes.
 
It sucks when you're the nice guy who opens the door, but by doing so, you unleash the gates of hell and EVERYONE decides to use the door you're holding open instead of the 10 other doors that they were closer to but decided to make a b-line to your door simply because you're holding it open for a friend of yours being the curteous person that you are only to see one person follow your friend which is ok, it's just one person, but then another ...and another ...and another and suddenly someone slips a dollar in your front pocket thinking your the door-boy and asks for directions to a certain place which you happen to actually know the way to and suddenly you've become the door-boy/informational booth and then someone thinks you're one of the janitors too and tells you that their child just threw up on the statue after they ate a 12" coney hot dog with a chocolate shake and the whole time you're thinking "I hope my breath doesn't smell too bad".
 
Fat Burger said:
It did end up rather long, didn't it :eek:

Maybe it's just because I work with Christians, but this kind of thing happens all the time, and it pisses me off.

:lol: I don't know if being Christian has anything to do with it. 99% of the time I get cut off in traffic it was by a car with a fishy sticker on it. I always wanna get out and yell at them, "WWJD?!? I bet he wouldn't be cutting me off like you bitch!" :mad:

People just don't seem to be polite about things anymore. Everyone is so wrapped up in themselves they don't take the time to be considerate anymore. Especially when they are behind the wheel!
 
Pandora said:
:lol: I don't know if being Christian has anything to do with it. 99% of the time I get cut off in traffic it was by a car with a fishy on the back of it. I always wanna get out and yell at them, "WWJD?!? I bet he wouldn't be cutting me off like you bitch!" :mad:

People just don't seem to be polite about things anymore. Everyone is so wrapped up in themselves they don't take the time to be considerate anymore. Especially when they are behind the wheel!

:lol:

Agreed. I think politeness and respect for others are two things that many people just seem to not have today. Be mindful of those around you, don't be selfish, and the world would be a better place.