I wonder! I was at the grocery store today and was walking out. It was a crowded aisle and room enough for one person to get through. There was me, with a walking cane, and a woman with her arms full. I stopped and backed into an empty space so she could come through, and I waved her through. Then another man, old enough to know, came walking on through as if he's the only one in the store.
Ok, it is a busy time, shopping and driving around, but remember your courtsey.

Ron

Courtesy - i haz itz.

maybe he thought his seniority trumped her handful of items

Being in a rush seems to be the FIRST big cause of discourtesy. Thinking that YOUR being in a rush makes your needs more significant than others is the next.
But I TRY to be patient, even with those who appear to have forgotten courtesy and concern for others: because I have occasionally THOUGHT I knew what was what in a small situation such as you describe, and only realized later (after I had barged through) that you had NOT scooted sideways to LOOK at something on a shelf, and I WASN'T actually "just getting out of the way quickly."

Unfortunately, people do not repay courtesy with courtesy. Instead, they milk you for all you're worth. I try to be courteous - hold doors open, pick something up when someone else drops it, stand out of the way to let others pass, etc. - but more often than not, for every one grateful person, there are five more right behind ready to make you wait, push you aside, or cut you off. I hate to say it, but I sometimes I forsake courtesy just to avoid being taken advantage of.

The unfortunate truth: discourtesy breeds discourtesy.

This is just not true. Please do not over generalize.

yeah some people will use people who are caring and nice and its a shame

The closer to Christmas we get, the more flared the sphincter becomes!

I can't say for sure, but I would guess that rudeness and discourtesy is more rampant in the northeast than in most parts of the country. Some of the people I know who have traveled a lot seem to think so.

Courtesy can be ambiguous. For example; Age before beauty. You can get caught in an endless loop. Like two oriental saying "Ah so" to each other. Eventually someone is going to have to yield. That could cause traffic jams. That is why we have traffic cops. What might be obvious to one might not be obvious to all. How one is raised would certainly be a factor. Case in point. Once I opened up a door for a lady because that is what my mother instructed me to do. Chivalry had nothing to do with it in Mom's eyes but it did in Dad's eyes and he told me that I should open doors for a lady, too. So I opened the door for this lady who was a feminist. I just stood there looking dumb. She waited till I gave up and left. I looked back and watched her open the door and she smiled at me. I guess she was quite capable of opening up the door for herself.

If I got a fairly loaded cart, more often than not, I let the people behind me with just a few items go on before me.

First off...it is just plain old common courtesy.

Me being me...it has other benefits too. It allows me to check out a cute butt occasionally.

And on one occasion, I let four people go in front of me....the cute lil cashier said "You finally ready to check out? After all..you let everyone else go through..."

"I only did it cause I wanted more time to look at you....you are beautiful" The teenage baggerboy blushed and grinned like I was retarded. The chick beamed and wrote her number on my reciept..."Take me out this weekend" (had a nice couple of dates)

Walking out to the car told the bag boy..."It pays to be nice" he just kept grinning in amazement.

courtesy..wtf?
Now get the **** out of my way

Of course! Allow me to get the door for you b*tch!

hehehehehehehehe

I'd say thank you,I have no courtesy...
mow, shut the fooking door behind me prick.

ahahahaha

My kinda gal!

yeah..but did ya shut the f* cking door???

Roy, some days you can't win for trying...lol

Well it does exist...even in the young.. The last 15 months I have been either on a cane or walker and had many people hold the door for me.. I smile and say "thank you".. a smile gets them every time..

Well it does exist...even in the young.. The last 15 months I have been either on a cane or walker and had many people hold the door for me.. I smile and say "thank you".. a smile gets them every time..