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I can't believe I even have to say this one, but these days there's no such thing as respect for the elderly, disabled, or pregnant on public transport. When I was pregnant at the end of last year there were several occasions when I had to stand most of the train ride home from the city. It's a 30 minute train ride at the best of times. It was hot. And people would just ignore me. It wasn't as though it wasn't obvious that I was preggers- I was absolutely huge. On one particular ride I was crammed in with other standing people (gotta love Connex an their filthy delays) being squished to the point where I didn't have to hold on to anything, I was being supported(and squashed) by the people I was standing with. At another point I was standing right in front of a woman in her late 20s/early 30s who ignored right up until the point where someone else noticed I was standing and offered me a seat. And then what happened? The woman who spent the train rid trying hard to ignore the basketball in her face said to me "you can sit here if you want to" with a sickly sweet smile on her face, as did the woman next to her. I just glared at them both and snapped "well it's too late NOW" and went and sat where the other person offered.
Anyway. It's really just common courtesy to offer seats to those who need it more than you. Here's what you can do:on a bus or tram, sit right at the front, or right near a door, so the minute you see an elderly person get on you can jump up and offer them a seat.
It's so, so simple, and yet hardly anyone does it any more! You know who the most polite people on public transport are? Men of Asian/Middle Eastern background. They're up the minute your bulging belly pops through the door. Do you know who the worst are? Women. In general. Young, 20s-30s, and 40s. They all think it's their god-given right to have a seat on public transport. They are rude and selfish. When it comes to public transport etiquette, men are the nicest.
Showing posts with label Random acts of kindness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Random acts of kindness. Show all posts
Wednesday, 8 April 2009
Monday, 2 February 2009
Random acts of kindness Part 1- Driving etiquette
How to be considerate on the roads....
This really does my head in, but how many of you have tried to change lanes and find it virtually impossible to because other drivers are intent on refusing to let you in? Particularly at traffic lights when they AREN'T GOING ANYWHERE!!! Well, my advice is really quite simple and logical, and just makes driving a happier, more pleasing experience to all involved. This goes for merging traffic. If every person just let one car...yes...ONE CAR...in front of them there would be no angry drivers, accidents or people running late.
I was driving home from uni yesterday and the lady in the car behind me needed to get into the left lane to turn off. We were stopped at traffic lights and as I watched I noticed (quite sadly) that not one person let her in, despite the fact that we were STATIONARY at the lights. As a result, this woman missed her turn off and almost ended up on the freeway. And yes, I can hear some of you saying "well, she shouldn't have changed lanes at the last minute." True, but what difference would it have made if she tried to do so 5 minutes before? (aside from not missing her turn off). What I mean is, those same people that didn't let her in in this case, wouldn't have let her in 5 minutes before, or at all. It just makes me so angry that people are so inconsiderate. The poor lady was shaking her head, and I could really empathise with her. I just hope that next time she finds herself on the other side of the experience, that she remembers this day and decides to do the right things.
I could go on for hours and hours, days and days about considerate driving, but I won't. I will simply end (and perhaps I should also start) with my key message:
If someone wants to merge/ change lanes, LET THEM IN! You may lose 2 seconds of your time, but it will make driving a much more pleasurable experience. Stay tuned tomorrow when I will talk about public transport etiquette.
This really does my head in, but how many of you have tried to change lanes and find it virtually impossible to because other drivers are intent on refusing to let you in? Particularly at traffic lights when they AREN'T GOING ANYWHERE!!! Well, my advice is really quite simple and logical, and just makes driving a happier, more pleasing experience to all involved. This goes for merging traffic. If every person just let one car...yes...ONE CAR...in front of them there would be no angry drivers, accidents or people running late.
I was driving home from uni yesterday and the lady in the car behind me needed to get into the left lane to turn off. We were stopped at traffic lights and as I watched I noticed (quite sadly) that not one person let her in, despite the fact that we were STATIONARY at the lights. As a result, this woman missed her turn off and almost ended up on the freeway. And yes, I can hear some of you saying "well, she shouldn't have changed lanes at the last minute." True, but what difference would it have made if she tried to do so 5 minutes before? (aside from not missing her turn off). What I mean is, those same people that didn't let her in in this case, wouldn't have let her in 5 minutes before, or at all. It just makes me so angry that people are so inconsiderate. The poor lady was shaking her head, and I could really empathise with her. I just hope that next time she finds herself on the other side of the experience, that she remembers this day and decides to do the right things.
I could go on for hours and hours, days and days about considerate driving, but I won't. I will simply end (and perhaps I should also start) with my key message:
If someone wants to merge/ change lanes, LET THEM IN! You may lose 2 seconds of your time, but it will make driving a much more pleasurable experience. Stay tuned tomorrow when I will talk about public transport etiquette.
Random acts of kindness- the series
Ages ago..like...June 2007, I started blogging on my Myspace blog a section called Random Acts of Kindness. I really thing the world would be a better place if people weren't so inconsiderate and selfish, so I started posting little tips on how to do nice things for people. So here it is again- in case you didn't get it...
When was the last random act of kindness you did? Or, better yet, when was the last act of kindness you did? What's the difference? Well, acts of kindness are everyday things- driving your mum around so she can get her errands done; holding a door open for a stranger; tipping the chic who makes you an awesome coffee in the cafe up the street; waking the person next to you on the train to make sure they haven't missed their stop; giving up your seat on public transport for the elderly, disabled or pregnant; helping a woman pick up the contents of her handbag off the footpath. Acts of kindness are things you are almost expected to do, and with every right.
Random acts of kindness are the completely unexpected, extremely pleasing (for both parties) and uncommon occurances. Things like: paying for the person in front of (or behind) you groceries, petrol or whatever else; or giving your all day train ticket to someone without expecting any money for it.
The last random act of kindness I did (which I do everytime I'm down there) is stick my parking ticket at Deakin back into the slot in the ticket machine where it spits it out. That way the next person who comes along to buy a ticket already has one!
Look, I'm not here to brag, I just want more people to do these things. Short of ideas? Here's a few- basically just reiterating the ones I mentioned above:
* next time you're in the express lane at the supermarket, pay for the person behind you
* next time you get petrol, pay for the person next to you
* next time you receive good service from a shop, ask to speak to the manager and TELL THEM HOW GOOD THE PERSON WAS!
* if you see a homeless person, buy them a meal
Ok, so look, I only have a few up my sleeve, but my point is if you do just one random act of kindness a day, or even a week, the world will be a much better place, and yes, it does make you feel awesome.
PEACE! :)
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
When was the last random act of kindness you did? Or, better yet, when was the last act of kindness you did? What's the difference? Well, acts of kindness are everyday things- driving your mum around so she can get her errands done; holding a door open for a stranger; tipping the chic who makes you an awesome coffee in the cafe up the street; waking the person next to you on the train to make sure they haven't missed their stop; giving up your seat on public transport for the elderly, disabled or pregnant; helping a woman pick up the contents of her handbag off the footpath. Acts of kindness are things you are almost expected to do, and with every right.
Random acts of kindness are the completely unexpected, extremely pleasing (for both parties) and uncommon occurances. Things like: paying for the person in front of (or behind) you groceries, petrol or whatever else; or giving your all day train ticket to someone without expecting any money for it.
The last random act of kindness I did (which I do everytime I'm down there) is stick my parking ticket at Deakin back into the slot in the ticket machine where it spits it out. That way the next person who comes along to buy a ticket already has one!
Look, I'm not here to brag, I just want more people to do these things. Short of ideas? Here's a few- basically just reiterating the ones I mentioned above:
* next time you're in the express lane at the supermarket, pay for the person behind you
* next time you get petrol, pay for the person next to you
* next time you receive good service from a shop, ask to speak to the manager and TELL THEM HOW GOOD THE PERSON WAS!
* if you see a homeless person, buy them a meal
Ok, so look, I only have a few up my sleeve, but my point is if you do just one random act of kindness a day, or even a week, the world will be a much better place, and yes, it does make you feel awesome.
PEACE! :)
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
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