When did good manners go out of style?

When did parents stop teaching their children good manners? Must have been some time ago. When we were living in Houston (and I only lived in Houston for 9 years), it never ceased to amaze me how many people wouldn't say "thank you" when you extend them some common courtesy, like holding a door open for someone, or stepping out of someone's way. It just amazes me; I mean really, how hard is it to say "thank you?" It is 2 simple words, 2 syllables no less. Americans find it easier to say "fuck you" than they do to say "thank you." Must be something in the spelling? In Houstonian's defense, I think this is a general plague that is overtaking Americans in general.

Well, I thought it was bad in the States... its even worse here, but the real kicker is, the rudest pieces of shit out of everyone in Singapore are the other Caucasian expats. By Caucasian, I do mean arrogant white people! We'll call them Westerners if that makes you feel better. So, I was walking home from the grocery this afternoon lugging a sack of groceries over my shoulder, uphill (Dana had to pick a place on the top of a hill; thanks babe), and I see a couple coming towards me. So, this was a Western couple, presumably, expats; the woman was pushing a baby stroller and the man was carrying a baby that couldn't have been more than three months old. So, like the gentleman my mother raised me to be, I stepped out into the street to let them pass. Did I get a "thank you" or a "G'day mate?" [Lot's of Australians here.] No; I got bubkus! It made me quite irrate. How friggan' hard is it to say "thank you?" What really made me mad is that I am lugging expensive Singapore groceries uphill and they are coming downhill... they had the easy part! How hard is it to walk downhill? You just lift your feet off the ground and they naturally move forward due to gravity.

So, maybe your thinking I am petty, running around the city extending common courtesy to people with the expectation of something in return. Well fine, I'm petty... THANK YOU! The irony of this scenario is that, in Singapore, when one does extend some common courtesy to a Westerner and they say "thank you" in return, 9 times out of ten, the responding person is an American! Go figure.

 - Scott.