There’s one thing in this world that I absolutely will not tolerate…and that is rude people.
When I say hello to someone, is it really all that difficult to say hello back? If I smile, or say good morning, or just compliment someone, is it too hard to reply?
Or am I just overreacting?
We were leaving a store one afternoon when a gentleman and his wife were also coming out. He held the door for me so I said “Thank you!”
He looked at his wife, smiled, and said to me “That’s what I love about the South. We are from Boston and no one ever says ‘thank you.’”
I told him that generally if I hold the door for someone and they don’t acknowledge me, I will usually say “OH YOU’RE WELCOME!!!” as cheery and loudly as I possibly can. Most of the time they will reply with a very meek, “Oh, thank you.”
Many times they just ignore me.
His wife laughed and said that she did the same. I asked her if her husband got as embarrassed at her as mine does. He said he was worried she’d get in a fist fight some day because someone wasn’t going to take too well to her schooling them.
But sometimes it’s just too much for me to take.
Last night, for example, Dale and I went to Macaroni Grill to pick up some take-out. It was raining so he dropped me off at the front door so I could scoot in and not get too soaked. As I was getting out of the car I noticed a woman on the phone walking towards the restaurant.
As I would normally do, I opened the door and held it for her to come in.
SHE DID NOT EVEN LOOK AT ME. She kept chatting on her cell phone as she came on through the door.
Dale said as he sat in the car and watched her do this and thought to himself, “Oh no you didnnnn’t. You don’t know my wife.”
This particular restaurant has two sets of double doors going into the restaurant, and while I held the door for her on the first set, I did NOT on the second set.
Dale said that since she was gabbing on the phone, she wasn’t paying attention and walked face first into the door.
I, however, didn’t notice.
I was already at the counter telling the cook “thank you” for my meal.
Home Is Where Your Mom Is 
Common courtesy is not very common anymore — not even between husbands and wives. My wife and I still say “please” and “thank you” to each other — but I don’t think either one of my parents have said these words to each other in 40 years!
I agree – it isn’t very common, and it’s a shame. My husband thanks me every night for dinner and when I put clean clothes in the closet and for just about everything. I’m glad that you and your wife do the same. I think it’s important that people appreciate when someone does something nice and not become complacent about it.
Oh, I can so relate! Thanks for this post. I’m also a “thank you” – person, we all are in our family, but I notice that there are not so many out there… I’m glad that you think the same way too.
I am just in shock when someone can’t say a simple “thank you” for something. It’s nice to know I’m not the only person who thinks this way!