Manners

Yesterday morning : a NUS girl holding the donation can when I step out of the Outram MRT on my way to the taxi stand. She smiled and asked if I would like to donate. I donated.

Yesterday evening : approaching the Boon Lay MRT, saw another NUS girl holding a donation can, NO Smiles, didn't say a word, just thrust out the can to my face, I ignored her and walked away. There is another girl who asked me for a donation when I am near the MRT and I replied her politely that I had donated. (Even if it was in the morning, but I did donate)

It is not that I am been mean or anything but the least you can do is give me a slight smile to let me know that you are doing this out of your heart, asking for donation, granted that you may be thirsty, tired and irritated after standing for the whole day but I seriously don't think I will donate to anyone who don't say a word and show me a sulky face.

After work, met James at Outram and got off at Kovan. We were queuing up to get out of the station when a "lady" stood beside him. I glanced at her but she kept her eyes straight ahead. Not thinking much, we moved forward and she cut into our queue and swiped her card to exit, NOT a single word from her like "Sorry but I am in a hurry", "Excuse me, can you let me pass?" NOTHING..... She had got an executive look on her but where are her manners???

I remarked quite loudly about "some people who don't know how to queue" but apparently she think that it is right to cut queue. She didn't turn back to look at me or give any indication that she heard what I say. When we were going up the escalator, I told James that she had got an elephant hide, arrows can't pierce through it. His reply was that eventually arrows will pierce through, so I remarked that perhaps it is dinosaur hide, most probably hers is a turtle shell, that will be hard enough....

Manners, where art thou? It is no wonder that we have not become the gracious society that we would like to have. Is it too much to smile when you are asking for donation? Is it too much to ask people to give way to you if you are in a hurry? It is only a form of courtesy, the most basic one of all... that is to ask for something nicely.