Which made me feel rather red-facedly ashamed when I stood in front of the opening tube door this morning and didn't realise for a moment that I was standing in the way of someone trying to get off.
Because that's precisely the behaviour that I utterly and completely detest!
You're on a tube train, it pulls into your station. You fought your way to, or nearer to, the door (or actually: you're just announcing your intention to get off at the next stop by standing up taller and looking very determined), the train stops, you see the people on the platform outside shifting around. And just as you're congratulating yourself on having a clear path not just off the train but to zip along towards the exit too: someone shifts around some more and ends up right in your way: smack bang exactly in front of the opening door. Usually with a really bovine expression on their faces: 'why aren't you getting off already so I can get on?' When you say 'excuse me' the facial expression then changes to something like: 'Well, you can contort yourself and move around me, can't you!?' - I can't even begin to say how much that gets to me!
And this morning, I'm stood there like an absolute idiot waiting to get on the train, and I just couldn't understand why that wasn't possible straight away. Not until that passenger said, rather annoyed (read: seriously pissed off): " 'scuse me!" I completely understand the annoyance, believe me, only too well!
I hope that my "I am so sorry!" and jumping smartly out of the way was really as quick as I hope. But, honestly, how daft of me!
I guess it's down to the fact that 'normally' at this time in the morning, no-one gets off the tube at this stop. I must have been half asleep still. But that's no excuse - I really should have been more with it and moved without having to be prompted. Common courtesy. It makes other peole feel better and it doesn't cost you anything.
I really must pay more attention, even when half-asleep and in my own little world. It's not a new year's resolution (I don't do those), but I'd like to be a bit more conscious of the world around me, and something like this is definitely a part of it. A big part.
I think I would like to think some more on the whole subject of good manners. Wouldn't it be so lovely if I could raise my game a bit in that area, sort of generally, across the board? That would really make me feel good about myself, I must say.
Here's to civility!
Are good manners important? What do they mean to you?
