It’s one of the first lessons you learn as a toddler: the magic word PLEASE. If my three year old can (mostly) remember to say please and thank you, why is it so difficult for most adults? Please is a small word that has great power. When you say please, I am happy to do small favours for you. I don’t think twice about smiling back at you and saying “Of course I will, no problem!” When I am faced with a 40-something person saying “Gimme a yogurt” or “I wanna smoke – got one?” I have to restrain myself from using my mommy voice to ask “what’s the magic word?” If I were a waitress I would be seriously contemplating spitting in people’s food in response to lack of basic manners. People probably won’t notice if you do use the magic words, but they certainly notice if you don’t. —Thanks For Reading!
This article appears in Jan 19-25, 2012.
Ugh, children … who needs ’em.
I use it all the time, OB. I’m not a manners freak, per se, but please and thank you go a long way.
Good Bitch!
Wpaul
Right on, Donk. I realized I didn’t need to have children the day I held a remote control for the TV in my hand for the first time. What a great day that was!☺
SRSLY, though-I was at a friends house the other day when her 10 year old twin boys came home from school. They didn’t greet me when they came in the room, and I remembered my mum drilling manners into us: hello, mrs. so and so…people do notice.
You had me right up until you said you’d spit in somebodys food. Fuck off asshole.
manners, what the hell are you thinking o.p., this is 2012, and as such, people are idiots and douchebags.
I am the bitch that calls people on it. If I am somehow in your way and all you do is push me i simply say “excuse me works a lot better you know” they either look really mad or embarrassed but who cares. i was raised in a really strict house. if i said shutup instead of please be quiet i got grounded for a month.
What gets me is that it’s just a simple word. But people think they’re entitled to whatever it is they’re demanding so… why use manners?
“Gimme a yogurt; I wanna smoke.” Damn those fat smokers are demanding. Give them a yogurt, but mix laxatives in it lol.
i know. it’s to the point so few people use manners that sometimes cashiers look shocked when you say thank you.
…or use their name
All service staff need to be trained in manners. You get what you sow…!
that is true. there is a rude as hell girl in a coffee shop in scotia square. if i see she is working i avoid her line.
but at the same time i used to work at a local bulk store and i never stopped being nice to people but i got so tired of being nice. i counted 1 out of 27 people said please and thank you to me. that’s just sad
i’ve come into contact with people like that for a long time now working in retail. People don’t say please, or thank you. And I suppose when I ask “how are you today?, Did anyone help you?, did you find everything you were looking for?”, that I’m speaking to myself…
Great bitch. Politeness never gets old.