Common courtesy and the lack thereof

APART from the testy, brooders, scammers and the oblivious ones, Malaysians are generally nice people but they really should take some basic niceties course – if there is such a thing, of course.

I have had glass doors slammed within inches of my nose (well, not exactly slammed but close to it!), a confused look and a “huh” when I say thank you to the cashier, and suspicious looks or, worse, total silence after expressing a general greeting when I go for my walks (and here I pride myself on looking respectable).

When you get on a crowded train, for instance, there will be young people sitting down looking at their mobile phones as though their lives depended on it. At this point, I don’t even mind them calling me “Aunty” (or some obscure form of respect bestowed on an older person) and giving me a place to sit. But no, they look every- where else but at me.

However, I am impressed with some of the Uber drivers with their impeccable manners and cheeriness, unlike some of the taxi drivers who mutter and grumble when they have to sign in to enter into a gated area, and charge exorbitant prices.

Needless to say, Uber drivers are incentivised for good service by way of their ratings.

Common courtesy should nei- ther be based on gender or age nor motivated by incentive. Children may be born with a lot of talents but being courteous is not one of them.

Hence, it is the responsibility of the parents and teachers to inculcate courtesy in children so that it becomes a way of life. As the proverb goes, “Manners maketh man.” VIJI SANKARAN Seremban