I can’t put my finger on why but social etiquette seems to have gone out of the window and with it, general care for others. When I go out to places, I’m acutely aware of the experience of the people next to me, as well as my own. As someone who’s had experiences ruined or affected by inconsiderate people beside me, I want to make sure I’m doing my bit and that I’m not part of the problem. At a festival this summer, I spotted a worried-looking woman to my right so I checked if she was okay rather than just ignoring or shoving into her (as people often do in crowds). When I get on the train, I make sure everyone is off first before I board. At the theater, even if the movie is boring, I would never want the glare of my screen to ruin someone else’s viewing. When someone is trying to get past me, I move to the side. Everywhere I go, I’m taking other people into account. Surely that should be how we all operate? But I’m starting to feel like a mug, because not enough people seem to be doing the same. It’s gotten to a point where, if someone smiles at me or lets me move past them first or asks if I want to step ahead of their tall boyfriend at a live event, I’m shocked. At a concert recently, I asked a tall couple if they could still see if I stood in front of them. They said to go ahead, and thanked me for checking with them first. Thirty minutes later, a latecomer shoved between me and them, her hair likely in their faces and her bag in my thighs. No thoughts, just shove. Everyone is out for themselves, and it’s making life that bit less bearable.
