Latest news with #courtesy
The Guardian
26-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Guardian
My petty gripe: I graciously let your car in, now where's my bloody thank you wave?
I'm the best driver I know, whatever my driving record might say. I don't hog the right lane. I never tailgate. And I usually let people in ahead of me if they need to change lanes or enter traffic. So why does it infuriate me so much when they don't give a little thank you wave? I don't expect a medal. Nowhere else do I expect thanks for common courtesy. But not seeing that little wave on the road makes me see red. I may not scream, but I will swear, fulminate about selfish, thoughtless, ungracious idiots and rail against the end of civil society. It's not like I'd follow the offender to demand thanks. I'm already likely running late for wherever I have to be, and whoever thanked an angry person demanding gratitude? More likely the opposite. But still, is it really that hard to flick your hand up in thanks? I know it's ridiculously trivial. So many religions remind us that the best charity doesn't seek acknowledgment. The great rabbi Maimonedes ranked different kinds of giving, with giving when neither person knows the other's identity up the top. As Saint Augustine wisely counselled, resentment is a cup of poison you drink while waiting for the other person to die. That person speeding away is already oblivious. My anger is pointless. I know I don't have to let anyone in. Perhaps driving more selfishly would save me the grief of being so enraged, especially as it's only a little thing. Or perhaps that's why it's such a big deal, because it is such a little thing. That's why I'm always scrupulous to put my hand out the window in thanks, just in case the kind person who let me in didn't see it through the tinting. Only takes a second but makes a big difference. Try it – if not for me, then at least for the three other considerate drivers out there.
Daily Mail
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Aussie's phone act is blasted as 'weird' by her friends - but thousands agree it's just basic etiquette: 'Manners are dead'
In the age of texting, emojis and missed calls, one Aussie woman has stirred up a storm for simply using what she believes is good old-fashioned phone etiquette. Bronte Lang, from Sydney, revealed she always introduces herself by name when making a phone call - even for something as casual as booking a table at a restaurant. 'Hi, my name is Bronte. I'm just wondering if you have a table for two tonight,' she said in the video, adding, 'I think it's common courtesy.' But not everyone agrees on what courtesy looks like in 2025. Her friends told her the habit was 'weird,' insisting that saying your name upfront isn't necessary unless it's relevant. Bronte's TikTok quickly went viral, reigniting the age-old question: what counts as polite these days? Etiquette, once governed by handwritten letters and carefully timed phone calls, now finds itself in a grey area. For some, saying your name is a small sign of respect. For others, it's unnecessary fluff in a world used to quick, efficient communication. In Bronte's case, even introducing herself in person at stores like JB Hi-Fi raised eyebrows among her friends, who said it felt oddly formal. The online response? Fiercely divided. Some praised Bronte for her old-fashioned manners, while others, especially those who work in customer service, were less convinced. 'Bronte is correct and polite,' one user commented, applauding her efforts to bring back phone etiquette in an age of anonymous DMs and emoji-heavy chats. 'As a receptionist, why are you telling me your life story before telling me who I'm even speaking to?' one person wrote. Another added, 'Nope. Unless your name is relevant - like calling about an account or something - they don't care what your name is.' Several workers in call centres and front desks chimed in, revealing that early-name-givers tend to confuse the flow of the call. 'My job is taking calls, and when people say who they are before asking what they want, it feels like I'm expected to know who they are,' someone admitted. Still, others passionately defended Bronte's approach - especially those who grew up before texting became the norm. 'This is the difference between people who grew up on the phone and people who grew up with texting,' one user wrote. 'It takes 0.5 seconds to say your name. It's polite.' Even a call centre worker weighed in, saying, 'I LOVE when people say their names at the start! It's just polite to let the other person know who they're talking to.' Others noted that context was key. 'It depends what it's for. A restaurant? I wouldn't, because it's not relevant. But like a medical appointment? Yes - I'd start with my name for context so they can start pulling my file up.' Many agreed that while saying your name on the phone can be helpful, saying it in person, like when you're asking where the HDMI cables are in JB Hi-Fi, may be pushing it. 'It's common phone etiquette. Not an in-person thing though,' someone summarised.
