Mind Your Manners

Last week I had to deliver something to John at school.

Per school policy, I had to meet him in the office as we can no longer pass things through the gate. While it is a bit irksome (it ads, gasp, a whole minute or two to the process), I understand the desire for control over who and what comes and goes. Safety first and all.

After my business with John was complete, I headed out the main set of double doors. As I opened it and stepped out, I saw a man approaching with a bag of fast food in one hand and a drink in the other. He didn't look familiar or like a staffer; I assume it was a father bringing lunch to his child.

Now, while both of his hands were full, he totally could have opened the door for himself. I didn't need to wait and hold the door. In fact, it was one of those awkward times when he was really about a dozen steps away so I had to stand there and wait for him. Not being in a hurry and feeling like being nice (wow, me, who knew?), I waited.

He finished coming up the steps, got to the door and...walked right through. No eye contact. No head nod. No words. No acknowledgment of any kind.

Thinking more quickly than I usually do, I came up with a plan. When he was just through the other side of the doorway I let go of the door and channeling my grandma the best that I could I called out (cheerfully and quite loudly), "You're welcome." As the door was shutting and I was walking away, I heard him mutter something under his breath.

Seriously. Where have people's manners gone? There's no way that he could have missed that I was holding it for him. There was no one else around that I could have been assisting. Would it have taken that much time or energy to at least acknowledge me?

What is this world coming to?