Why so inconsiderate?
I just came back from Home Depot. While I was there one guy in a mini-van deliberately blocked the road while picking up pine chips (he could have parked and left room to pass, but he just didn't think or didn't care).
Leaving Home Depot, a guy in a truck cut across me at a four-way stop. I stopped, he didn't bother.
On the way home, the guy in front of me at a red light stopped so that no-one could turn right even though there were no other cars around.
I see examples of this every day - is it just me? Is consideration for others old fashioned?
- Does anyone hold open a door for the people following any more?
- Pick up something that fell out of someone's shopping cart, just because you're closer?
- Shock, horror, actually let the person with one item go in front of you when you're buying enough to feed a family for a week?
Perhaps it's just a culture thing. Being English it may be that people here in America are raised differently. After all, I'm sure I'd think plenty of behaviour was "odd" if I lived in the Middle or Far East.
But, to be honest, I don't think so. I just think that there are assholes in every country - unfortunately it's the assholes you notice, not the people who moved to the side to let you pass in the store.
It's the same in business too. How many companies do you deal with whose "About us" pages are completely anonymous and basically useless? To me, hiding your founders, directors, partners is plain rude - it's ALWAYS the people that are important to me.
No real people? I just walk away.
Scoble is always shaking his head at companies that don't blog or have any personality and I agree 100%. Why be rude?
How long does it take to answer an email? You send one, it arrives within minutes. If you don't get a reply for 3 days, what does that mean? It means they don't care. Walk away.
I was watching The Sandlot with my kids the other day, and it reminded me of something I've thought of many times before - was it really "nicer" back in the fifties like the movies show? Were there less assholes back then?