Common Courtesy

One of our radio stations recently had a short run on the topic "Common Courtesy" in a bid to help improve Malaysians' appalling lack of courtesy and manners.

It's true isn't it, when you look around you and watch how Malaysian parents are NOT doing their part to educate their beloved offspring on how to behave like a civilized person. The adults are equally bad.

• I see Malaysian children pushing and shoving in the parks (while mom looks lovingly at her specimen)
• I see Malaysian kids rushing into elevators without waiting for other people to step out
• I see Malaysian adults jumping queue
• I see Malaysian adults who do not make eye contact with you, much less thank you, for holding the bank/ restaurant door open for them ( I feel like deliberately letting the door slam into their big noses!)
• I see Malaysian adults loading their shopping into their car in a mall parking lot while you wait patiently for them in your car (thinking they are leaving). And then, these people lock up their car and stride back towards the mall to continue their shopping/ dining/ whatever. Having made you wait there like an idiot! 

Common courtesy is not common.

But there are courteous Malaysians left in this country as evidenced by letters such as these Common courtesy is lacking, Chivalry is not dead and Common courtesy is almost dead.

I have had my run-ins with my rude neighbour:

• when their house was being constructed, we had to put up with much noise and dust but they never once came to make small talk
• when their house was being constructed, we often had to open the common gate leading into our area for their workmen to come and go late at night or during weekends. They never once said thank you.
• their workmen used our electricity supply for their work before theirs was connected. No word of thanks? You bet! 
• after they moved in, I did the neighborly thing by them - sending food over to them (nasi lemak, chicken curry, bubur caca, nangka and umbra from my garden, banana fritters, yam cake). My platters were returned to me empty. Being Chinese, this shows a very real lack of good manners and poor upbringing if not on the husband's part, then on the wife's part. Oh! Wait...I forget. They did send over one dish: a broccoli-ham dish that was a leftover from Chinese New Year.
• when Fed Ex comes to deliver stuff to them, and they're out or abroad, they expect us to take delivery for them. When our courier service comes to our house and we're out, do they take delivery for us? Man! You're a genius!
• they give our telephone number, without telling us, to the person who feeds their pets when they are abroad. So the pet-keeper calls us up when she can't open the common gates. 

I don't get it why my neighbour can't have the courtesy to inform us about the pet keeper, about Fed Ex deliveries and could we please accept delivery for them and thank you by the way?