When did we - and by we I mean drivers - stop saying 'thank you' when other road users are courteous towards us? Every morning on my drive to work I travel along a road that only has room for one stream of traffic because of parked cars. As the obstruction is on my side of the road I pull over to let oncoming traffic pass and very, very rarely does anyone ever say 'thank you' with a flash of their lights, a wave of their hand or something similar.
This morning I pulled over and let 6 cars pass me: not one - not a single one - acknowledged me. A little nearer work I was forced to stop on a busy road as a coach pulled out from a side road - and again, not even a nod of the head from the coach driver. It seems to me that everyone is so caught up in their own little world when they are driving that they often don't even register that there are other people around them.
How many times have you seen another driver picking their nose as they pass you - it wouldn't be seen as acceptable anywhere else in public so why do they think it's acceptable while they are driving? I'll tell you why - it's because as soon as they close their door and switch on the radio they are in their own little world.
I mentioned my frustration to one of my colleagues when I arrived this morning and their reply was 'what can you do about it, you can't make people say thank you' - I disagree.
Mahatma Gandhi famously said 'be the change you want to see in the world' and, with this spirit in mind, if enough like-minded people are considerate and courteous towards others then things can change.
It doesn't have to be driving, it can be holding the door open for others, putting the 'next customer' sign on the supermarket conveyor belt when you've unloaded all your shopping ... just saying thanks when someone is courteous to you.
'Be the change ...'
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