Wanted: A little bit of kindness

Cities around the world - Toronto, New York, Sao Paulo, to name a few - are trying to (re)educate their residents in social etiquette. When you really think about it, it shouldn't be that hard. Being kind is. . .

• The least we can do
• Not that hard
• Make people around us act accordingly
• Soften those who are generally rude
• Lightens up the atmosphere we are in
• Gives everybody (elderly, those with special needs, pregnant women or adults carrying a child) equal treatment in public spaces
• Makes us more responsible citizens
• Disqualify the me, myself and I mentality

A simple gesture can bring an avalanche of good - like a crack of ice on a snow-capped mountain.



The secret? Put yourself in the other person's shoes and hopefully you'll reconsider certain attitudes.



The tendency to think of ourselves first can be stronger than us; but it's worth the try all the same.

Manners can be taught, one way or another

Maybe one of our greatest social ills today is inappropriate social behavior.

People don't respect others and make it a point not to be considerate at all, it would seem.

When you do a good deed, or you act kindly to others, it seems as if you are going against the tide, against the mainstream.


Here are some of the most common examples of bad manners:

• speaking loudly in public
• cutting someone off in a conversation
• staying in your seat on a bus or a train while an older person is standing
• playing music on a loudspeaker
• singing out loud while listening to music
• deliberately rubbing up on someone in a crowded subway car
• looking down a women's cleavage
• not cleaning your dog poop
• hogging or not sharing a seat on public transport
• doing "exercises" on public transport: pull ups for example

Here are some more, but this time you have to find the words or expressions on the right that match with the verbs on the left:

Did you know that there are fines for some of these anti-social actions?

But what is more important in your opinion, having a rule that prescibes a fine or having someone to enforce the rule?