Excuse Me. Where Are Your Manners?

I don't know if it's London/UK thing, but some of these ill mannered folks need to nip it in the bud with a real quickness.

How are you going to ask me to do something for you but you can't say please?

Or

I give you something and you can't say thank you?

A lack of manners makes my blood boil. They cost nothing but go a very long way. Manners should be a part of a person's vocabulary and a way of life. Whenever I send work e-mails requesting information, as always I proofread it and usually find myself saying please twice by mistake. 'Could you please forward me [fill in the blank] please.' I'm sure it's better to be overly polite than not polite at all.

I don't care what it is, whether we are having a face to face conversation or one via e-mail. I never let my guard down when it comes to manners, like I always do when encountering a no mannered fool. I found myself getting a little Bruce Banner/Hulk yesterday evening. I was on the bus a woman has her shopping bags and a yogurt fell out and rolled toward me. I gave it back to her and nothing came from her mouth. I'm not your damn slave and my name sure ain't Kunte!!!

No matter how small the gesture, you should always remember your place. I make a point to never do anything that somebody asks of me if they don't say please, because once you take away that word I see your request as nothing short of a demand, and nobody demands me to do anything. You ask me politely as I would ask you.

Manners and age are irrelevant. My cousin of 6 years old sometimes slips up when she's glued to the television or a DVD but the drink she's asked for gets taken back to the kitchen if she doesn't say thank you. By the time I've picked up the glass, she's checked herself. Other than that she is very well mannered. We wouldn't have it any other way in our family. I even get a thank you with hugs and kisses thrown in for good measure. If a child can say please, thank you and excuse me then what is the excuse for grown folks?

Call me harsh, but I don't care. A guy I worked with over 2 years ago sent me a message on Facebook yesterday. We're not friends, buddies, don't send the occasional e-mail, nothing like that at all. Anyway he must be 31 by now a contractor like myself in the same industry. He got laid off by Lehman's a few weeks back [but I do know for a fact he is fussy, even if he has no job, he will be picky] So in this message he asks me if there are any openings where I work and could I provide him with an HR contact. I re-read the message. A few lines, but a word short. I didn't care that he didn't say "Hey how are you?" although it would have been nice, but still you want me to do you a favour but you can't even throw in a please. And what's to say after I dig out all of my contacts [that I know for A FACT you have too] and then some I don't even get a thank you. I actually feel bad about not responding but on the flip side, I'll stick with my principals, plus by now you must know how to look for a job and contact a company's HR department. It's called Google. Look em up use the telephone and dial the switchboard. Plus I hate when people only contact me when they want something.

I sent my friend's sister's boyfriend some information on trading and making money on the Forex. A very pricey Forex system that I myself have that could make him a lot of money. We got talking at the bar at Miss D's birthday drinks, and I sent him the info the next day. Do you think I even got a thank you back after that? But it's OK I'll let him know when I see him next time, that was a one off, any information, products, knowledge I come across or have, you won't be getting. Now had a thank you come my way then every time one was received you'd get a little something back that could possible help you in the future.

I'm not saying I'd never help anyone or do for anybody ever again, but for me in every capacity, whether it be a random guy holding open the door, the customer services rep on the phone, the waiter serving my food, the person scanning my groceries at the checkout or my manager authorising my time sheet at the end of the week. I always make a point to acknowledge that person with a thank you. Trust me you'd be surprised how many smiles [and that rarely happens in London] I get in my local supermarket when I say "Thank You." Time and time again people just walk off without a care in the world. It's nice to be appreciated, so how about showing some appreciation?