By Seneca (bbs.chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2007-07-04 16:37

Bad manners is not just about spitting. I can bear that more or less (rather less, to be frank, but I don't normally make any fuss about it).

But other manners are equally revolting if not far worse.

How about the brash, rude "get-out-of-my-way" mannerism of the city folks in big urban sprawls? One gets the impression, people deliberately ignore each other's presence only to push and shove others out of their path. You can see that when people board a bus or train but you can also watch ugly scenes on most pavements in cities with large numbers of migrants.

I find it disturbing that people don't respect each other's presence and give nobody any extra elbow space. Don't you feel hemmed-in everywhere you walk by people coming too close to you? Brushing against others, giving you embarrassing moments through touching, - why is that?

To a large extent, this has to do with the rather exotic way of people who don't communicate with each other verbally: gestures and touching people replaces genuine oral discourse. Is that necessary? I don't think so!

I think it's not even polite when people gesture to you in a clumsy way of indicating numbers; why do I have to look at unwashed hands? Why do shopkeepers type the price into their calculators, then show me the display?