Politeness

I want to keep talking about the bus and politeness thing, especially since Portland is apparently not that unique. Pittsburgh and Denver have the "thank you" down. Where else? Is it part of the culture or are we really more polite than I thought?

When is it appropriate not to say "thank you?" For example, I had a horrible driver the other day. He couldn't seem to adjust to the brakes, so we kept going a few feet past the stops. He also kept hitting the curb. At one point, I thought we were going to drive up the sidewalk and hit a ton of pedestrians. I heard him mutter that the drivers in the other lane were getting too close. He is driving a BUS. We are bigger. Timid is not good. He kept saying "I'm sorry" to the passengers when he would hit the bus or really hit the brakes super hard. When I got off the bus that day, I didn't really want to thank him for his driving. I wanted to get out and kiss the ground because I arrived safely. Should I have said, "Thank you bus driver for somehow getting through this route without hitting another car, only giving us mild whiplash, and not driving up on the sidewalk killing puppies and babies in strollers?" I just muttered "thanks" and gave him a smirk.

I don't want timid drivers. Granted, I don't want crazy drivers. The craziest bus driver I ever had was in Chicago who was driving one of the Lake Shore Drive express buses. I wondered why he wasn't getting into the right lane to get off at Belmont Ave. He overshot the exit - 3 lanes over. What does he do? Does he drive to the next exit? No. He backs up the bus. In rush hour traffic as people are going 50 miles an hour. He backs up and moves over 3 lanes. The passengers kept yelling "What the f*&&*^," "Are you f*&*^ insane?", "AAAAGGGGJJ" and other screams. I don't think anyone thanked him. We were too busy passing around the CTA hotline and writing down his number.

Don't get me wrong. I love public transportation. Okay, love is a strong word. I appreciate public transportation. Bus drivers have more patience than any normal human being. Not only do they have to maneuver a large vehicle in traffic but they have to deal with people. I'm just going to think about how to mix up my greetings or departing words to the drivers. This morning I just said "hey" instead of "good morning" because it is that kind of morning. Maybe this afternoon, I'll say "real soon raccoon" or "after awhile crocodile."