I walked out the front doors of a café in Kemang, and hold
a door open for a woman (in her late 30’s) who trailed behind us. She sailed
past the two of us like a celebrity on the red carpet, not deigning to glance
in my direction and offering even a murmur of thanks. Not caring if she thinks
I’m a doormat -- Nevertheless, I was floored by her sense of entitlement and
lack of courtesy. Truly, I was lost in translation while still holding the door
open, and then I murmured the very word to myself, “Thank you.”
I supposed I shouldn’t have been surprised – it’s long
been documented that manners are on the decline. However, my feet were standing
on a polished marble floor, inside a posh café, with its socialites obsessed by
the latest fashions, flashy cars and status. I expected to find the best qualities of manners
from people. Errr…I guess not. A postcode does not define levels of arrogance
of its residents after all.
Likewise last year, when I got a chance to visit The Land
of The Great Wall (a.k.a. China), and flew with China Airlines –
that makes my 12 hours flight amad berkesan! A woman, whose
seat was behind me and she was sitting right next to her kid, and husband. Berdua
mereka berumpi seru dengan volume suara serasa lagi nonton layar tancep. Dan si
istri akan menjerit dengan amad stereonya, gak kalah stereonya sama Dolby
system, pas anaknya numpahin jus! Nyaris jantung semata wayangku ini loncat
keluar.
Kejadian masih di dalam pesawat yang sama, kali ini saya lagi
antri untuk lavatory, di mana sudah ada 3 orang sebelumnya. Jadinya dari pada
bengong yah mending baca2 majalah donk. Kutunggu sampai akhirnya berikut adalah
giliranku masuk. Lalu tiba2 entah dari mana datangnya, seorang nenek2 menyalib
antrian and berdiri di depanku! Menatapku sebentar, tapi terus asyik lagi berdiri
di depanku?!?! (I said to myself, “Gak papaa, udah nenek2, memang seharusnya
aku mengalah. Tabahkan hatimoe, nak.”)
sehabis si nenek ini keluar dari lavatory, dan saya
sudah siap gaya mau nyelonong masuk. Eh…tau2nya ada seorang ibu-ibu
dengan anaknya menyetop-ku, sambil komat-kamit bahasa dewa yang kira2 artinya
“sebentar, saya cuman mau ngambil tissue.” tentunya saya balas dengan seyuman
yang artinya “Silahkan’”
Tapi apa mau dikata, janji memang terucap hanya untuk di-ingkari. Setelah pura2
mengulur tissue untuk sekian detik, lalu detik berikutnya, “Loh…loh…looooh itu, kok pake acara tutup pintu segale?? baru gw tau ngambil tissue pake tutup pintu?!?!” Dan 5 menit kemudian ia ngeloyor keluar bersama anaknya, tanpa
perasaan bersalah. *Hayahhh*
“Yak! NEXT!!" melirik kiri dan kanan.
"Yakin??? Gak ada yang mau nyerobot lagi!!!” sambi lirik kiri, lirik
kanan lagi.
*Gggrrrbbbblblblblll…blll…bllllll….*
Laen kali, kalau mau traveling ke China. Boleh saya anjurkan untuk terbang dengan Singapore Airline,
sodara-sodara. (Damai, nyaman, tenteram, tidak makan ati, dan tidak makan
jantung. Amiiinnnnnn)
Untuk menghilangkan ke-sutresno-an batin, waktu dikasih makan malam saya minta
wine. jadinya paling gak aku bisa mabu-mabu'an sedikit *ahik* dan melarutkan
kehingar-bingaran suasana pesawat yang lebih mirip pasar itu bersama lelap
tidurku, sambil berleyeh-leyeh dengan harapan esok, dapat kuucapkan
“Heluuuuu…Beijingggg” ;P
The funniest thing I ever saw, was a fellow parading
around the foyer of a big hotel barking into his mobile – then it rang *???* Similar
case while I was in a bus, a woman keeps swearing at her mobile phone, 3
minutes after the phone conversation ends. *O.o*
Rarely, citizens to hold the door for someone half a metre
behind them, they just can’t be bothered. Hardly anyone says thank you anymore.
Incivilities after incivilities took its shape.
We’ve all been guilty of rudeness. In my case, whenever I
got distracted – and here I blame the mobile phone *ihik* -- Often, I just
shoot-off without saying any word of gratitude *hhmmppfff*
“It’s a metropolis world we live in, we’ve become obsessed
with our own existence, interests and rights, we shield ourselves from the
world, ‘til we forget to treat people with dignity and respect.” As I have
tried to reason. While my work colleague blame the work pressures, congestion
and even advertising for eroding our sense of community and respect for others.
Above all incident of rudeness, I’ve came across. I feel
most pitiful towards people who bully bank tellers, cabbies, waiters and the
like. They have little self-esteem. I really do feel sorry for them because
they don’t have adequate social skills to cope without making others looks and feels
bad -- Rude, I might behave on occasion. I’ll make sure for as long as I shall
live, that I won’t do such a thing.
Eniveys! Regardless of all the rudeness the world has accomplished...
I still believe that most of us are good at heart. Only the world has pushed its
population to the edge of limits, that force us to do the inevitable, by overreact to
rudeness.
Ps: kalo ada yang punya pengalaman laen, monggo di share loh! ;)
Salam gula,
Novie, Snupie, Inem, whatever ;)
