Common courtesy
is not so common

I was driving along Kamehameha Highway when -- splat! -- something hit my windshield. I realized what it was when I saw the man in front of me stick his head out the window of his truck and spit several more times. Yuck. Crude and disgusting.

People spit right in front of you on sidewalks; they throw lighted cigarettes and gum into your path; they walk several abreast, leaving you no room to pass; they jam up the supermarket aisle with carts, strollers and kids; they shove past you in stores. And they teach their kids by example to do the same rude things.

Whatever happened to consideration for others? What about those simple but powerful words that can defuse animosity and keep relations with friends and strangers smooth? Please, excuse me, thank you, I'm sorry. When I was growing up, such words were mandatory. We were also taught to say, "Yes, ma'am" and, "Yes, sir." We respected our parents, our elders, our teachers and each other.

Add bad tempers and intolerance to discourtesy and it's a wonder we don't have more incidents of "rage."

--Charlotte Phillips

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