Do people say-"You're welcome" and "hello" anymore? (driver, house)

[Ron.]

Has anyone noticed this when you're at the grocery store or being waited on at a retail establishment.

When I board the bus I always say hello to the driver and say thank you. 7 out of 10 times they never say anything back. Am I upset? NO! I find it odd that adults do not respond to a exchange of greetings. Even when I am at the grocery store and I say hello/thanks to the cashier,they just look me right in the face as if I was a purple elephant.


Has anyone else noticed this?


Again, before anyone gets "started", No it does not upset me. I figured others have noticed the same thing, so I thought I'd ask.

[moonshadow]

I'm so busy most of the time making sure that I remember to say "please" and "thank you" and "you're welcome" and "how are you?" that I don't notice so much when other's don't do it. But I certainly notice when others do.

Not that I get on a bus very often anymore but I always say "thank you driver" when I'm getting out. Same with cabs.

Always wish the girl at the check out in the supermarket a good day too.

[cool_mommy]

Since I have moved to the south I hear "Thanks for your business", "Don't be a stranger", "Have a nice day", "Thanks for shopping with us", "Were you able to find everything you were looking for?", "Come back and see us again", I have been blown away by the willingness to bring my bags to the car for nothing more than a smile and a thank you. It may just be the establishments I have been shopping at but it is such a wonderful change from the grunting and silence I'm used to while shopping!

[Miss Blue]

I always say "Thank you"..It is something we were taught at home and at school when I grew up..

[findinghope]

yes i did notice and it did bother me. especially cashiers who dont even look at you while you are asking them a question. like you are wasting their time.
i am from the north and i still had manners. but little by little year after year things just kept getting wrose. now i live down south and i love the fact that people still have manners here.

[thefer]

I'm in the South and if you don't answer when they say and how are you today, they will call you by name and ask is everything all right? are you having a bad day? Are you feeling ok? Most of the time when I walk in the store close to my house as you are going through the door and to the back of the store they are calling to you asking where have you been ? I haven't seen you in a day or two.
You really need to come on down and experience Southern hospitality! lol
It might get on your nerves if you are not use to it!! lol

[fjtee]

I had an acquaintance visit me from Russia. This was his first trip overseas. We were in a store and I was speaking to the salesperson there about something or another. Oh, he doesn't speak English. Anyway, when we left the store, he asked me how I knew that person and why I was so rude to not have introduced him. I about died laughing. This was in the mid 90s and the concept of people being nice to each other, civil even, in stores was very new to Russians.

[country pride]

Yep. Ive been to enough southern and smaller midwestern towns where thats not only customary but a part of life. Nothing but very pleasant experiences every time.

[joee]

I sure hope this doesn't turn into a north vs. south thing but if it does hey i didn't start it, i waited for others to say the south thing , but anyway here be my 2 cents worth.

Were i am now it's don't hold the door open for nobody, bust butt in and don't get in my way, your treated like cattle being run thru a shoot, they throw your stuff in a bag and kick you in the butt to get out of the way so they can make that extra buck, steady running stuff over scanners and processing credit cards.

I'm gradually in the process of gathering up moving boxes of which i need tons so in turn i'm going to lots of places trying to gather them up, now i don't know about other places but round here when i go in to ask for some i get well do you buy from us and i don't recall you as a regular customer, when your not a regular or don't feed their cash register they quickly tell you no we have no boxes for you.

I go to southeast MO often and down there which isn't far from here people actually hold a door open and even offer to carry even a lil bag out for you, went down to eastern TN few yrs ago, checker in grocery actually placed my stuff in bag and not threw it in, even talked for a while & offered to carry out a bag, i even got a smile and the persons face didn't crack, fall apart or nuttin

Had a guy hold a door open for me once down south, first thing i thought of was ok your going to get my attention and your buddy is coming up behind me to rob me since round here that's the way it goes, but sure nuff the guy was genuine, must be somthin in that water down south cause round here i ain't seen a smile in a long time nor a good deed, people walk or shall i say husstle about looking as if they hate the entire world, i dunno maybe there's pee in this water or somthin

[country pride]

I agree, we dont want to turn it into a north vs south, or a city vs country living, but the reality is, I see exactly what you see. Holding doors open, help you carry your grocery bag, tip their hats at ya, yes, that hospitality is out there.