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I was brought up in a household where it was inexcuseable not to have good manners and etiquette. "You can never say thank you enough," my father would say, and I try to instill this behavior in my own kids. Like KarlF I try make some simple comment as I'm holding a door or getting someone a shopping cart when they're all jammed together. If I don't get a thank you it doesn't phase me and with a raised eyebrow I might mutter one of the expressions my kids use, "How ruuuuuuude," as I'm walking away. However, I don't give up on people in general, because there are plenty that do say thank you or somehow acknowledge, or respond when I do, and that simple exchange reminds me manners are not a lost art.
There's another behavior out there that really bothers me, and that's when I'm walking on a sidewalk, for example, I'm in my space on the right. and a group approaches in the opposite direction taking up most of the sidewalk and the person or people in my lane make no effort to get out of my way. I used to wait until the last second and dodge the collision, but no more. This is the pentultimate example of rude to me. I don't think this happens because people are so engrossed in a conversation they don't see it coming, I think there are people out there who simply feel they are better and it is obviously beneath them to step out of the way. Those people beware, because I'm either going to step on your foot or you're getting clocked with my bony shoulder.
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