Politeness and incivilities...

Hi Little Chickens!

Hope you are doing fine and did not catch this bad flu everybody seems to have around me during these days...

Err... Actually 'everybody' means also 'me' and that is why I have been less active on this blog - please forgive me.. But don't you worry, Morrison's little decongestioning pills have done some miracles here and I feel much better.

I could even enjoy once again a very nice day in London and, on my way back, I witnessed a scene that was kind of special.. .Nothing serious, but let me explain you.

Well, I was on the northern line, and today, because other lines (Waterloo trains towards Clapham) were out of function (as often during the week-ends), there was a lot of people in the tube around 6PM –including this nasty little girl throwing a hell of a tantrum for a chocolate bar… grrrrr! So, you can easily imagine people fighting for a seat (women are particularly alert at this game). I didn’t try myself to elaborate some farfetched strategy in order to get a seat. I happened to mechanically get one as people were leaving. And then, you know how it is when your eyes wander around…Looking at the neighbor’s magazine, this girl’s very short skirt (was that a skirt??)… 

It is during this moment of absolute passivity that I saw this old man with a stick entering our wagon. Of course, grandpa wants to have a seat. You think ‘ah, easy, there are special seats for pregnant women and elderly people’. Well, there were all occupied (remember, the northern line was packed). But then you are allowed to think again that somebody will naturally give his/her seat for the poor men… Well, Nay, Nay and thrice Nay! A mum was seating on a priority seat and just by her side was her vigorous 10 years old boy. Can you believe that Grandpa has to politely ask to the boy if he would be kind enough to let him seat? And then, the mum, all upset, told her child to give up his seat.

I just thought that was so rude! And it is not the first time I see that happening. French people are not particularly known for being polite –let’s admit we are quite rude people too! But I can tell you that it is kind of natural to give up your seat to elderly in buses/train/tube. And, on the other hand, here, people are nicely queuing while waiting for the bus which is absolutely astonishing for somebody who lives in Paris. 

 I really cannot explain this contradiction.. I guess that British people are really civilized and too egalitarian: men, women, elderly.. Thee shall fight to get a seat!