For some reason, people in South Florida give off the impression that there is no need for a friendly smile or a thoughtful gesture. As the character Stephanie Tanner from “Full House” once said: “How rude.”
Although we live in the southern-most part of the United States, there is no such thing as southern hospitality here. People are aggressive, rude and the farthest thing from kind. You’ll find people who don’t hold the door open for you, honk at you for going the speed limit and who don’t use the words “please” and “thank you.”
I was raised to believe that you treat people how you want to be treated. Yet, there are countless times I have found myself wondering, “where did all the nice people go?”
When I vacationed in Tennessee, it was a culture shock, because they were genuinely nice people. When a Southern gentleman held the door open for me — chivalry isn’t dead — and I said, “Thank you”, he simply replied, “Yes, ma’am.” I couldn’t get over it, because simple gestures like this don’t happen very often, especially in South Florida.
People are out for themselves and not considerate of others. Someone has “accidentally” bumped into me without saying sorry. I continue to hold the door open for people without any acknowledgement, while I mutter under my breath, “You’re welcome.” Do they think I’m holding the door open for my health?
Drivers in Florida are like NASCAR racers, speeding and forcefully weaving in and out of lanes with no regard for anyone else. They want to get to the finish line and will do whatever it takes to get there.
Working in retail, I’ve seen first-hand how impolite people can be. You’d think the holiday season is the time when everyone would be jolly, but people act more like Scrooge. People are stressed trying to buy gifts for every single family member and don’t want to be friendly. During Black Friday, the biggest shopping day after Thanksgiving, people will literally trample you for a big screen TV. Forget about being thankful and having a nice family gathering — they are on a mission.
I’ve worked and shopped on Black Friday, and the worst part is dealing with customers or fellow shoppers who become irritated when things don’t go their way. Customers are also incredibly disrespectful and throw items on the floor, even though they know you have to pick it up.
When I go shopping, I am also amazed by the lack of respect workers have for the customers. When they don’t even ask “How are you?” and look like they just woke up from a never-ending nap, I’m not exactly enticed to want to return there. That’s the kind of person their employers want representing a company? My sisters and I always joke about how mundane cashier can be, often calling them “Mr. Personality” or “Miss Personality.” When I’m working, regardless of my personal problems, I still do my job and am friendly and engaging. I have a responsibility to make customers feel like they are the most important people.
Can’t we all just get along and pretend life was as peachy as an episode of “Full House”? Why is everyone so angry? We’ve all got issues; that doesn’t mean we can’t be respectful toward one another. I’m not asking everyone to hold hands and sing “Kumbaya,” but the least we can do we do is acknowledge each other’s existence and be more civil and less hostile.
