(Posted by: Rachael)
Whew. I’ve been a blog slacker lately. Honestly, I wondered if I would have enough to write about – enough that’s actually interesting to readers? One of my good friends is starting a blog through which she’ll write about the Cosby show as she watches every episode in order. Now THAT is an interesting blog. Do people really care enough about what we’re up to in D.C. to read this thing every time we nosh at a happy hour (besides you, mom)?
I decided putting in occasional, observation-type entries might liven things up a bit. So here goes: a word on la politesse of D.C. Before we moved here, I wasn’t quite sure what standards of manners to expect. Would we encounter perpetually pompous political types who were too busy to hold open a door for us? Harried metro riders all too willing to forcefully bump their way past us in attempt to catch a train?
In a word (ok, two): Not really. I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how nice people are here, from the Capitol Hill staffers to the cashier at the grocery store next to our apartment. They do hold doors. They don’t mow you down on the metro. When I’m getting on the train, men stand back and let me board first. A fellow commuter apologized not once, but twice, to me yesterday after he accidentally bumped me with his briefcase on a crowded train. We had a good conversation with a bagger at Harris Teeter about being D.C. newbies.
In fact, I’d venture to say people are, generally, more friendly toward strangers here than in Indiana. But why? Is it because customer service is more valued in a touristy town? Because people are used to sharing their space in a busier place? Or, going a bit deeper, is it because D.C. has more people with higher education, and higher education might just mean better manners/people skills?
Post your thoughts, brethren.
