Good manners fading fast!

Pedestrians ordinarily don't move over in public places these days while walking down the marketplaces, pavements, roads, streets etc. and remain completely oblivious of the people treading behind them and never let them go past. Same is the case with car drivers when you want to cross the road, they never slow down.

“Why Pindiites are losing good manners? Something as simple as not elbowing others while boarding a public transport, letting someone in a hurry get ahead while he or she is facing emergency situation appears to be an unfamiliar thought to a number of people as life’s pressure is so much,” says Jamal Hussain, living near Commercial Market, Satellite Town.

“I live in an old part of the city and the pavements are mostly narrow and can just accommodate two people standing side by side. With bikers and occasionally cyclists dashing past, it is a wise option for anyone who wants to live a long and happy life to stop for a minute and let them pass,” says Syeda Shumaila from Johar Town.

“When my wife and I are walking about city, we instinctively move into single line when approaching other pedestrians coming our way. This is less frequently reciprocated by those coming towards us,” says Nabeela Taqi from Kali Tanki.

“I am a person fairly fat. I am also fairly hard to escape coming at someone on the street, so why is it that people fail to move out of my way? They quickly move in, just before I get to them. This means I can’t twist out of the way at the last minute and get pushed by them. Due to my size I generally face worst situation when this happens. However others such as my husband with a much smaller stature aren't even quite so lucky,” says Shaista Zaidi from National Market.

Andleeb Mehdi from Asghar Mall says: “I was once walking through a crowded street in Raja Bazaar. When I saw a group of people heading towards me from the opposite direction I moved to the side. They not only failed to make a space for me to pass, but the young man right opposite me gave me a look of sheer bewilderment that’s why I had failed to merge with the wall to let him through. Do people actually believe this is an adequate behaviour? Have they not been taught the plain manners to live in a civilised society?

“Of course, there are idiots who either don't care that they're in the way.

I have developed the habit of turning sideways to allow the other person space in a narrow street or lane but if they abuse it and start thinking I am too weak to stand up for myself then I don’t bother,” says Jafar Iqbal from Saidpur Road.

Waheed Hasan from Chandni Chowk says: “The people who won't move out of your way suffer from self-importance. I think that I am the only person who gets bumped on pavements or marketplaces all the time. I often wonder if there is a magnet inside me that attracts idiots to bump into me, or perhaps people think that I have special powers that means if they touch me, their ailments will be cured.”

“The other day, I was standing at a bus stop, on a really wide pavement, and a man just walked straight at me, even though there was lots of space,” says Munawwar Ali from Fifth Road.