The City that Never Cleans.

Today I have one thing to say: In a city with over 8 million inhabitants, manners go a looong way. There is never a time where you are alone in NYC so the only way to survive is to be mindful of your neighbors. Here are a few quick and easy tips for keeping sane:

1. Pay it forward. If you are pleasant to someone, they will be pleasant in return. Or, at the very least, they will be less nasty.

2. Stop gossiping on the phone while you're on the train. I can't tell you how many times I've endured a train ride with a woman on the phone, loudly gossiping with her BFF about how Jamal ain't never around or how Denise can't keep her legs shut. It annoys me so much to have to sit through that and have little say in the matter. It is my train ride too, right? Can't I decide what i listen to? Absolutely not. You can't even think of asking these people to keep it down because you might get off at your stop with a black eye.

3. Inside voices. Whether its on the phone or with the person next to you, no one cares. Stop sharing intimate details with your buddy at a volume where everyone can hear. If it bugs you when people butt into your conversation, it probably means that you're talking too loud. On behalf of New York, shut the f up.

4. Don't forget your Ps and Qs. No one says please or thank you anymore. god forbid someone nearby sneezes and you recognize it. When someone says "excuse me", I'm more inclined to get out of the way than when someone tries to shove by me. Seriously, I shove back. Especially if I'm in a bad mood to begin with. I've missed a train by 2.7 seconds before, OH WELL. You can wait to get off the train just like everyone else. It's not like we are purposefully blocking y our path of travel. Get over yourself.

5. there are trashcans at EVERY corner for a reason. Use them. I don't like seeing trash on the sidewalks and in the sewers; that shit will stay there until my children are in college. And its all because people are too lazy to hang on to something for an extra 20 yards of walking. While we're at it, clean up after your dogs, too.

6. Patience is a virtue. This one is a double edged sword in the city. If you are patient, you certainly make the salesman/cashier feel a bit more respected if you are patient than if you try to speed them up. On the other hand, people will cut you in line and be all-around rude if they feel like you are wasting their time and things could speed up. Just remember to keep your mouth shut and wait your turn. It will be respected and appreciated...eventually.

It is difficult for me to understand why some people have a hard time interacting with others, even if they are strangers. Perhaps they feel that in a city so big, they can be rude and get away with it because no one will recognize them. Whatever the reason, it isn't right. I can go on and on with examples of rude behavior here forever. But it all comes down to this:

Nothing is so important that you have the right to be rude.