Do You you politely thank the Postman for delivering your mail and the bus driver?

hippyadam

I always say thanks to bus drivers, but that's the norm in sunny Lancashire

Always get confused looks from drivers if i do it anywhere south of Watford Gap mind...

Then again, i hold doors open for people & help little old ladies over the road or folk with prams on/off buses... That really takes folk by surprise in our nations capital :rolleyes:

rugbygirl27

There's an odd tradition here in Wales for saying 'Thanks drive' to the bus or taxi driver! The first time I heard it when I moved here 10 years ago I thought it was really rude but everyone does it and the drivers seem to love it!!!

I'm with most people on here, always say thank you whenever someone deserves it and I hate it when people are rude and impolite - manners cost nothing!

melorablack

I always say thank you to the cashier in supermarkets, whether they were nice and friendly or not

durham_girl

I thank pretty much everybody, cos I'm nice like that Unless they've been horrible or rude, in which case I'm horrible and rude back!

Richard_Atkins

I used to work in a psychology department and one of the professors there was interested in politeness behaviour and did a little research by observing how many people thanked or did not thank the busdriver on his journey in to work. He found that the number of people on the bus are a big factor in this. People are much more likely to thank the bus driver when the bus is largely empty. When it's a crush, everyone is too busy but when it's just you and them you are much more likely to go to the trouble of making that small personal acknowledgement.

So think about your type of journey - it's not so much about whether you are a polite person - more to do with whether you are regularly on buses that are crowded and full of people in a hurry or on buses that are less crowded and there's a little more time and space to be polite in.

This also fits with my own experience. Personally I do thank bus drivers as I leave the bus when the chance is there but when I take the bus to work I'd have to fight my way through a crowd to even be within hearing distance, and would probably by then have missed getting off at my stop!

Sarahsaver

I always thank the driver, especially if they lower the bus so i can get the pushchair off easily.
i would thank the postman if he did not ram things in my letterbox and fold rverything in half even when it does not need to be folded.

delain

I've had bus drivers wait for you to be stood just behind their little cab waiting to get off and then slam on the brakes and can be heard laughing when you are thrown into the side of it :eek:

We have a lovely bus driver here who always tries to talk to me, unfortunately he talks very quietly and i cannot hear him when he is behind his perspex screen I even told him i was a bit deaf, but he didn't take the hint. He always waves when he sees me even when I'm not waiting for the bus and i wave back but i just wish i knew what he says to me half the time, because he probably thinks I'm really rude for not answering him

That said I always say thank you, unless they were particularly rude to me.

I've had a different postman (mine was ill) complain about the sheer volume of parcels in my road.:o Don't know what he thought i could do about it

cottager

Pleases and thanks to everyone all the time wherever I am (and a 'Bye'), and on the phone. Postie if I see him, but I rarely do, and a quick word... but we seem to have about 3 who do a week each in rotation so not always the same one.

What I noticed about myself in shops/supermarkets though, only fairly recently, was that while I was being perfectly polite and saying the thank yous while preparing to leave, it was while 'getting organised' (putting change in purse, card/receipt in wallet, purse or wallet back in bag, getting hold of trolley etc), there was no eye contact as I wasn't looking at them. I thought this was quite rude of me! -- so now trying to re-train myself.

I also make a point of acknowledging if someone's been helpful, whether it's face to face or on the phone. 'That's been very helpful, thank you', 'Thanks for explaining, I appreciate it' or whatever it is. After all, if it's the case but you don't say anything, how will they ever know they've done it well? -- costs nothing. Unfortunately I seem to find myself saying it rather less often than I used to...

thistledome

I nearly always say Thank You to anyone listed in the OP, the only time I don't is when I've had terrible service or rudeness. Like others have said, it's 2nd nature. Seems odd to me when people don't say please and thank you.

Sorry, this next bit is OT, but I couldn't resist:

3plus1 wrote: »

I also like the way that all bus drivers wave at each when they're driving (although this isn't restricted to bus drivers - taxi drivers and driving instructors do it too). I don't know why, but it makes me smile.

I used to drive a Triumph Herald and we all used to wave to each other, which I thought was very sweet. I think some other old or classic type owners do it too.

cottager

Does anyone remember as far back as when AA people used to salute you when they saw the badge on your car? A distant childhood memory when my dad was driving.