Good Manners Chart

Good Manners chart:

"The 'Good Manners' chart was first issued to Queensland schools in 1898 by the Department of Public Instruction as part of the systematic teaching of conduct and manners. The chart was based on rules formulated by the Children's National Guild of Courtesy which had been founded in UK elementary schools in 1889."

I know it's not 1889 but we seem to have lost it again with the social graces and niceties and maybe we should revisit these things which essentially boil down to respecting others. Australians are getting too good at destroying any form of formality and common courtesy. The best one is the argument which broke out at a bus stop and was carried onto the bus. Everyone on the bus was forced to listen and was unable to speak freely. One black person and one white person had been having a full on row and the language was colourful. Out of context it's quite funny, but I hear the people on the bus felt really threatened. A cleaned up section goes as follows:

"If it weren't for us you wouldn't be able to use buses. Why don't you get back on your kangaroo?"

"Kangaroo. You gotta be joking mate. I'd use an emu . It's a lot faster."

Nothing wrong with a cross cultural exchange except everyone else on the bus had no rights whatsoever. Then there were the kids on the plane coming home from New Caledonia. The Australian kids got on a French speaking plane having spent a week in a country which speaks French and they had transfers of the Australian flag on their cheeks. Did the children of other nations put their flags on their cheeks? Do visitors to our country put a flag on their cheeks?

Then there was the lady abusing an old guy on a scooter because he was taking so long to drive across the driveway of a shopping centre. She was horrible. So nasty and rude. It is great when you see a culture treat their older people with respect and where they never think to barge past them.

Civility costs nothing and blurting is so uncalled for.