Ad
Lately I have been wondering: here did common courtesy go?
There are a few things that make me consider this with the utmost scrutiny.
The first is something related to me by my husband, who works as a mechanic. He has had multiple instances of chewed wires by critters in the vehicles he’s been working on lately. The reason I know this is the videos he sends me over social media of some of the issues he’s dealing with. I have to say, upon viewing these videos, it’s easy to see where the infestation comes from.
Some of these vehicles are so ill-taken care of that of course rats, mice, bunnies and even snakes or porcupines would find a home there. My husband, brave soul that he is, gets to perform maintenance on these. I have seen vehicles with garbage everywhere, food ground into the floorboards, pup cups everywhere, dirty laundry and more. It is, most of the time, extremely disgusting.
Another reason that animals seek out these wires is the casing on them. On many vehicles, the casing includes soy-based product, which is a tasty treat for some of these animals. Unfortunately, those critters pass away when they sink their teeth into the wire itself, when the car is turned on or when it’s moved. The soy is not what attracts them to the vehicle in the first place, however. The refuse in the vehicle develops a stench and warmth that can seem appealing to those critters.
So this brings me to my point: common courtesy. In this situation, the right thing to do would be to clean your car before you have it serviced. There are a few reasons this would benefit the community at large. If you clean your car before having it serviced, there is a larger likelihood that the maintenance or diagnostic process for it will go quickly. While a majority of issues lie in the engine bay, there are a number of spots throughout the vehicle, including in the interior, that could require a mechanic to address.
Chewed wires, like the ones I speak of, can occur anywhere and are far more likely to happen when people don’t clean their car inside and out.
The other reason is because a human being has to look at those issues, and if they are encountered with that kind of disgusting scene, which can include droppings of the listed rodents above, they may be faced with health issues, hazardous work conditions and more.
It is like brushing your teeth before going to the dentist. You don’t necessarily do it for your benefit but for the dentist’s comfort. It is a common courtesy.
I understand that some people may not be concerned with anyone else’s well-being besides their own, but consider the fact that you will get better service if you in turn show kindness and courtesy by making someone’s job easier.
Ad
And please, keeping a clean car is not as difficult as one would think. Instead of tossing the trash in the back and forgetting its existence, maybe put it in a garbage bin where it belongs or keep a car trash bin that you can empty regularly.
Common courtesy makes one think, doesn’t it?
Going back to my original point, I feel people have lost the capability to have common courtesy. I believe it goes hand-in-hand with the rising sense of entitlement in this country.
Generally, what I see, from people of all ages, is the expectation that they are owed something from everyone. From my generation, I see the expectation that they are owed money for nothing, like that Dire Straights song says. The older generations feel they have done their part and therefore don’t need to contribute any more time to the betterment of others lives. There are, of course, exceptions to both of these groups.
Here’s what I say to both extremes of the spectrum: We are all part of this world and all deserve to put some work into it. Be kind to people, even if you don’t agree with them. And a little common courtesy, like cleaning out your car once in a while, brushing your teeth before you go to the dentist or tipping the college student making your drink, can go a long way.
