Americans' Issue with Entering and Exiting
By Dr. Glenn Mollette
We will never figure out health care, Medicaid and most of our country's issues until we learn how to enter and exit buildings.
For years now I have witnessed average America's issue with doors.
Almost every day I will encounter someone who doesn't understand how to open a door. For example if I am entering a building that has a double door, one to enter and one to exit, someone inevitably will always exit the door I am entering while I am trying to enter the door. Instead of opening their door which would be the door on their right or my left, they stand staring at me as if I am supposed to stop and not enter through my door but hold my door open so they can exit from my door.
I believe in being courteous but I can't figure out why so many people want to be discourteous to me. I have a door to enter and they have a door to exit. I am opening my door and they simply can open their door to exit. Instead, time and again they stand as if they are incapable or just too lazy to open their own door and expect me to hold my door pen for them to exit instead of me entering through my door.
I see this on the flip side. Often when exiting a building someone who should be entering from the door on the left will see me opening my door on the right and instead of entering through their door will stand as if they are incapable of opening their door and will just barge on through the the door I have opened to exit.
This is all terribly uncouth and people need to learn to open their own door. Usually if someone is entering a building and they are right behind me I open the door and motion for them to go ahead in front of me. I feel that is the polite thing to do. If I am exiting a building I am happy to step aside and let someone who is right behind me go first or even the door for him or her. If someone opens the door for me I am grateful and thank him or her for the courtesy.
I just can't understand people who barge through a door that someone else may have opened to enter or exit. They act as if it is their American right to be rude and crude to just come on through the door someone else has opened and that the person opening the door should just stand and hold it open for them.
Maybe you haven't experienced this. I hope you aren't one of these door offenders because it's really inconsiderate of you if you are.
Some Americans have been taught that this is acceptable and is the American way to get ahead. Simply barge, push ahead, break line and do whatever is necessary. Manners, courtesy and politeness are old fashion. Often I find myself standing watching someone as they dart through the door I am entering or exiting because they simply did not want to open the other door. Usually I stand there and think, "Another idiot doesn't know how to open a door," as they dart through mine without even a thank you but an obvious expectation that someone is simply expected to hold the door open for them.
This kind of mindset may get you in the door or through the door but it's as far as it will get you. It won't get you invited to dinner and I wouldn't want to hire anybody like this who conducts them selves this way.
Don't barge through the door when other people are coming through the door. Use your own door to enter or exit. This is why these doors are installed.
One of the first steps to solving many of America's problems is learning how to enter and exit. After this it will all be down hill.
Glenn Mollette is a syndicated columnist and author of twelve books.
He is read in all fifty states.
