Have you ever
thought how Americans act in the public spaces? If you have been in the Metro or
crowded food courts, you can find that there are many kinds of people in the
U.S. Even if people are faced with the same situation, people show different
responses as depending on their personalities or where they live. Some people
think about others around them, but some people do not care about it. Also, the
people who live in a big and crowded city are not as considerable as the people
who live in a small city. Most Americans can be divided three types of people
through their behaviors in the public spaces; neutral, inconsiderate, and
considerate people.
The
first type of people is neutral people who can act properly in various situations.
They might know how they response and speak to others as depending on time and
places. Also, they can do something without disturbing other people. When they
contact someone’s eyes, they might show smile. If they recognize that their
behaviors interrupt other people, they might apologize immediately. They give
you a favor if you ask them, but they might not help you without your
request. For example, they hold the door if they know that someone is coming
behind them. They give a seating place to children, the old, or the people who have
a physical disability in the public places. They push the door open button and wait for people until someone who wants to use the elevator enters inside
it, but if they are busy, they cannot wait for a long time.
Another type of people we can easily
see in a big city or crowded places in the U.S. is inconsiderate people. They
do not care about other people and always think about themselves more than
people around them. They usually have an expressionless face, do not smile well,
and do not want eye contact with other people. Some people do not know how they
act appropriately in the public places, but the reasons most of them behave impolitely are that they do not have enough time to care about other
people or are not interested in the people who are not relevant with them. Due
to the fact that they show behaviors, they might be thought as rude and
impolite people. In the rush hour, if a car suddenly cuts in front of your car
without any sign, how do you feel? If you are standing in the line and waiting
for your turn for a long time, you will get angry at someone cutting in your
line.
The last type is considerate people
that are common in the U.S. I am living. This type of people is easily seen in
a small town than a big city. They always think about other people around them,
so they are thought as kind and friendly people. They always keep smile and are
willing to have eye contact with others. They can give you a favor without your
request and say hello before you speak. They might open and hold the door for
you, and these behaviors are natural for them. For example, you are looking for
a sitting place in a busy coffee shop, they do not hesitate to share their
tables with you and offer seating places. If they see the person who looks a tourist
and is looking at a map, they might ask him or her “May I help you?” They tend
to help people regardless of any situations and feel happy when the people who
get help appreciate their kindness.
In my opinion, American
people are classified as neutral, inconsiderate, and considerate people through
their behaviors in the public places. People who know how to act politely in
different situations are neutral, people who do not care about other people and
only think about themselves are inconsiderate, and polite people who always consider
others around them are considerate. Americans I have met since I lived in the
U.S. are mostly more considerable than the people I imagined before I came.
They were kind and friendly, and helped me a lot. The interesting I have
experienced is that when I meet a considerate person, I also try to be a similar
person to them. Therefore, if you would like to be treated with kindness by people who meet
you, you should try to be a considerate people. I am sure that it can work for you.