Common courtesy goes a long way

This week, I have seen numerous people on crutches. I don't know what happened over spring break to these folks but they were apparently having too much fun. So much fun that they came back to school with foot, ankle or leg injuries. I, personally, feel sorry for those people (unless, of course, they did something ridiculously stupid...then it's their fault). While I was in high school, I was on crutches for 4 1/2 months. It was no fun. At all. And, at that point, I only had relatively flat ground to cover. Here, they have hills...big hills and stairs...lots of stairs. I can only imagine how miserable they might be climbing all the hills and stairs.

Here's something else I've seen: these folks riding the bus and having to stand, balancing on one leg and 2 crutches as the bus climbs hills and makes less-than-smooth starts, stops and turns. I have been a late-comer on the bus each of these times and had to stand myself (an adventure when you can stand on both legs) so I had no seat to offer to these people. These people are wobbly and bumping (or half-way hopping) into the people who are seated as they try to maintain their balance and not fall on those seated or standing around them. Each time I have seen this, the people who are sitting stare at the one hobbling around on the crutches and as the injured one apologizes to the ones they bump into, these people continue to stare and say "oh, that's fine"...and refuse to offer their seat.

Why would these people refuse to offer their seat? Wouldn't that be the polite thing to do? ...the right thing to do? If it was an old man or woman on the bus who used crutches to walk, would you even think twice about giving up your seat for them? Why, simply because they are young or you are at the end of your day would you not extend common courtesy to these folks? I know you're tired and your feet hurt from walking all over campus all day. I know all you want is to get off your feet and not have to fight to stay upright on the bus as it moves less than smoothly. But, the right, polite and courteous thing to do is to offer your seat to someone on crutches. You try standing on the bus with one good leg. Let's see how you do.

So, let's see you give someone a seat who needs it. Maybe when you happen to be hobbling around on crutches, someone will be kind enough to offer a seat to you or open the door so you don't have to balance and hop around like a fool to do it yourself (I know you will. I did. I know I looked like a fool.).

If everyone showed a little common courtesy, politeness...and just did what was right...this world would likely be a much better place.