Most of my grievances with the residents of Philadelphia boils down to lack of common courtesy. A concept so simple yet so far-reaching as well.
Sure, Philadelphians will wave another car to go ahead at any of the 4-way stop signs that litter this city. They seem to love playing traffic director. But should you give a light tap on the horn to the driver in front of you who doesn’t move when the light turns green, you’re likely to be the recipient of an obscene gesture.
There is an entire category on this site dedicated to the woes of driving in Philly, so don’t get me started here. That’s just one example of the rudeness I encounter on a daily basis here in the “City of Brotherly Love”.
To me, courtesy means showing respect for one another. When respect is lacking, it comes out in so many ways. Driving is one. The supermarket is another quick example that comes to mind.
I can’t count how many times I’ve gotten in the express lane at the supermarket here behind a person who can’t count. Four 6-packs of soda, five packages of Tastycakes, two frozen pizzas, three packages of ground beef on sale, two packages of hamburger buns, and the candy bar they picked up in the third aisle and have been gnawing at ever since DOES NOT fit in the 10 items or less lane. But they know that. They just don’t care.
The lack of common decency is more pronounced here than anywhere else I’ve lived or traveled. That’s exactly what makes Philadelphia so difficult to live in for people who actually care about one another and show it.