In my post titled “Acts of Kindness,” I wrote about people who I did not know going out of their way to be helpful to my elderly mother and me, and how special it is when people act in caring ways toward others. Recently I saw an example of an act of unkindness, so to speak. I ride a bus to and from work most days. I was on the bus when I heard a young man ask the driver if this bus would be going to a certain suburb. The driver answered “That’s what it says,” referring to the bus number and destination that appear on the front and side of the bus. The driver’s tone suggested the young man shouldn’t have needed to ask because the answer was obvious. Actually, the suburb isn’t listed; the name of the bus station is, and the bus station name doesn’t include the suburb name. But even if that wasn’t the case, was there any reason to respond in that way to the young man?
I’m happy to say that in my experience the majority of bus drivers answer questions in a courteous manner, demonstrating good customer service. And even though I can think of many actions that are more demeaning and cruel, sometimes those seemingly minor words or actions have a harsher effect than a person might think. The young man might have been riding the bus for the first time, English might be his second language, he might have gotten on a wrong bus once and wanted to be reassured that he was on the right bus–there are many reasons to ask that simple question of the bus driver.
Treating others as one would like to be treated is a concept that occurs in some form in nearly every religious and ethical tradition. I believe treating others as we would like to be treated is a goal we should all strive for.