Like hell

[symaa]

1) How strange! I do not have a car, so I either walk or take the bus.
Why it is strange? excuse me if I am being a curious.


(2) From my experience, female senior citizens very much appreciate such gestures on the part of men.

(3) In fact, some expect it. I once saw a female senior citizen walk up to two men who were in their twenties and tell them with her hand gesture to vacate their seats for her. They complied without saying anything.

(4) Of course, I shall not name it, but I read that in a certain country famous for
supposedly having respect for older people (such as I), many of the youth there no longer honor that tradition. The government, I hear, is trying to teach the youth better manners.

Thank you for your comments, and sorry for the mispelling mistake: ''woman'' and not ''women''; by the way I always be happy when someone point out my mistakes.

In my experiences, as I always take the bus, there is always a young man/woman gives up her/his seat to an elderly woman or man as well, and these latter deeply appreciate that
Even if we fell sometimes tired or overworked, we believe that it's a moral obligation to offer your seat to an elderly woman / man, a pregnant…


Thank you.
Have a nice day,

[TheParser]

Thank you for your kind note. (1) When I said "How strange!" I was referring to the fact that the woman seemed offended by your teacher's courteous gesture. (2) Those of us (such as you and I) who were taught by our parents to be courteous to others would, OF COURSE, give up our seats to those who need those seats more than we do. Sadly, in every country, many people (young AND old) think only about themselves. For example, if there are two empty seats on a bus, many people will simply sit down in the aisle seat. They do not sit in the window seat, thus allowing another fellow human being who comes along later to sit in the aisle seat. Why are they so thoughtless? Because they simply could not care less about others. It's ME, ME, ME. (In good English: It's I, I, I.) I got a seat, they feel, so that is all that matters.

[JohnParis]

Sadly, in every country, many people (young AND old) think only about themselves.

Parser - as I have said before - one of the reasons I enjoy coming to this site is to read your comments and observations. It appears that you are not having a good day today. You can't possibly mean what you wrote above? I recently went through a period when I could still go out of the house and I would take the bus whenever needed, but always with a cane to steady my movements. Mind you now, I live in Paris (not a city know for it's politeness). Imagine my shock when I would climb aboard a packed bus and almost immediately someone would offer me their seat!
It's not everywhere nor everyone and I am not saying you are not correct in your observations. But to bring this back around full circle, I say: TO HELL WITH THOSE who can't show a little respect !

[TheParser]

Thank you for your note. Glad to hear that people in Paris are more courteous than their reputation. I do not understand your comment about my not believing that many (not all) people -- the old as well as the young -- think only about themselves. I not only believe it but I know it -- as does everyone else.

I shan't go on, for we will be courting deletion by the powers that be.

[Ouisch]

I was wondering about this expression, "like hell".

Is it acceptable to be used in a casual lady to lady conversation? I feel like it's graceless, still I hear it too frequently!

"Hell" has become a very mild expletive over the years, but it is still an expletive nevertheless. I'm something of an odd duck, according to many of my friends, because even at my advanced age I still never use curse words - even the very mild ones like "hell" and "damn". I don't know why, exactly....that's just me. Anyway, because of this I've learned some things over the years when it comes to females and curse words. Even though it's sexist, in many business and formal situations, most men still frown upon women using curse words. They either think she's trying to be "one of the guys" or else she's coarse and unprofessional.

But casual woman to woman conversation? It depends. Ninety-eight percent of the time another woman wouldn't even notice if you said "like hell" during your conversation. Unless you are speaking to an elderly female relative, or a particularly religious woman, mild curse words will not faze another female in the least during a conversation.

[symaa]

Thank you for your kind note. (1) When I said "How strange!" I was referring to the fact that the woman seemed offended by your teacher's courteous gesture. (2) Those of us (such as you and I) who were taught by our parents to be courteous to others would, OF COURSE, give up our seats to those who need those seats more than we do. Sadly, in every country, many people (young AND old) think only about themselves. For example, if there are two empty seats on a bus, many people will simply sit down in the aisle seat. They do not sit in the window seat, thus allowing another fellow human being who comes along later to sit in the aisle seat. Why are they so thoughtless? Because they simply could not care less about others. It's ME, ME, ME. (In good English: It's I, I, I.) I got a seat, they feel, so that is all that matters.

Thank you so much for the clarification.That's true, wherever you go, you will find the polite and the impolite person and so forth...But this life is full of all kind of people.

Thank you again.

Have a nice day,