Learn To Respect The Space of Others

After being jabbed by a woman’s sharp-ended umbrella, jostled by her oversized purse and attacked by her huge, hard-sided briefcase, my colleague loudly declared in a fit of frustration, “Somebody ought to outlaw that ‘burst of bedan.’”

Amen, I agree and I can relate, but I think she meant to say “beast of burden.”

Everyone has encountered this type of rudeness at some time, unintentional though it may be.  With the accumulation of a briefcase, baggage and other paraphernalia that we often transport, there is a need for a new definition of consideration.

If you have even been hit in the head with a woman’s flyaway shoulder bag as you sat quietly in your theater seat, or with carry-on baggage in an airplane, you know what I’m talking about.

If someone’s knapsack has even pinned you against the wall in a crowded elevator, you know why we need some new rules.

If an overburdened salesperson has ever taken over your office reception area with a slide projector, huge black carrying case, and numerous product manuals, while shaking a dripping umbrella over chairs and sofa, you know that something has to be done.

The fact is we are responsible not only for our own physical dimensions but also the actual dimensions of everything that we carry, strap on our back or drag behind us. We must be responsible for keeping not only our elbows out of other people’s faces but everything else that is in our possession that might invade another person’s personal space.

The flip side of this responsibility is the accommodation of people who legitimately have heavy, bulky objects or equipment to carry and require assistance.  Some men are hesitant to help a woman due to the heightened awareness of feminine independence.  This is not an issue of men versus women, however, but one common of courtesy.

Just as a man should open the door for a woman who has her hands full, so should a woman hold open a door for a man who needs help?  “I am amazed,” declared one male professional, “at the number of doors I have had slammed in my face because a woman never looked behind her to see if someone else was entering.”

These weeks of holiday provide an excellent opportunity to practice common courtesy and consideration of others’ personal space.  Leave non-essentials at home or in the car.  Carry soft-sided bags.             When you go to shopping malls, buy large, bulky or heavy presents last and take them directly to your car.  Better yet, have them delivered to your home and make life easier for yourself as well as fellow shoppers.  If you are loaded down, step to the sidewall of the elevator or wait for the next, less crowded car – just to make sure your image has visual, not physical impact.