Simple Public Decorum

Are people less considerate of others than they used to be? Are people in the U.S. less considerate of others than people in Europe? Or Asia?

Yesterday I was working in one of my favorite cafes. There is a line of about 10 small rectangular tables lined up along one wall that are prime spots for people with laptops. The table next to me was empty and a woman who’s a professor at a local university put her bag on it and began to get her laptop out when she noticed a friend sitting nearby. She stopped to talk to him briefly and as their conversation continued she sat in the chair to rest her legs (she walks with a cane, not sure why).

About 10 minutes later a guy who was sitting in one of the sofa’s came over, grabbed her bag and then shouted at me “Is this yours?”

“No.” I replied as I reached to keep her laptop from falling out of her bag.

The professor shouted over that it was hers and her friend came over and grabbed her bag from the ofe who was still holding it.

I said no more until about 30 minutes later as I was putting my laptop away to leave. I mentioned to the guy that he really shouldn’t grab other people’s stuff without asking. He was quite offended by my saying this.