Have you seen any random acts of kindness being performed recently? Has politeness died? What about just plain ole good behavior and chivalrous deeds?

I’ve been wondering about that lately, observing men/women/children around Tucson.

I often see people driving badly in their cars & trucks– not signaling, cutting off others in traffic lanes, running yellow lights turning red, ignoring pedestrians, etc., etc.

But what about other forms of polite interaction, good manners, and etiquette around town?

I rarely see men getting up to give women their seats anymore on the Sun Tran bus. But they usually do for the disabled using walkers and canes, or in wheelchairs.

Do you see men opening doors for women or the elderly? Maybe 21st century feminist women now retort saying they are “perfectly capable of opening their own doors, thank you very much.”

Are people learning to turn off their cell phones so as not to interrupt a speaker at an event? Or are they still behaving badly despite being reminded?

Are invitees sending their RSVP (répondez s’il vous plaît) to events, or just forgetting to?

Random acts of kindness poster

What about random acts of kindness? I used to put coins in parking meters for car owners whose time was about to expire, just to be helpful, to avoid a parking ticket.

My friends sometimes fault me for being “too nice” to others. I give out any extra free tickets or movie passes I have to others (even strangers in line) instead of just throwing them away.

I usually open doors for people overburdened with kids & strollers, and/or carrying large loads.

And I take food or drinks to pot luck meals instead of showing up empty handed, & saying or acting like I forgot.

Please let me know of other acts of kindness or good behavior you see around town. I’m just curious if people even care enough not to behave badly.

“Celebrate Kindness Day” is coming up on Saturday April 24, sponsored by the Ben’s Bells Project, www.bensbells.org. According to their event flyer — “Nothing is more important in these trying times than kindness.”