This reminds me of when I went to the hospital for one of my regular check-ups when I was pregnant. My husband came with me on this occasion. We were sitting in the waiting room, waiting, as you do! I went to the toilet and told him to keep my seat for me as it was very busy. I cam back to find he had given up HIS seat for a pregnant woman and some other bloody sod had nicked my seat! So much for giving a pregnant woman your seat! And the twat pretended not to see me! Can you believe it?? The room was barely the size of a small toilet for god sake! Some people really are unbelievable.

"What if, instead of being low profile and antisocial, you look around you and say hi to everyone?"

they will think you're a freak and think that you're going to take their money away.

That was a way to say that we shoul help each other...
I was surprised that Sikhism allow people from every religions to come in the temple and eat food if they need. They care about everyone and they are tolerant and open minded. That's my idea of a peaceful environment and that answer to my way of thinking: look around and say hi. I should say look around and help each other.

Regarding your case, the first week after I moved to Quebec city, I used the public transportation and my seat was far away from the door. I saw a pregnant woman (maybe 7 months pregnant) who was standing up, in front of everyone; nobody care about that. She was feeling hurting when I was looking at the face and I thought, "C'mon guys, do something!". Then, what was my surprised when I saw the pregnant woman sitting on the floor (in the bus!) and nobody did somethin!! Then, I yelled to everyone to give a seat to this woman (mixed with some smooth insults). I still feel guilty even if after that, I was not able to put my butt on the seat... Because I was so far away from the pregnant woman was not an excuse, I know but I use to think tha the seat reserved for pregnant woman and ederly are supposed to be used by them, no? I hate that kind of people who faint to see nothing... When you think about that, there's much more people like that then we think...

God sake! Just shows you what this world is coming to. She sat on the FLOOR of the bus and still no bugger offered the poor woman a seat! That truly is disgusting. The woman in question probably felt tired enough getting the bus to wherever she was going, but to have the added discomfort of not being able to get a seat? If I had been there, had a seat AND been pregnant myself, I probably would've given her a seat!!

Good ideas here. I do worry about the way our society has "dumbed down" and care little about others at times. Good post.