On Saying 'Please' (Page-wise Notes)

                 On Saying 'Please' (Notes)

Page 1

The young lift-man throws the passenger out of the lift because he doesn’t say ‘please’ and so he is fined for it is an offence in the eyes of the law. On the contrary discourtesy is not a legal offence. If a burglar assaults you, you can retaliate with violence and the law permits it. But if someone behaves with bad manners , it is not legally punishable offence.  The writer thinks, the law is reasonable in such case. Otherwise, the people would have used violence against any misbehaviour or bad manners. 

discourtesy : lack of courtesy, rudeness (अवमान)
assault and battery: an attack which includes not only threats but also the actual use of violence (प्राणघातक हल्ला करणे)
retaliate : do something bad to someone who has done something bad to you (बदला)

complainant : one who complains तक्रारदार
assailant : an attacker (हल्लेखोर)
legislate: make a law or laws (कायदे / कायदा बनविणे)
violence : action or feeling that causes damage, unrest etc. (हिंसा)
to box : fight with the fists (closed hands) (ठोसा मारणे)
haughty: having a high opinion of oneself and often a low opinion of others (ठोसा मारणे)

Page 2

Even if one is uncivil or rude, there is no penalty. The law does not compel anyone to say ‘please’. It does not recognises the damage to one’s feeling and therefore no compensation for moral or intellectual damage. As a matter of fact damage to one’s feelings is more painful. If the lift-man had received a kick on shin, he would have forgotten it in a short while but the wound caused to the self-respect last for the whole day. The writer feels that if the lift-man would not have thrown the passenger out, he would have enjoyed balance. One person infects the other with bad manners and the whole world is infected. Bad manners do more to poison in the general life than any other crime. number of people are victim of others ill treatment and no law or religious lessons can cover our private matters and vast area of offences due to bad manners.

              boorish: rude, uncultured (उध्दट)
laceration: (here) a cut or tear (चिरा / घाव)
redress : compensation (मोबदला)
vanity: pride
brooding over : thinking anxiously or sadly about something
equilibrium: balance (समतोल)
bullied: threatened (दादागिरी)
insolent: very rude
calendar: (here) a calendar of causes arranged for trial in court
henpecked : In the control of wife

              black eye : blow on face
endorse : support
morose: unhappy
Decalogue: The Ten Commandments
verdict : judgement

Page 3

Though we are not compelled legally to say ‘please’, our old and sacred practice strongly advises to be civil and for that we should acknowledge the service with ‘please’ and ‘thank you’. These little courtesies keep our life in fine tune. Then our conversation with others will be based on friendly cooperation and easy give and take. So, instead of commanding with superiority, one should ask things and have it with willingness and good-feeling. The writer cites an example of a bus conductor who is rare because many conductors treat passengers rudely and he was different in that sense. The writer expects some civility in bus conductors to make things pleasant for travelling public. He experienced the civility in this bus conductor, when he jumped in the bus and found he had no money in his pocket. He feared that the conductor would certainly get him down thinking him fool and dishonest.

enjoins :  advises strongly

intercourse: communication, conversation
resentment: anger
ordeal: difficult or painful experience

knave – dishonest person

Page 4

But the good conductor asked the writer not to worry and handed him tickets with no ill will. Somehow the writer found a shilling in a corner of his pocket and he paid for the tickets but the incident made him pleased by the kind gesture of the conductor. A few days later when the writer’s toe was trampled by the conductor, it pained him yet he didn’t complain. The writer wondered his inexhaustible patience and cheerfulness. while raining he offered space for the passengers on the stairs; he was considerate for the elderly and the youngsters equally. For a blind passenger, he would assist him to the safe place on the road. For the writer this conductor with good-temper and kindliness was an absolute example of courtesy and good manners.

coppers : coins of low value

cheerfully: happily
squared: settled
trampled on : crushed under feet
countenance : face
treading : putting foot on other’s
assured : told confidently
inexhaustible: unlimited

solicitous: caring or concerned

indulged : involved

Page 5

What struck me ……. but a sound investment.

The conductor behaved politely and with manners to all easily and it specially appealed the writer. There was no show, no exhibition behind his kind gestures. If bad manners are infectious so are good manners. It means if we tend to behave badly with bad people, we are influenced to be good in the company of good people. As Keats says he gets cheerful in happy weather and it is equally true for the good people like the cheerful bus conductor who with his civility, polite nature and friendly treatment not only lightened the spirit of the passengers but lightened his work. His happiness  is not wasteful but  good investment. It means he kept his atmosphere happy always that benefited him to be happy and away from unwanted tension of work and people around.

“I have missed him ………. good-temper and kindly feeling.”

The writer misses the bus conductor as he has changed his route, he must me diffusing happiness there which is rare in this drab world. The Wordsworth can get inspired by the poor leech-gatherer, the writer can certainly write on the bus conductor. The common people should take lessons from good-tempered and kind people though they are in modest profession.

“It is a matter of general agreement ……….. the fellow into the mud.”

It is true that in war situation the general civilities are missing but to make life kindly and tolerable we must get those civilities. We cannot get those civilities back by ‘law’. Although law and police are necessary in some societies lower than standards, law provide protection against physical attack. And violence cannot be the answer against moral offence. In place of physical assault, if the lift-man had reacted in polite manner, he not only would have won over the rude passenger but also over himself. ‘The polite man may lose the material advantage, but he always has the spiritual victory.’ The writer winds up his essay citing the example of Lord Chesterfield who humbly wants to share dry side of the road even to the scoundrel and expects if the lift-man had not behaved rashly, his revenge would have been much sweeter.   

irradiated : (here) spread or produced
uncouth: impolite, unrefined
benediction: a blessing
conciliatory: trying to win friendly feelings  

panegyric: a speech or piece of writing to praise someone highly

lower than the angels: less than perfect

moral affront : moral offence

boor: a rude, insensitive person

commend : tell as piece of advice