h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

There are probably many rules that are outmoded and some new ones that need to be written.

The basic reason for being courteous to someone is simply being considerate.

Saying "please" and "Thank you" may sometimes be expected too often. Words that aren't meant aren't really a sign of courtesy.

Actions that come spontaneously - fetching a chair for someone old or disabled (regardless of their sex, or of the fetcher's sex), seeing that everyone else at the table has been served before taking some yourself, etc - this is the sort of courtesy that is appreciated more than meaningless words.

Call-center blah-blah with too many "thank you for sharing that information with me".... are just annoying!

Brilliant point TC,
How often has someone said 'sorry' when they obviously didn't mean it?
The one instance that always gets my goat is when the train announcement tells you that a train is delayed, prefaced by the words 'I'm sorry, but the 17.30 blah blah etc'
What? A TAPED RECORDING'S sorry? Pah
GJ

Courtesy is kinda double edged. The person saying it doesn't always have to mean it, so long as the person receiving it accepts it.

Unless, indeed, its a machine :p

There are probably many rules that are outmoded and some new ones that need to be written.
I have to second that. I'm in to much of a rush to put up examples now but it some times seems like modren life changes fast enough that may of the things my Grandparents consider to be propper ettiquite are pointless or activly rude from my perspective and vice versa.

I'd like to hear any examples you can think of where olde worlde courtesy now seems "actively rude".