I did a post some time ago about smiling and its positive results. I mentioned holding open doors.
Hold a door and smile and you have a brief friend. Let someone into the line of traffic waiting for the light to change and you get a nod and a smile.
But not always. And, more often than not the person that ignores your smile, the door held open or the waiting for them to get out of the parking lot is a woman. I have only anecdotal, not empirical, proof for this. But it's true.
I stopped on the way home at QuikTrip convenience store, a venue made for the hold the door and smile gambit. As I approached a young guy waited a second or two at the door to hold it for me. I smiled, he smiled and I said thanks. During the exchange, I saw a lady approaching and waited three or four seconds to hold the door for her. She never made eye contact, never said a word, walking through the open door.
I got my beer, went to the counter, put it up to be scanned and handed the cashier the money. As that transaction was finishing, my lady of the door hit the counter immediately on my right, just as I was reaching to get my beer. She plopped her purse down on the counter directly in front of the beer, just as I was reaching for it. I withdrew my hand. She opened her purse (not looking to her left where I stood six inches from her side), opened it and took out a five dollar bill. As she got her change, I decide to let her know I was there. I reached for my beer, over her purse. Nothing, she took her change, faced the bills, placed them carefully in the purse, opened the little change pocket, put the coins in it, zipped it, zipped the greater purse, picked up the purse, all while my forearm was directly over her purse, and left the counter.
I picked up my beer and followed her to the door, she say five feet ahead of me. She opened the door and walked out. The door closing on my face.
I didn’t exist in her world. I don’t think a lot of people exist in any meaningful sense in her world. I wonder why that is.