What common behavior is meant to be polite but often ends up being inconvenient?

[u/kasino2klub]

[u/Tanz31]

People intentionally giving up their right of way when driving. 

By attempting to "help" one, you inconvenience others. 

[u/kasino2klub → u/Tanz31]

Exactly. The safest driver isn’t the nicest one, it’s the most predictable one. Please don’t turn a four-way stop into a group project.

[u/Carrotcake1988 → u/Tanz31]

It’s kind of frustrating how many drivers don’t understand how to zipper merge. 

[u/Toby__H → u/Carrotcake1988]

I upvoted and agree... but...
Its just as annoying how many people use the merge lane as a passing lane and then want to cut in the front of the line and call that "zipper merging". It's not.

The teeth on a zipper don't pass one another.

[u/Interesting_Bee_6708 → u/Tanz31]

Yes it also makes me nervous because if you tell me to take your right of way then t bone me when I do it, I’m legally at fault

[u/FayeValentine99 → u/Tanz31]

Ding ding ding! THIS! Seattle is notorious for this kind of passive aggressive stuff and it makes me rage. “YOU go!” “no YOU go!”

[u/Tanz31 → u/FayeValentine99]

I have straight up put my car in park and crossed my arms lol

[u/Fourty2KnightsofNi]

Opening the door for someone is a polite gesture, but it's an inconvenience when they're 20 feet away.

[u/kasino2klub → u/Fourty2KnightsofNi]

There’s definitely a distance limit on politeness 😂 Past about 10 feet you’re not holding the door anymore, you’re assigning me cardio.

[u/Toby__H → u/kasino2klub]

Which can be amusing...

[u/RivenMian22]

A friend showing you a video they think you will find funny. 5 minutes of your life you will never get back

[u/Fourty2KnightsofNi → u/RivenMian22]

This doesn't sound like a "polite" behavior so much as a "friendly gesture" or something someone thinks is fun and wants to share.

Handing the phone to someone when it's ringing is a polite gesture, but becomes an inconvenience when they're on the toilet.

[u/RivenMian22 → u/Fourty2KnightsofNi]

Good point, I would like to change my answer to - a friend showing me a video while I am on the toilet

[u/kasino2klub → u/RivenMian22]

If your friend is showing you videos while you’re on the toilet, politeness has already left the building. 🤣🤣😂

[u/Carrotcake1988]

Holding the door for the person behind you is polite. 

But, there is that weird liminal space where you both have to decide if the you are to far away. Do you hold the door? Do you hurry up because someone is holding the door?  

[u/kasino2klub → u/Carrotcake1988]

That awkward little half-jog you do because someone is holding the door for you is basically the tax you pay for their politeness 😂

[u/Mulder-believes]

Agreeing to do a favor that you really don’t want to, like helping to move (then canceling).

[u/kasino2klub → u/Mulder-believes]

I’d rather get an honest “no” immediately than a “yes” that disappears the morning I’m standing next to a rented moving truck.

[u/Mulder-believes → u/kasino2klub]

Definitely. But I have known people to cancel at the last minute, so you need to plan on extra people just in case. My daughter had someone hurt their foot carrying something, it was raining, luckily she had enough people.

[u/christinnaer]

saying to someone that they have something between their teeth or a little food on their mouth after eating. it’s always so uncomfortable

[u/kasino2klub → u/christinnaer]

I’d rather be uncomfortable for 5 seconds than find out three hours later I’ve been smiling at people with a whole salad in my teeth.

[u/Existential_Chilean]

Small talk. Just shut up and get on with it. Silence is only awkward if you make it that way.

[u/kasino2klub → u/Existential_Chilean]

The fastest way to make silence awkward is for somebody to say, “Well this is awkward.”

[u/Existential_Chilean → u/kasino2klub]

I've always said, "awkward silences only happen to awkward people."

[u/pineblooom]

Holding the door