At my local DMV office, they don’t open the doors fully; instead, they have a section of seats outside the accordion doors, and it’s like a game of musical chairs, without the music—the elimination is the person who gets called to the DMV counter. And just like musical chairs, there aren’t enough chairs for everyone. The new arrivals, waiting their turn, stand awkwardly beside the chairs until one becomes vacant.

I had to go to the DMV and was sitting, waiting for my turn, moving from chair to chair as a woman popped her head out of the door, calling, “Next,” and up we went, round and round. Standing in the crowd beside the chairs was a woman who had trouble standing, leaning to the side, trying to stay upright.  Looking at her, I could tell she was uncomfortable the way she shifted her weight from foot to foot. Yet, no one offered her their chair, as if afraid that by doing so, they would lose their precious place in line. So, I got up, folded my chair, and offered it to her where she stood. She gratefully accepted and sat down with a sigh of relief. I went back to my spot and waited in line standing. The following person, a Gen Alpha wearing pyjama bottoms depicting cartoon characters and an oversized tattered t-shirt with a baseball cap on his head, glared at me because now he wouldn’t have a chair. Oh boohoo.

Offering a chair to someone in significant discomfort is just common courtesy, and Gen Alpha needs to learn some much-needed manners if he doesn’t understand basic human compassion.