WE'VE all had such days before.

You know, the sort of day when you get to your car already late and it doesn't open because the new-fangled keyless entry system died on you without warning?

The kind of day when you get to the Singapore Pools booth to claim your 4D winnings only to realise you bought the numbers for the wrong draw.

Well, on that sort of day, you suddenly develop an almost superhero-like sense for evaluating the manners of others.

And it was on such a day I realised how many of us go about our lives with absolutely no regard for anyone else.

Example one: A woman sits in the middle of a taxi queue in front of Thomson Plaza. At least a dozen people stop to ask her if she is in the queue or just waiting.

She does not even bother to look at them, only replying when one of them gets in her face to ask her again if she is in the queue.

Her reply? A sullen shake of the head, again looking away from the person asking the question.

Example two: At rush hour, a woman driver stops suddenly to drop off her passenger, blocking traffic on the left lane, a mere half a metre away from a designated drop-off point.

She causes several cars behind her to jam their brakes and try to negotiate their way past her in heavy traffic. She then stares into the distance as they attempt to shake their fists at her.

Bully

Example three: A long queue develops at your neighbourhood Prime Supermarket, where you plan to buy a loaf of bread.

Never mind, you wait. Suddenly, a tattooed young man jumps queue by approaching the cashier from the other side, asking for a pack of cigarettes.

Ignoring the cashier's attempt to guide him to the queue, he then shouts at the poor girl to just give him the cigarettes and shut up. The bullied girl complies.

In case you are wondering, I witnessed all of the above on the same day. Yes, that same day.

What does this all have to do with fatherhood? Everything.

All of the people I have cited above were no older than 25. And it is clear to me that they were brought up without manners.

Someone forgot to tell these young punks that the world does not revolve around them. Really. It doesn't.

Sure, someone could have gone up to these miscreants to set them straight, but apart from an ugly confrontation, I suspect it would have achieved little in the larger scheme of things.

The key is to teach our kids the right manners from the start. And I'm not just talking about listening to instructions, but to show other people consideration as well.

Don't just leave it to the schools to teach them or, heaven forbid, plain common sense - for there may be none.

I suspect our children may need some extra help as they have grown up in a time of abundance, where maids pick up their dirty socks and presents are bought for them every other weekend.

These kids need to notice the other people in the queue. And be told that everyone in the line has their own life and needs.

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