North Dakota Nice

I am not attempting to pick out one state as an example of displaying rude behavior but this weekend I experienced three separate examples or being downright rude, all from people who were from the same eastern state. I know that the exception is not normally the rule, but these folks tested my North Dakota nice to the max.

The first incident happened as I was standing in a very controlled and cordial line waiting to get coffee before our conference began. A lady stepped in front of me and said that she wanted to get some donuts before all of us people took them all. First, I wouldn’t just cut into a line and second, if I felt I had to I would certainly excuse myself. Nope, neither of these common courtesies took place. After she cut into line she took additional time to pick through the pastries that were offered for those attending and then turned and talked to the whole line about how these were not the donuts that had been promised, and then as if we should know, asked about where we thought they would be because they certainly are not here.

All of us were so surprised with her behavior that we didn’t say a word. One gentleman from Minnesota looked at me and asked “what just happened here?” Another lady responded, “kinda like on the playground…she just took cuts.”

Incident number two took place at lunch as once again we all were waiting in a buffet style line to get lunch. Those going through line were helping themselves to “build your own” chili. At the end of the line was a basket of spoons. When we reached the area where we were afforded the opportunity to take napkins and a spoon, there was one spoon left in the basket. Another lady from the same state delegation as before cut into line to grab the last spoon and said “I’ll just take the last spoon. I am sure they are going to bring more. You people aren’t going to need a spoon for a while, anyway.” Again, no common courtesy like excusing herself, just cut into line, grab the last spoon and take off…but not before letting all of us know that even though we had reached the end of the serving line, we certainly weren’t going to need a spoon right away.

Finally, incident number three would happen that evening as we were sitting enjoying conversation with fellow convention attendees. One of the chairs was empty at our table, but we were kind of holding it for a lady who went to get a glass of water. A table of Pennsylvania folks was also sitting in this area. They had 4 chairs but needed a fourth. Guess where they grabbed their needed extra chair from. Yep, our table. Without asking about the availability of the chair it was taken from our table. Now reverse the situation about 45 seconds later when our friend arrived. Our chair sat empty at their table, but when our friend asked nicely if we could have our chair back there were several comments about the chair being used. The last comment which pushed my North Dakota Nice button to North Dakota Not Nice button was “can’t you see?” My comment was not appropriate. I fired back “there is no one sitting in that chair, I am certainly able to see that.”

We All Need To Be North Dakota Nice, Right?

North Dakota nice was coined, as I remember, during COVID. Then Governor Doug Burgum stressed that it would take being North Dakota Nice to get through these tough times. It has hung on as a way to describe how we do things in North Dakota.

However, even before we called it North Dakota Nice we would talk about being brought up to use common courtesy. To let people, even when driving, but that conversation is for another day, cut into line. But when you allowed someone to do so, you expected a thank you in return.

“Cuts” are not allowed on the playground because children have a way of enforcing the basic rules everyone is expected to follow. Maybe adults could remember that, too. It took three separate incidents to breach my North Dakota Nice, and even then I felt guilty for letting that breach happen at all.

Rod’s Ramblins’

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