I am waiting for the S-Bahn, a woman with a pram is also waiting near me.
The train pulls in, the doors open and people get off. When the way is clear, we, the woman with the pram and I, look at each other and I indicate to her that I am happy to let her go first. We smile wordlessly, she nods her head and pushes the front wheels of the pram into the train carriage.
A man comes down the stairs, obviously noticing that he would have wanted to get out, because he is moving fast. He turns the corner to get off, ... stops his stride, looks at the woman, smiles and says "I almost knocked her down now, sorry. Have a nice day". She smiles back and calls over her shoulder, "No problem, thank you, have a nice day too". I get on behind her, the doors close and the train leaves.
How wonderful when people meet!
I cheated a little. The situation was slightly different. Namely:
He turns the corner to get out, sees the woman with the pram standing in the entrance and his gaze and whole face instantly darken. He speeds up even more, lowers his head and, as he hurries out, promptly gets his foot caught on one of the pram's wheels. His speed and his body's forward motion cause him to almost fall down for a few steps. He shouts "Damn it, can't you watch out?!" The woman's face then turns abruptly red, her eyes tear wide open and she shouts after him "when you get out so late!". I get on behind her, the doors close and the train leaves.
How unfortunate. Two people could have met there. But apparently the gentleman only saw an obstacle, a problem. His reaction was accordingly "dehumanised". Tragic how much such an attitude can be contagious: The previously still smiling woman is immediately in the same place and also sees no human being, only a problem. Both are focused on their own right. Human interaction - absent within milliseconds!
Why don't you try it out for yourself today: how do you meet people? What do you see them as?
Unfortunately, this is not yet part of the basic education in our society, but a more humane, mutually enjoyable coexistence is can be learned and trained.