Have you ever had a bad day brightened by someone who did a little something to make you feel better?

For most of us, a bad day lasts for the entire 24 hours. You pull an all-nighter, take an 8 a.m. exam, have a three-hour afternoon lab and then work at night. It never seems to end. But every once in a while, the bad streak is broken by a glimmer of sunshine.

But what if you’re having a good day? Obviously, you wouldn’t want a controversy to stir up your happy-go-lucky feeling. What is really bothersome is how some people habitually ruin other people’s day by being rude and impolite.

Impolite and inconsiderate people are everywhere. And everyone has been impolite several times. Some of these behaviors are warranted, but a large part are petty actions that are uncalled for.

When I came to Ames from my rural, small town in northwest Iowa, I suddenly noticed that people weren’t as friendly. I was used to saying hello to everyone I met on the sidewalk or in the seven-aisle grocery store. Ames seemed pretty big and scary (but not as much as Iowa City). I wasn’t used to seeing people I didn’t know. But one thing was for sure: I was excited about meeting more people.

Although I became acquainted with some nice people, it turned out that I met some sour grapes in the process. And sometimes those nice acquaintances and friends became sour as well.

But, overall, I think I have surrounded myself with a group of considerate friends and acquaintances. Still, I encounter the sour grapes.

Take, for instance, a businessman I encountered in the skywalks in Des Moines. While putting my time in at my internship at News Channel 8, I went out with a photojournalist to ask people their opinions on the news story of the day. Instead of attacking people, I politely approached them, explained who we were and what we were doing. Then I asked people if they wanted to comment.

That’s when I got one of the rudest comments I have ever heard. A man told me to “go away” before I had even spoken three words. As he said, “go away,” he scowled at me, put his nose in the air and stormed away from us.

I understand that maybe the man didn’t want to be on television, as many people don’t. Maybe the man was in a hurry. Maybe he dislikes the media. Maybe he was just a callous man. Whatever the man’s beliefs, his comment could have been more tactful. One thing was definite: his comment RUDELY awakened me.

I started noticing other rude actions — the car that cut me off on the interstate, the people who knock products off store shelves and a snippy drive-thru worker at a fast-food restaurant.

Some people are impolite or inconsiderate as a result of their combined experiences. A person who has been robbed is likely to be impolite to strangers because of distrust. All too often, people are rude because they’ve had a bad day. College students tend to be not-so-nice when their pizza delivery is late. When somebody hits your car or someone tries to screw you out of money, being impolite is okay.

However, combined experiences aren’t always good excuses for being inconsiderate. Maybe the skywalk guy just thought that the media is evil. What it all comes down to is: get over it.

Look at our dating experiences. When you go out on a date with someone or meet someone, you compare the person to past experiences. Although you may deny it, it is true. We build up tolerances and hatreds to certain types of behavior. Many of these are petty, but it is often a way to isolate yourself from others and to protect yourself from letting bad experiences happen again.

You’ll meet someone in the bar and the person will behave in a way that reminds you of an old flame. Most likely, your past experience will be a strike against that person. Actually, the person probably didn’t do anything wrong, but one action stuck out and will remain in the back of your mind. If things end up not working out, it’s likely that one behavior or memory from the past will be an excuse.

Although it’s wise to protect yourself and keep up your guard, it’s also inconsiderate to discount the person because of your past experience.

To put it short: being impolite, in most cases, is ridiculous. It often gets you nowhere and makes the situation tense. Being polite in cases where people expect you to be inconsiderate will not only help others have a good day, but you’ll have a great feeling that will want to make you hop, skip and jump across campus.

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Erin Payne is a junior in journalism and mass communication and political science from Rock Rapids.