It Is My Sad Duty...

to report the demise of my dear friend, Courtesy. He died after a long and debilitating illness.

This was the scene at the time of Courtesy's demise.

 

Courtesy passed away at approximately 5:50 P.M. Eastern daylight time, somewhere just outside of Providence, R.I. He breathed his last when a tall young man, standing next to a much shorter, much older woman, watched her struggle getting her luggage into the overhead compartment on an Amtrak train. The young man appeared peeved that the woman wanted one of the few available seats in the car and he was forced to stand so that she could get into her seat. The young man -- old enough to know better -- sat in the aisle seat hoping that he would have two seats and had draped his computer equipment and endless extension cords on the "spare" seat. 

 

The pain of the incident struck at Courtesy's heart and he breathed his last. I was there with him and I was grateful that I could be there for him, though his condition was beyond any resuscitation. Our beloved Courtesy was gone.

 

He is survived by his father, The Social Contract and his mother, The Golden Rule. He also leaves a sister, Kindness and a brother, Thoughtfulness. His half-brother, Chivalry, passed away a number of years ago. Courtesy is mourned by millions.

 

Courtesy, you were quiet and most self-effacing, but you made the world a better place. We will miss you every day.  

 

In tribute to Courtesy, regular programming is suspended. The world is a sadder place.