There are ¬many complaints I can lodge against McGill students. They’re loud in the libraries, they insist on handing out flyers at the Milton gates, and they have a chronic inability to distinguish recyclables from non-recyclables. The list goes on and on, and as many people can attest, I have an exceptional ability to whine about my peers. It wasn’t until a recent encounter in the Vancouver airport, however, when I realized at least one thing that I do appreciate about McGill students: their sense of common courtesy.

Like most students, I treat my computer like a fifth limb and can barely go a few hours without checking something on the Internet. So naturally I decided to do a little web snooping while waiting for my plane to leave. This activity involves scoping out the perfect place to sit: a spot that’s well lit, comfortable, and most importantly, right next to an electrical outlet. I’d found my ideal spot, and now the only thing standing between me and my battle with Minerva for a reasonable class schedule was a man’s jacket thrown casually on the chair. Imagine my surprise when, in response to my polite request for him to move the coat, he sighed with exasperation and said, “Seriously? Can’t you sit somewhere else?”

In my two and half years at McGill, I’ve never encountered someone who wouldn’t move their belongings off a chair, share an electrical outlet, reach down to plug in a computer, watch someone’s stuff while they go to the bathroom, or any of the other millions of minor courteous gestures that people regularly do. I suddenly realized that common courtesy isn’t something universal, but that it might be particular to McGill students. I stumbled through an explanation of why I needed that seat near the electrical outlet while thinking to myself that this would never happen on campus or in any of the dozens of student-filled cafes. Opinion pieces are so often complaints about the student body, but instead I’m applauding all you McGill students who courteously make space for others, share desks, tables, and electrical outlets. Know that you surpass the rest of the world in terms of common courtesy— or at least certain Vancouver airplane passengers— and keep being polite, at least until I graduate.