After you

Ever heard the phrase "after you"? I guess you have. I have heard it in movies and read it in books, but I don't think I've ever heard it being used in person.

But today someone actually said it to me.

I was just reaching the door and there was someone not far behind me. I scanned my badge and pulled the door open, nodding my head for him to go first. But instead of going first, he said, "After you".

It's not like this is a very rare situation; it happens all the time. But usually the person in question doesn't say anything. Or those who are trying to act extra-gentlemanly (sometimes I call it over-gentlemanly) would say "Ladies first", as if they wouldn't give way to another guy. But "After you"? Rolling off the tip of his tongue like he didn't even have to think of the phrase? A rarity.

And this detail shouldn't matter, but in a time of racial hate and scorn and what-else, I just wanted to record this down (because I may forget in the future): the guy was a Malay (I could be wrong, but he looked like one). So if anyone decides to do some racial profiling that annoys me, maybe I can look up this post and shove it under their noses, minus this last paragraph.