Annoyed by this small thing

[SophieHasOneQuestion]

I am not sure if it is my fault. This morning, gave my seat to a woman's son on a crowded tube, so she can sit close to him. The woman did't say thank you or anything, instead, she looked at me and gave me a very unfriendly/entitled look.
When we need to get off, I decided not to gave the way for her to pass first (I was in front of her). She got annoyed and shouted to her son and said, "let her go first". I said “thank you.” back. To be honest, I am happy to let her and her son go first if she is a bit friendly in the first place.
I really don't want small things like this to affect my day. Are people just more easily irritated (including myself) after covid?
Can you pease give some tips to "forget" the negative small things and not be so sensitive?
Thank you very much.

Maybe just think that you are putting positives out in the world, but that there isn’t a channel to let the negatives back?

It is annoying not to be thanked. But people will have seen you do it and that will make them more likely to which is the main thing. Who knows why she’s rude, maybe she is a grim piece of work, or just having an awful day. But you did a nice thing, and that’s the only bit you can control.

You did the right thing but her reaction got under your skin understandably. Your thoughtfulness was lovely if that real life situation was given an online analogy I'd been on that tube, I would have been a lurker seeing you and seeing her and being glad that people like you existed. I hope you don't let her reaction stop you being thoughtful like that. I find these things her to me more when I am surprised by it and then it can be hard to shake off. I find talking to a friend about it so we end up having a laugh at the ridiculousness of it helps. If you can have a cuppa and make up a funny backstory why she did that complete with what happened to her next so you can end up laughing that helps.

No act of kindness is ever wasted

Could there have been a cultural difference that caused a communication barrier?
The reason I ask is because I spent many years living abroad and using public transport.

That's a whole other thread, but let's just say no wonder some other languages don't have the word Queue in their vocabulary 😐

@TopCatsTopHat

You did the right thing but her reaction got under your skin understandably. Your thoughtfulness was lovely if that real life situation was given an online analogy I'd been on that tube, I would have been a lurker seeing you and seeing her and being glad that people like you existed. I hope you don't let her reaction stop you being thoughtful like that. I find these things her to me more when I am surprised by it and then it can be hard to shake off. I find talking to a friend about it so we end up having a laugh at the ridiculousness of it helps. If you can have a cuppa and make up a funny backstory why she did that complete with what happened to her next so you can end up laughing that helps.

@TopCatsTopHat - thank you so much, you guessed it, after this instance, I was wondering if I should continue to gave seat or do kind things...

Easy to feel disheartened and put off. I have kind of got it in my head that I refuse to join team misery. And be grumpy arses though these joyless creatures may, I fully intend to carve out my space to behave like I wish others would, fully in the knowledge that it might not be appreciated, so it slaps me in the face much less often now I'm prepared, I kind of internally high 5 myself and feel really grateful that I'm not such a miserable bastard and maybe a little might rub off. Then you get the people who do appreciate the little things (its only easy little things like letting people out of side roads, holding a door y'know basics) and give you beaming smiles, maybe even share a joke, I know whose team I want to be on.

@Justleaveitblankthen

Could there have been a cultural difference that caused a communication barrier? The reason I ask is because I spent many years living abroad and using public transport.

That's a whole other thread, but let's just say no wonder some other languages don't have the word Queue in their vocabulary 😐

Could you please share a little bit what the public transport manner in other countries are like?

Thank you very much.

@TopCatsTopHat

Easy to feel disheartened and put off. I have kind of got it in my head that I refuse to join team misery. And be grumpy arses though these joyless creatures may, I fully intend to carve out my space to behave like I wish others would, fully in the knowledge that it might not be appreciated, so it slaps me in the face much less often now I'm prepared, I kind of internally high 5 myself and feel really grateful that I'm not such a miserable bastard and maybe a little might rub off. Then you get the people who do appreciate the little things (its only easy little things like letting people out of side roads, holding a door y'know basics) and give you beaming smiles, maybe even share a joke, I know whose team I want to be on.

This is a great positive response , exactly right . I have very high standards when it comes to manners and even though a lot of people would have shown good manners in the op's experience its always disheartening when someone doesn't . I am going to carry on treating people as i would like to be treated , its their loss in the long term if they don't do the same .