Teenage behavior

[gothgodess]

This is not ment as an atack on older people (50 +) but I had to say is it me or are the older generation getting worse?

In one trip to school I saw a pensioner dropping sweet wrappers, someone letting their dog foul on the grass outside our doctors and had to ask three times before a group of men begrudgingly moved aside to let me and my kids past. I try to teach my kids right from wrong but how can I tell them off for blocking the paths or dropping litter when they see adults doing it.

I have to walk through the lunch rush from our local high School and the students always step aside, even when we are walking past the large groups outside the takeaway. One boy even apologized for swearing in front of my kids.

I know their are troublemakers out their but if we demand respect and good manners from the youth of today then shouldn't the youth of yeterday be leading by example.
Yes If you are in a wheel chair or invalid scooter then you need extra consideration but you do not own the paths. I don't see why i should have to walk in the road just because you want to sit and talk with freinds. I wouldn't expect to be alowed to do it!

 

[cloudy]

Personally, I don't think age has anything to do with exhibiting good manners.

Unfortunately, there are many people out there, of every age, who don't know the basics, like "please" and "thank you."

 

[rgraham666]

I'm with cloudy on this one goddess.

Some people just never learn about courtesy. I think it's caused by an equal measure of psychopathy, pride and ignorance.

I think every one should work as a janitor for at least a couple of months, preferably early in their lives. I was good about not making a mess before. Being a janitor has improved that a lot.

 

[SnoopDog]

I have to agree to a certain extend. Some elder people behave like they are always right just because they have inhabited this earth for a longer time than me.

But there are cool 'Grampas' and 'Granmas' as well.

Snoopy

 

[Guest]

I rarely come upon rudeness. At the most I'd say some people, of any age, are too self-absorbed and so might seem to act rudely. Deliberate rudeness is rare thank goodness.

Perdita

 

[cantdog]

clear call for CV

I rarely come upon rudeness. At the most I'd say some people, of any age, are too self-absorbed and so might seem to act rudely. Deliberate rudeness is rare, thank goodness.

Perdita

When you're half deaf, half blind, and pain is a constant companion, self-absorbed might be the way it looks.

Godess, the wheelchairs own the paths because the dipshit civil engineer who designed them never considered wheelchairs. They'd be wide enough to work your way past a wheelchair if they'd been designed intelligently.

If the chair leaves the path it can get back on, but some of them are more difficult to do that with than others. The mtorized ones, some of them, have damn small wheels and need smooth surfaces to work well.

Arrogance, though, is more common than rudeness. I find 60+ people to be less arrogant than master bipeds in their forties and early fifties.

The worst seem to be rich middle-aged women whose attitude toward us all is that we're in the servant class, and after that 45-55 year old men who are managers and bosses of one kind or another, and have gotten too used to everyone sucking their ass.

Deliberately being ignored by young yahoos with a chip on the shoulder is fairly usual, too.

But I just go around them all. Paths are for weenies, anyway. I didn't come by to play dominance games with these people, I just have a destination that takes me past them. They can keep the path if that's what makes them happy.

If they've occluded a doorway, I move through, very slowly, using "excuse me" as a cattle prod if they can't take a hint. Doorway blocking is almost always just sheer obliviousness; but they generally perceive me as deliberately rude for going through the door anyhow after giving them ten or fifteen seconds to wake up on their own. I got big shoulders. Blame me, that's fine, just open up the doorway.

 

[Virtual_Burlesque]

I could probably be mistaken for one of your young, inconsiderate people, provided I don’t see you coming. A simple “excuse me” will not only make me move quickly, but it will usually elicit an apology.

When I run into someone blocking a passageway, if they are proceeding at their best speed, I say nothing. If they are milling about talking, or listening to the microbes grow. I switch to a more aggressive manner.

First I ask politely, “Excuse me, please.” If that has no effect, I repeat my request, only louder, and after the manner of Steve Martin.

So far, that has always worked, eventually.

 

[Joe Wordsworth]

Older people are definitely getting worse. And they're breathing up all us innovative young people's oxygen.

(heh, "kiddo" my ass... )

 

[Raizal]

Im not sure how i stand on this one. There does seem to be a lot of rude people in general. Those that stand in doorways and wont move even when its the only way through, or shout abuse across the streets because i choose to wear something different to them all come in different ages and sizes.

Polite people do seem rare, unless you get the right day out. There are a few people who will be happy to talk to you, let alone move if they are blocking the way. I think it is just people in general, they have had to much "Hes doing it, i'll do it" ramned down their throats.

I think the real people who need attacking are celebrities who expect the law not to apply to them. (I.E. Maddona and the ramblers on her land). If she had got the path to be moved off from her land, then people everywhere would buy land with a path and demand the same privalges. Once somebody famous has done something, and got away with it, everybody does it and expect the same results...

 

[The-oldmans-wife]

In my age group, there are a majority that have, bad eyesight, impaired hearing, and reduced mobility. All of these hanicaps generate some intolorance t'ward those not having any impairments.

In most instances of perceved rudeness, they just are unaware that you are there. A very few have developed an "I've earned IT!" attitude twards supposed privilages.

My husband and I frequent the local senior center at least three times a week for lunch. One of those days my husband plays cards with like minded men. He complains that all the good players are dying off, and that the younger ones aren't good players.

gothgodess, many of us secritly envy, if not show some resentment, of your youthful health and physical wellbeing. Please forgive us our idiosyncrosies, permit us what dignity we can still muster.

After all we are the largest group of AIDS cariers ... Hearing aids, walking aids,seeing aids, digestive aids, etc.

 

[R. Richard]

I am somewhat amused by this thread.

I grew up in the mean streets of several big cities. What I think of as rudeness is someone trying to maim me/kill me. Strangely, I do not have much trouble below that level. (Or for that matter at that level, I train with senior blackbelts.)

Since I have been coping since I was 12, I have developed a kind of persona that people seem to recognize. I am an average sized individual and not particularly impressive physically (unless I have my shirt off), however, when I project my 'I will rip your heart from your chest and stomp on it' mode, people back off. The crowd parts, I walk by and the bad dudes ask, "Who the hell was that?"

Although I have little trouble with rudeness, the price of my protection was way too high!

JMNTHO.