Monday, July 18, 2005
I Hate Rude People
Where do they all come from? I mean all these rude people in the world today. Everywhere I go I encounter rudeness in people who don't even seem to realize they're being rude. Self-involved, egotistical icons of bad manners. Quite a mouthful and also quite a handful when you have to deal with someone like this.
I drive on a 4 lane highway going in to work whose speed limit is 65 mph. It is a divided highway, two lanes each direction with great visibility, good pavement, not crowded with traffic but crowded with rude drivers. One would think a highway like this would be ideal for driving to work but one would be wrong.
Invariably there will be two or three cars travelling side by side at about 55 mph with no intention of getting up to speed limit or moving over so faster cars can pass. No, they are satisfied to be moving, however slowly, and 9 times out of 10, talking on their cell phones. I don't have anything against people talking on cell phones while they're driving, as long as their primary focus is on the driving. If you can't talk and drive at the same time, quit talking! Don't quit paying attention to your driving. Use some common sense, please.
Or how about the express checkout lane at the super market? 10 items or less, no checks. Easy to understand. Hard to get people to follow. It's an EXPRESS lane, for crying out loud. Make it fast. Is it too much to ask that you actually have your money ready when you are being checked out unstead of waiting til the cashier has it all rung up and then opening your purse, digging for your money and then paying with EXACT CHANGE. Geez! Does it surprise you that you actually have to pay for your purchase? Get your money ready!
Some folks like to have their posse, kids and spouse, continue to shop the store while they wait in the express lane and then continually add items to their stash even after the final tally has been rung. They can get 12-15 items through in this manner. And they haven't a care in the world that they have forced everyone behind them to wait for them. Are they really that special that they can use other people's time this way?
Let's take golf. Golf is a gentleman's game. Sorry ladies, but that's the phrase. You are quite welcome and encouraged to play. But by gentleman's game, I mean it is a game of honor. You are on your honor to keep your own score. There is no other sport where this happens. Golfers have their own etiquette and anyone who plays should quickly learn this etiquette and you are on your honor to be courteous to other golfers.
This includes letting faster players play through your group. It is up to the slower group to allow the players behing them to play through. I played behind a group last Friday, two men and a woman, who had me waiting at least 5-10 minutes on every hole for them to finish with never an acknowledgement for me to play through. Until the 7th hole. At that time I was told by one of the women that I could play through if I want. Too late, I was already steamed at them for all the wasted time and by then there were only three holes left. What's the point.
Rudeness is rampant in our society. It bothers me and I very much dislike selfish people. Yes, we should treat ourselves right and we should be number one on our own list, but that doesn't mean we can ignore people around us. We do live in a society which means we interact with other people all the time. There is a de facto standard for behavior in social situations. My mom would have called it common sense. Perhaps we need more lessons in common sense these days. Most people don't have it anymore.
I can live without people having common sense actually. As long as they behave civilly and don't expect their needs to come before all others. I just detest all the rudeness that I see around me everyday. Relax, slow down, learn to think before you act. Quit behaving like a spoiled, selfish child. There are other people in this world and nothing revolves exclusively around you. Nothing.
OH
I drive on a 4 lane highway going in to work whose speed limit is 65 mph. It is a divided highway, two lanes each direction with great visibility, good pavement, not crowded with traffic but crowded with rude drivers. One would think a highway like this would be ideal for driving to work but one would be wrong.
Invariably there will be two or three cars travelling side by side at about 55 mph with no intention of getting up to speed limit or moving over so faster cars can pass. No, they are satisfied to be moving, however slowly, and 9 times out of 10, talking on their cell phones. I don't have anything against people talking on cell phones while they're driving, as long as their primary focus is on the driving. If you can't talk and drive at the same time, quit talking! Don't quit paying attention to your driving. Use some common sense, please.
Or how about the express checkout lane at the super market? 10 items or less, no checks. Easy to understand. Hard to get people to follow. It's an EXPRESS lane, for crying out loud. Make it fast. Is it too much to ask that you actually have your money ready when you are being checked out unstead of waiting til the cashier has it all rung up and then opening your purse, digging for your money and then paying with EXACT CHANGE. Geez! Does it surprise you that you actually have to pay for your purchase? Get your money ready!
Some folks like to have their posse, kids and spouse, continue to shop the store while they wait in the express lane and then continually add items to their stash even after the final tally has been rung. They can get 12-15 items through in this manner. And they haven't a care in the world that they have forced everyone behind them to wait for them. Are they really that special that they can use other people's time this way?
Let's take golf. Golf is a gentleman's game. Sorry ladies, but that's the phrase. You are quite welcome and encouraged to play. But by gentleman's game, I mean it is a game of honor. You are on your honor to keep your own score. There is no other sport where this happens. Golfers have their own etiquette and anyone who plays should quickly learn this etiquette and you are on your honor to be courteous to other golfers.
This includes letting faster players play through your group. It is up to the slower group to allow the players behing them to play through. I played behind a group last Friday, two men and a woman, who had me waiting at least 5-10 minutes on every hole for them to finish with never an acknowledgement for me to play through. Until the 7th hole. At that time I was told by one of the women that I could play through if I want. Too late, I was already steamed at them for all the wasted time and by then there were only three holes left. What's the point.
Rudeness is rampant in our society. It bothers me and I very much dislike selfish people. Yes, we should treat ourselves right and we should be number one on our own list, but that doesn't mean we can ignore people around us. We do live in a society which means we interact with other people all the time. There is a de facto standard for behavior in social situations. My mom would have called it common sense. Perhaps we need more lessons in common sense these days. Most people don't have it anymore.
I can live without people having common sense actually. As long as they behave civilly and don't expect their needs to come before all others. I just detest all the rudeness that I see around me everyday. Relax, slow down, learn to think before you act. Quit behaving like a spoiled, selfish child. There are other people in this world and nothing revolves exclusively around you. Nothing.
OH
# posted by OH @ 11:55 AM 
