Where have all the manners gone??

[HoGi]

I find older people to be the rudest of the lot

 

[HeyGuyth]

Most people are cunts. The worst are the ones who walk two/three abreast on the pavement/path and expect you to walk in the road or on the grass verge.

Don't even get me started about people talking on their phones whilst being served; so fucking rude! You are not that fucking important, put the phone down for 10 seconds and learn some fucking manners!

 

[Rosie glow]

Just wondering does anybody else think people's manners have disappeared, I work in a convenience shop and the amount of people on the phone the whole time I'm serving them and people who don't say please or thankyou or even utter a word. People getting off the bus and not thanking the driver.

I was in town with my mum shopping the other day, she stopped to look at something and a old women moaned at her for stopping, then outside a foreign woman whizzed past me on a bike saying "next time I will run you over ##$$"

Is this normal now? I do think it's even worse since covid, is it just me?

 

[Eirawen]

I opened a door for a woman who was probably in her 70's and didn't get a word of thanks.
I also stepped aside for an elderly woman in a electric wheelchair to pass not one word of thanks or a smile.
I came across a huge bloke with a tattooed face and stood aside for him to pass, "no no he" said "you go first", "thanks" I said, "pleasure" he replied.

Now then those 2 rude old bags would berate the tattoeed gentleman but he had more class and manners in his little finger than they had in their John Lewis clothed carcasses.

 

[Northern northener]

I recently helped an older lady with a plant on a shelf in Morrisons, as I passed it down I tried to make small talk about how lovely it was and the last one left. She grabbed it from me and said 'You can't have it!' and walked off. No thanks for me. I was a bit stunned then I thought I have no idea what that lady's story is but she probably isn't a happy soul.

I also got told to 'move out of the way!' when I was stood on a railway platform. I hadn't realised I was stood in front of the toilets and angered an old lady. Even when I apologized profusely she looked at me with utter contempt and said 'you shouldn't stand there!'. Ruined my day out. But decided she was just an old lady and was probably a little world weary.

People on phones are quite something.

 

[Crabbypatty00]

Parents who let their kids get food all over the floor in cafes and restaurants, and then walk off leaving a total shit pit really wind me up. I have a kid who is high chair age, we wipe the high chair and clean up any dropped food if we go out, as we would at home. People who are absolutely disgusting when in public really make me wonder what they are like at home. Just so entitled and ignorant.

 

[Clickbait]

I opened a door for a woman who was probably in her 70's and didn't get a word of thanks.
I also stepped aside for an elderly woman in a electric wheelchair to pass not one word of thanks or a smile.

I’m afraid I’m turning into my mother and saying a loud “thank you” when things like this happen. It’s worth it for the confusion on their faces as they try and work out whether it’s a criticism or a compliment.

We were schooled to be polite children, we’d be expected to move out of the way of adults on the pavement or be mindful of other people. Also to give up a seat on public transport to someone who needed it more. It seems a lot of parents nowadays instil in their children a sense of entitlement and ownership of any space they’re in.

Likewise going out to eat at a restaurant was considered a special treat and we would be on our best behaviour. Some of the scenes I’ve witnessed with families beggars belief - when I was a waitress we had a family with a child who spent the meal throwing food on the floor, at the walls, launching peas at other diners, wrapping the table number in a napkin then pouring gravy on it. The parents did absolutely nothing to stop his behaviour and even rewarded him with a dessert. They didn’t apologise when we came to the table and clocked the mess, and they left zero tip. I’d have loved to scrape their plates onto the windscreen and bonnet of their car!

 

[lurkingaround123]

Definitely!

I was on holiday recently and the amount of loud so you can hear passive aggression from the Brits is so gross! I had some old man making a big song and dance because I got off the bus before him, whilst he was still sitting down and making no indication of movement?? Am I meant to go along asking everyone who's planning to get off and do they want to go before me?

Someone else made a snidey comment about me blocking their view when i was stood looking over a balcony and they were lying on a sunbed a few feet away? Absolutely baffling again.

Also noticed this new found rudeness in some shops/restaurants with the staff. Me and my bf have walked in to bars/cafes etc and been completely blanked by the staff there, so you're just stood in the doorway waiting to be acknowledged whilst they're chatting away. Once there was 2 of them doing a dance whilst we stood there like We've started just walking out (Obviously not if they're busy working)

 

[kev1974]

I'll let you into a secret pleasure of mine, it's extremely childish, but it amuses me.

When I see a picker doing their job, I occasionally take pleasure in adding an extra item or two to the cart/trolley.

Do you pickers double check the list at checkout.

Wow, what a scummy thing to do.

I did supermarket delivery picking for a while, every so often the crates are randomly selected by the system for manager audit, not just of the individual pickers, but also of the drivers to make sure they're not sneaking extra stuff out of the store in customer crates. Sometimes a picker or driver that's already got a strike against them from a previous mistake might be getting every crate they touch audited without them knowing. So your antics of putting extra things into a crate could very easily get a picker or driver hauled up before a manager to explain. They might get a performance related pay hit, they might get sent for retraining, they might lose their job. Seriously the picking is incredibly regulated and monitored. Please stop messing with innocent people's jobs like that when you don't understand the extent of the auditing and scrutiny that goes on.

Also for another poster that said about the pickers hurtling round the store, it's because it's all timed, you're supposed to hit a particular pick rate, different stores take it more seriously than others. There's also timers on the chilled and frozen crates where they have to be completed within a certain precise time so that the contents of the crates aren't out of the cold chain too long. If you don't pick the whole chilled or frozen crate in time someone else has to get a new crate and finish it off and it flags up and is generally not good for picker <-> manager relations.

 

[emmer_moans]

There’s definitely a lack of manners these days. I blame tiktok culture etc where people scream lectures at the camera - Social justice warriors who scream in your face, etc, they see general members of the public as boomers, bigots etc. I find the social media generation approach things with very much a “thou shalt believe the same as me else you are all unintelligent scum” school of thought. Polite and balanced debate seems a thing of the past; now you see rude aggressive attempts to lecture people on the latest fashionable cause.

Also, I’ve noticed people hardly say thanks for doors being held open in public.

 

[LaBlonde]

When I worked in retail, I found it was the elderly customers that were really impatient and would have a strop If something was out of stock

same! i worked as a cashier while in college and was reduced to tears by more than one elderly customer. they can be absolutely vile.

just last week i was standing in front of the pasta sauces in tesco (for literally two seconds) when i heard someone say “MOVE” behind me. i turned to see a lovely little old lady, a proper pastel cardigan sort, thought well it can’t possibly have been her, looked around, didn’t see anyone else. smiled at old lady, she held eye contact with me and said “MOVE” again

i moved. but i felt annoyed about it i don’t know if it’s bad manners or just a complete lack of patience. or both!

 

[Rippedjeanmaybe]

I find a lot of young children also have no manners nowadays. So many young kids snatching, pushing, barging in and not saying please or thank you. There’s definitely an entitled generation being raised.

I’ve also found old people rude though, I had two separate occasions were old men came into my workplace (retail) and asked whether or not I was too stupid to go uni and if that’s why I worked there… (I actually have a degree!)

Honestly I go out my way to avoid social interaction because I’ve had so many bad experiences.

 

[Gossgirl12]

Manners cost nothing.
I remember once using a cash machine while an elderly man was stood behind me, it wasn't releasing money so I told him rather than making him wait any longer and he told me to mind my own business. My biggest peeve is when you wait what seems like ages for another driver to come through and they don't raise their hand to say thank you. I often find myself shouting thank you out the window, followed by you're welcome. It winds me up. Its not hard to say thank you or even acknowledge something.

 

[emerald]

I work in retail. I'm this close to treating bad mannered people like children.

"What's the magic word?"
"What do you say?"
"Manners cost nothing!"
"You're welcome!" (Sarcastically)

I also like saying "what about it?" When people just bark product names at me instead of bothering to ask "where is X, please?" Like how fucking hard is it.

 

[MrsVonDarkness]

I live in the North East and most people are still reasonably polite. I did let the door close on a man the other day as the rude git didn't thank me for holding the previous door open for him. My husband said it basically slammed on his stomach.
I can not help myself at times, if someone doesn't thank me for holding the door I have to say with pure sarcasm "you're welcome".

 

[Meg19]

I worked in a small shop when they introduced the mandatory mask wearing. It was the first day of it and the rules the government laid out where you didn't have to wear the mask if you were behind the counter behind the glass.
A man came in and was so viscous with me speaking really sharp and angry going wheres your mask. I was light and said you don't need one behind the glass and he actually stood there gawping and intimidating me.
I totally get it if I wasn't following the rules but there was no need for the intimidation. The whole pandemic really opened my eyes to how childish, rude and selfish people can be. I always smile at shop staff/ waiters etc and have manners they put up with some horrid people!

I think the pandemic brought out the worst in people across the board. Somewhere along the long people lost a lot of basic respect and compassion for others. Sniping and snapping at people who had a different opinion to them, constantly criticising others about the restrictions and causing arguments over things. I definitely feel the world became a nastier place during covid

 

[soymilk]

i remember when i worked in retail a woman called me a d*ckhead bc we didn't have the thing she wanted and last week, i was in the bakery and an older man was leaving and had his hands full, so i opened the door for him and he didn't even look at me or smile as i did it - i was fuming and thought, "next time i'll throw that baguette at your head!"

 

[DanaScully]

Bad manners is one of my pet peeves! I've recently started managing a team for the first time and I'm so overly conscious of saying please and thank you when I set them tasks.

Slightly related thing that bothers me is when someone calls you at work, you say hello and ask if they're okay and they're like "yeah not bad" and then just launch into what they called about. Reciprocate my pleasantry and ask how I am, wanker!

Same with writing "hope you're well?" at the start of an email and the respondent just ignores it in their reply. I don't really give a fuck how you are and I'll only ever respond "fine thanks" if you ask me, just show some common courtesy.

 

[Miss Pepperpot]

Many years ago I worked in a sandwich bar, we would always ask what they wanted ie bread roll (brown or white) french stick or sliced bread and then if they wanted salad and or a dressing.
One chap came in, barked cheese roll at me then answered his phone before I had chance to ask him anything else, I waited for a gap in the conversation then tried to get his attention several times but he just frowned at me and carried on talking. It was lunchtime and there was a huge queue so I grabbed the nearest roll, shoved some cheese in it and put it in the bag, put it in front of him and he handed me money all the time talking on his phone.
Bet he wasn't too impressed with his boring dry cheese roll when he eventually got to eat it!
I just think it's so rude to be on your phone when someone is trying to serve you, they wouldn't want the assistant to be on their phone whilst serving so why do people think its acceptable the other way round.
These days I always say Thank you really loudly if people let a door shut in my face instead of holding it open or "I think the word you are looking for is excuse me" if someone barges past me.
I no longer move over if people are walking together abreast the whole pavement and can see me coming but make no effort to make way, I just keep going and if I hit them tough!
People treat serving staff, shop staff disgustingly, as a waitress I had a chap whistle and click his fingers at me so I completely ignored him, when he finally found the words excuse me and I went over he said "I've been trying to get your attention for ages" his face was a picture when I said "yes I know sir but I'm not a dog, I don't respond to whistles and finger clicks" other customers actually giggled and said good for you!

 

[Quokka]

Tell me about it!
I walked into a pub today, because I needed a drink and to use the facilaties. I waited to be acknowledged by a woman in front of the bar, chatting to customers, I think she was the landlady. There was a barmaid pouring a glass of wine for someone, I accept the she was busy, but she could have at least acknowledged me.
The landlady continued chatting to customers, I didn't get the chance to speak up, because my pressence wasn't acknowledged.
So I walked out.

What is with people constantly chatting at work now? I was at a self-serve checkout the other day which was having a hissy-fit as they do, and the two ladies there who are meant to keep an eye on things were just chatting away with their backs to the registers. I just stood there, waiting to see how long it would take for them to notice that the self-serve wasn't working for me and do their job.

And they're just standing there. Chatting away. At least turn around and face the customers so you can go and help people when they need it!

I'd get hauled into the office and reprimanded if I had done that at my old retail job.