Manners

[suki_blue]

I would like to talk about something that has been bugging me for many a year. Manners. You know, it is actually true that they don't cost? I'm not lying.

And you know what irritates me the most? Old people.

Yes, old people. Especially old women. They have the fucking cheek to look down on the rest of us when they are the worst fucking offenders of all. Can I just point out that probably 3/5 times a school kid will hold a door open for me if we're going through it at the same time. I don't think an elderly lady has ever done that for me. Oh, but they've shut it in my face plenty of times.

Anyway, that isn't the point. The point is, if that fucking old bitch from down the road treats me with the loathing and disrespect that she did today, she's going to get a right fucking mouthful, the old witch.

"Good Afternoon", I say, and all I get back is a contemptuous stare as she stalks passed me like she's the fucking Queen Mother. I saw her looking at my dog and I know exactly what was going through her head. She was thinking that I was going to let my dog shit on the grass verge and then I was going to walk away without clearing it up. Well, he wasn't having a shit, didn't have a shit later, and I would never walk away and leave it if he did. All the way down the road she kept looking back over her shoulder at me, glaring like the prissy old bat that she obviously is.

If she thought I was going to be responsible for leaving a mess, she should have just said. It's not like she doesn't know my face. We've both lived in the same street for the past 30 fucking years. Why treat me like that? So I've got to ask, if I was a fellow elderly lady would she have shown me the same level of contempt? No, she fucking wouldn't. It's because I look young and I'm therefore obviously some kind of hooligan. How rude. How very dare she.

The point of this post - apart from needing to cool off - is this: don't just respect your elders; respect your...youngers, too.

Oh, and people that do leave their dog mess for others to clean up deserve to be shot. You constantly give me a bad name and I'm sick of it.

Comments

[kitty-poker1.livejournal.com]

Well said! Speaking as an, er, older woman, I'm pretty horrified by the attitude of some people my age and older. You can just never generalise. Take everyone as you find them, treat them with respect, and don't assume they'll be a particular way because of their age or any other reason. Grrrr. Very annoying.

Yay you for always cleaning up the dog mess. I used to to, and it doesn't take a moment. It makes the neighbourhood more pleasant for everyone. *nods*

[suki-blue.livejournal.com]

Honestly, some of the treatment I've suffered over the years makes me want to punch someone. I get really fed up by it. I keep wondering when I will get to the point where suddenly it will be appropriate for people to be polite to me. 35? 40? 45?

Exactly! It's not hard to do. I've always done it.

[lil-coyote.livejournal.com]

When we lived in Arizona, all the year-round residents dreaded 'snowbird season'. An influx of grumpy, bitter old farts. I so totally have been there with the door thing! They expect to get all the fawning, boot-licking attention without a single thankyou. Like anyone under 40 should be happy to kiss their ass just because they managed to live that long. Now, don't get me wrong, there's some older folks that I respect... but for the same reason I respect some younger folks. Because there's some inner strength and honor that means they deserve respect.

[suki-blue.livejournal.com]

Like anyone under 40 should be happy to kiss their ass just because they managed to live that long.

LOL! Exactly!

The whole thing irritates me. It's not okay to be racist or sexist but it's okay to be ageist. I get a similar feeling at work sometimes and I think 'would you speak to me like that if I was a 45 year old man in a suit?' No, I don't think so.

[bmblbee.livejournal.com]

O.k. I have a stepmother that is about 150 years old and the other thing really old women do is when you call them on their rudness or stupidity (which yes I tend to do)
they act all alzhimerish and try to make you feel guilty when it was them that had the nerve to ask why you don't lose weight. (just an example of course) BITCHES!

[suki-blue.livejournal.com]

LOL! Oh my god, that sounds exactly like the sort of exchanges I have with my grandad! The bloody nerve!

Once I'd bought some really cool spotty PJ bottoms in a sale and the first thing grandad told me when I surfaced in the morning was that I looked like a bloody circus clown. He couldn't understand my affronted attitude :oD

[vinniebatman.livejournal.com]

::sighs::
Some people. It bugs me when people are so rude.
In highschool I had short, spiky hair, piercings, and wore chains, and whenever I held open a door for an old person, they were ususally so stunned that they couldn't do more than nod.
Ah, good times.
Mean old lady.
If you want, I'll hit her....
With a car.

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

Amen, sistah! *g*

I work in a Spar shop in a village full of oldies and some of them are downright offensive, trying to queuejump and interrupting me while I'm serving to ask if we have any _fillintheblank_ because there's none on the shelf. I swear, one old biddy comes in and looks for out of stock items just so she can ask for them.

I get stopped on the street sometimes and badgered with questions about why we don't stock this and why did we change brands of that and... And I smile and try to be polite when I just want to scream that I'm not actually on duty right now so go ask in the damn shop!

Ah, the joys of small towns. :D

[suki-blue.livejournal.com]

Omg yes, the interruptions! I bet you just want to show them the door! I really hope I don't turn into that kind of oldie. I'm a firm believer in manners and politeness, and some of these old biddies were obvously born before these things were invented. Grrr

Small towns indeed!

[screamplease.livejournal.com]

*snerks* oh gods that's so funny and true. i grew up in the american south and if there's one thing my family's always been big on it's respecting your elders and manners. now my sisters and i will cuss and brawl with the best of them, but we're irish it's in our blood lol. we're also a loud family and my mum's retired military and my father's a hippie of the highest kind (we used to joke that if he could roll it he would smoke it). now i'm sure you've heard that to this day southerners hate northerners...and to some extent that's true. well one of the reasons i have problems with them is because they don't treat their children respect for anyone. if my family's out and about we watch our language, we open doors for people wether they be young or old, and say please and thank you and yes'm/sir and no mam/sir. all my friends from overseas are the same way...well not remon but he's a heathen and won't speak outside of the family when he visits because he's shy about how heavy his accent is...but other than that manners are what makes the world go round...and smiles. just smile at someone wether you're having a bad day or not and it helps. sorry i'm ranting but i have issues with rude people. and next time you see the bitty give her a rude handgesture from me. *pops two fingers and grins* phhhhht!