Elderly Rudeness

[bookzombie]

I had a couple of those weird moments while out in Reading yesterday which makes you realise that the young do not have the monopoly on bad manners (and, frankly, general weirdness).

1. I was in HMV and the song 'San Quentin' by Johnny Cash was playing and I was singing along to it, sub voce. An elderly man with a walking stick wandered past and directly to me (I assume he must have heard me singing) said, with a cheerful, matter-of-fact tone, "That man had the worst voice I have ever heard. I'm glad he's dead.' I found myself saying something along the lines of 'That's not very nice!' while quickly edging away! I can't help thinking that the history of popular music would be very different if everyone with a less-than perfect voice was done away with...

2. Later, in W.H.Smiths, happily ensconced in the upper floor book selling area. I was about to pass by a set of bookshelves where there was a trolley blocking part of the route. A very elderly woman, left arm swinging in a rather aggressive way was barrelling at speed towards me so I took a step back and to the side to let her through, with a quick 'sorry' (unnecessary apologising is a bad habit I can't get out of). As she passed, not looking at me, she muttered 'So you should be'! So, I politely move out of the way of an elderly person and get abuse. Marvelous. pennski recons that she probably didn't even really see me and was probably really cross about something someone said to her 50 years ago, but even so...

All I can say is that if I ever get to be one of those angry, 'I hate the world and especially anyone under 60' sort of people, please, have me put out of my misery!

Comments

[bibliofile.livejournal.com]

I've always wanted to be the type of brassy broad who ages well, like Bette Davis and her "old age ain't no place for sissies" needlecraft pillow. However, I expect to direct all my anger righteously, to people who are actually rude to me, rather than spewing randomly.

Some people seem to enjoy pushing others around because they can, and that's just rude and obnoxious (especially in Britain, where people tend to be more polite than here in the States). Perhaps we can form a new sort of euthanasia society?

[pigeonhed.livejournal.com]

I would have challenged the lady who said 'So You SHould be' and told her that was rude. I did with a guy in Sainsbury's who actually walked around me to jump the queue then said he didnt see me. 'Bollocks' quoth I, 'You fucking walked around me, even brushed my basket on the way' so thats bullshit. Don't come up with pathetic excuses for your rudeness.' (I'd had a bad day.)
The counter assistant told me to calm down, I said why aren't you telling this idiot not to jump queues instead.
People looked at me as if I was a nutter (maybe I am) but why should I accept that?

[sdn.livejournal.com]

oh god. how nasty. i hate people like that. you want to say something equally nasty back, but feel guilty because they're old.

[bookzombie.livejournal.com]

Absolutely! And I can do guilt like a Catholic at the best of times!

[rawdon.livejournal.com]

People like that annoy the out of me.

They're right up there with self-righteous veterans crying because someone doesn't share their ideal of patriotism (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/01/11/earlyshow/main1202031.shtml).

I think it's important to call people on this sort of stuff, I don't care who they are.

[bookzombie.livejournal.com]

That's just crazy! I have to admit that, as a Brit, I really can't get my head around all this stuff about the US flag. Not that we don't have our own set of things people get unreasonably upset about of course...!

The tone of the article is a bit odd. It feels like the writer either found it a)amusing, which is sad given that the kids responsible are pretty upset by it all, and/or b) feels that the decision was justified, which seems to be oppression pure and simple to me!

[rawdon.livejournal.com]

US attitudes towards patriotism are rather odd. I think much of the reason for it is that the Republicans made a big effort in the 1980s to associate the flag with their party.

In the mid-90s a then-girlfriend made me a large fabric US flag, which I've displayed on my wall ever since. Another friend - left-wing, as I am - came by one time and asked if she should be worried that I'm going to start stockpiling guns and ammunition. I replied, "You just say that because the Republicans have co-opted the flag as their symbol. And that's why I have a flag on my wall."

I'm generally of the opinion that a lot of people mistake the symbol for what it represents.