Today started off alright, but it seems as though there was some crazy planetary non-alignment, or something strange in the water because there was a lot of chippiness around.
This morning, my credit card got stuck in the automated machine at the commuter parking lot in Toronto. I was advised by the "help desk" person to put on my hazard lights and wait for the lot person to arrive (nobody is actually on-site).
It was very frustrating, and caused a delay of cars behind me. People were not happy.
A car in the other lane slowed down. It was blue and had all kinds of muscle accessories on it. There were three young men in it and the driver looked at me and screamed "Hey-way to hold up the line, bitch!" right at my face.
I have never been addressed in that manner in my entire life!
It was shocking rudeness, and probably one of the first times in my life that the line "hey-do you kiss your mamma with that mouth" startled to bubble up in my throat. However, I don't engage with hot heads.
Is rudeness becoming more common, or do you just notice it more as you get older?
I do think that familiarity in language, particularly regarding social niceties, like not calling adults "Mr." or "Mrs." or any other formal salutation, breeds contempt. Social media has also emboldened young peopletoward rudeness, and the risque, and extended the "norms" of conversation to ridiculously new lows.
Manners do not go out of style. The formal salutation, the please, the thank you, the hand-written note, holding doors, waiting until everyone has been served before eating-these are the subtle marks of good breeding that have no economic prerequisite.
These good habits can be taught, and can be learned by force of habit, or unlearned and frittered away in less in a generation.
