I used to be one of those people who would call a friend whilst food shopping and although I acknowledged and thanked the checkout person I continued to have my conversation while they served me. I didn't think anything of it till I heard some people talk about it one day saying how rude it was and it got me thinking. It was rude of me. I was basically telling the checkout person: your not worth my attention, my conversation is far more important then you. From that day on I stopped. On the flipside, I find it very rude when the checkout people hold a conversation with a work colleague (or annoying friends not working and standing on the side) and not paying attention to what they're doing or me. Perhaps they've had so many people not paying attention to them that they need to speak to someone.
I am, in many ways a Nanna, but in many others a Gen-Yer. I have grown accustomed to fast internet (I'm no longer used to watching a green bar load at the bottom of my page and if it dares to take longer then 3 seconds to load I glare and curse the day it was created) but I still say please and thank you. If I find I have a spare minute while waiting for something I whip out my iphone and check emails, Twitter, or if I have gone over my internet threshold, play PacMan or Angry Birds. But if someone sneezes I say bless you and hold doors open for people. Not because I'm paving a road to Heaven (although that would be nice thank you, much nicer than the alternative) but because it's courteous and how is holding a door open for someone going to hold me up?
I ask you dear readers, when did it become acceptable to answer your mobile while on the phone to somebody else? This has happened to me many times at work when I will be half way through a conversation and their mobile will begin to ring and I get "Oh, I have to get this, you don't mind waiting?" Sometimes I don't even get that. Why is your time less important then mine? Where are your manners? Why would you start another conversation before you have finished the first one?!
I fear that technology is making us lazy and rude. What's the rush? Recently, my partner was in a fast food chain and watched in amazement as people fumed, waiting for their food. It's called fast food for a reason and yet these people couldn't even wait that long! All three lanes on a freeway are now a Grand Prix racetrack. Road rage is at an all time high. Have you noticed how hardly anyone acknowledges you anymore when you let them into your lane? It's as if it was their right you let them rather then you not being in a rush and being nice and letting them in. Doctors have noticed that we as humans have a severely diminished attention span compared to 20 years ago. Technology is doing all the thinking for us. People joke about cars that will drive for us, but don't joke, they'll probably be released in your life time.
A few months ago I got stared down by a P-platers passenger because the P-plater couldn't merge into my lane when he wanted too. He then proceeded to cut me off and I got the stare down from his passenger. As much as I wanted to give the little so and so the one finger salute, my Nanna gene kicked in and I took the moral high ground and ignored him (have you noticed how road rage incidents have gone up?) We no longer take the time to smell the roses and chill. out.
I like tea, manners, good customer service, 80s pop music and I sometimes cut dates with my partner short because I want to get back to my book, but does that make me a nanna? Or a relic from the dark ages? Or a member of the last generation that remembers what life was like before internet, iphones, GPS, DVDs and when you got slapped for being insolent?
Stepping off soapbox and handing my megaphone to you, what do you all think?
