# Do You Think Old People Just Act Crazy To Mess With Younger People's Heads? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 12, 2000, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-old-people-just-act-crazy-to-mess-with-younger-peoples-heads/45190 "2000-12-12T17:18:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wildest\_Bill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Wildest\_Bill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wildest_Bill)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2000, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-old-people-just-act-crazy-to-mess-with-younger-peoples-heads/45190/1 "2000-12-12T17:18:50Z")
I mean sometimes I think they do. The other day my grandfather(87)asked me the same questions in the same order over again. Went like this: Him: Where’s your wife? ME: Shes at work Hime: Where we going? Me: Outback Steakhouse Him: Where your other daughter? Me : She is at home sick Him: How old is she? Me: 14 Then he paused for a second and he started again with: Him: Where’s your wife? ME: Shes at work Hime: Where we going? Me: Outback Steakhouse Him: Where your other daughter? Me : She is at home sick Him: How old is she? Me: 14 Now my 8 year old daughter in the back seat about half way through the second of questions starts giggling and finally says “you’re funny Papa.” Then even I start giggling and then I saw him out the side of my eye he was giggling too. So it got me thinking maybe old people do this stuff on purpose to mess with us for kicks. I mean really when you get old you really can’t do that much but it is fun to mess with peoples heads. And maybe this has been going for years his grandparents messed with him so now he is going to do it to his offspring. It sure sounds like fun definetely better than watching reruns of Lawrence Welk. What do you think? Do you think some old people do that type of stuff on purpose just to get a kick out of rileing us? ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2000, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-old-people-just-act-crazy-to-mess-with-younger-peoples-heads/45190/2 "2000-12-12T19:47:04Z")
So, THAT’S your excuse, Bill! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2000, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-old-people-just-act-crazy-to-mess-with-younger-peoples-heads/45190/3 "2000-12-12T19:57:23Z")
Someone, think it was Dave Barry, tells the story of an old lady who used to like planting the end of her cane down on some poor young person’s shoe at a party. When he tried discreetly to free himself by edging away, she’d follow right along, looking blissfully ignorant. Gives me something to look forward to as an old duffer, I reckon. ---
**Author:** ![Wildest\_Bill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Wildest\_Bill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wildest_Bill)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2000, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-old-people-just-act-crazy-to-mess-with-younger-peoples-heads/45190/4 "2000-12-12T20:44:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Guinastasia \* > \*\*So, THAT’S your excuse, Bill! > > 😉 \*\* No my excuse is that I am just blissfully ignorant person. (at least that is what I have been told few dozen times.) 😃 ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2000, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-old-people-just-act-crazy-to-mess-with-younger-peoples-heads/45190/5 "2000-12-12T20:52:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Wildest Bill \* > **It sure sounds like fun definetely better than watching reruns of Lawrence Welk.** oh, c’mon Bill! _Nothing_ is better than watching reruns of Lawrence Welk! ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2000, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-old-people-just-act-crazy-to-mess-with-younger-peoples-heads/45190/6 "2000-12-12T20:59:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by blessedwolf \* > \*\*oh, c’mon Bill! _Nothing_ is better than watching reruns of Lawrence Welk! \*\* one word: Matlock ---
**Author:** ![Welfy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e56c9b/32.png) [@Welfy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Welfy)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2000, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-old-people-just-act-crazy-to-mess-with-younger-peoples-heads/45190/7 "2000-12-12T23:55:24Z")
Yes, I think that’s the case, Bill. Max, my grandpa does that with his cane. He’ll just plant it on someone’s foot, usually mine. And it’s usually when I’m wearing shoes that don’t offer protection against evil canes. _ouch_ Heck, I’m not that old and I like to play with younger people’s minds. In gym class, I’m one of the few seniors, and a lot of the freshman flock around me even though they’re convinced I’m insane. I randomly say things to them to confuse them, and it’s fun. ---
**Author:** ![absoul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc8723/32.png) [@absoul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/absoul)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2000, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-old-people-just-act-crazy-to-mess-with-younger-peoples-heads/45190/8 "2000-12-13T00:12:44Z")
In order to fully appreciate Lawrence Welk you must watch it in the nude. What did you do yesterday? ---
**Author:** ![absoul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc8723/32.png) [@absoul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/absoul)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2000, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-old-people-just-act-crazy-to-mess-with-younger-peoples-heads/45190/9 "2000-12-13T00:15:06Z")
That’s 2 naked comments in one day… what is happening to my mind??? ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2000, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-old-people-just-act-crazy-to-mess-with-younger-peoples-heads/45190/10 "2000-12-13T00:26:38Z")
Well, FWIW, I plan on acting just like Sophia Petrillo, the character Estelle Getty played on “The Golden Girls.” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2000, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-old-people-just-act-crazy-to-mess-with-younger-peoples-heads/45190/11 "2000-12-13T03:27:45Z")
It’s weird that you mentioned this. I’ve always told myself that this is exactly what I’m going to do when I get older. I’m also going to make my grandkids call me “Old-School”. (No, not _refer to me_ as Old-school, i mean that will be my name to them, such as: “Hey Old-school could you please pass the salt?”) 😃 ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2000, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-old-people-just-act-crazy-to-mess-with-younger-peoples-heads/45190/12 "2000-12-13T14:18:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Guinastasia \* > \*\*Well, FWIW, I plan on acting just like Sophia Petrillo, the character Estelle Getty played on “The Golden Girls.” > 😃 \*\* Well, _I_ plan on acting just like Diana Trent from _Waiting for God_. Or Maxine, the old bitch from the Crabby Road Hallmark cards (to whom I neglected to attribute my sig). ---
**Author:** ![Bumbazine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbazine/32/362_2.png) [@Bumbazine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbazine)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2000, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-old-people-just-act-crazy-to-mess-with-younger-peoples-heads/45190/13 "2000-12-13T16:41:16Z")
Yes we do. Next question? ---
**Author:** ![Dignan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f07891/32.png) [@Dignan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dignan)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2000, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-old-people-just-act-crazy-to-mess-with-younger-peoples-heads/45190/14 "2000-12-13T18:00:17Z")
My step-ma who works in NJ (near Exchange Place) told me about an old man that was sitting on a bench. She was walking around the area during lunch and there is a bench in front of that big Colgate clock that is over there in Exchange Place. There was an old man sitting on the bench in front of the **GIANT** Colgate clock and he asked her “Excuse me, what time is it?” Not wanting to be rude she didn’t want to look up at the **GIANT** clock right behind him or say “there’s a clock right behind you,” so she looked down at her watch and told him the time. The man burst out in laughter and yelled **“There’s a big clock right there”** and pointed to it. The guy just thought that was the funniest thing. I bet he’d been sitting there doing it all day. ---
**Author:** ![Lyllyan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b2d939/32.png) [@Lyllyan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lyllyan)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2000, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-old-people-just-act-crazy-to-mess-with-younger-peoples-heads/45190/15 "2000-12-14T04:15:32Z")
I know I plan to mess with the kid’s and grandkid’s heads when my time comes. I already have a plan, too. Assuming I will be in a wheelchair (who knows, I might break a hip or something)I will start rolling slowly across the parking lot each and every time the kids’backs are turned. I just hope I will be able to keep a straight face. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2000, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-old-people-just-act-crazy-to-mess-with-younger-peoples-heads/45190/16 "2000-12-14T05:40:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Cisco \* > \*\*It’s weird that you mentioned this. I’ve always told myself that this is exactly what I’m going to do when I get older. I’m also going to make my grandkids call me “Old-School”. (No, not _refer to me_ as Old-school, i mean that will be my name to them, such as: “Hey Old-school could you please pass the salt?”) 😃 \*\* Hell, I’m not waiting. I’m acting crazy NOW. However, I am leaving room to act even crazier. I’ve told my daughter that I plan to grow up to be Grandma Mazur, from Janet Evanovitch’s numbered (_One for the Money, High Five, etc._) series. My daughter always turns pale when I say this. Because, you see, she KNOWS me, and knows I’m capable of it. ---
**Author:** ![Lyllyan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b2d939/32.png) [@Lyllyan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lyllyan)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2000, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-old-people-just-act-crazy-to-mess-with-younger-peoples-heads/45190/17 "2000-12-14T14:35:42Z")
> [@](#): > > Hell, I’m not waiting. I’m acting crazy NOW. However, I am leaving room to act even crazier. I’ve told my daughter that I plan to grow up to be Grandma Mazur, from Janet Evanovitch’s numbered (One for the Money, High Five, etc.) series. My daughter always turns pale when I say this. Because, you see, she KNOWS me, and knows I’m capable of it Damn Skippy!