I work in a retail pharmacy, so every day. You try telling John Doe that no, he can’t have his Xanax today, he just got a two-week supply 5 days ago, and it’s still a week early on his hydrocodone. I’m sure your doctor DID change your dose, unfortunately you’ll have to bring us a new prescription.
Or the people I know I’ll see tomorrow (Monday) - “What do you mean my prescription is still out of refills?! I gave it to you on THURSDAY!” (::check activity log:
“Yeah, at 4 PM on Thursday - your doctor has been gone since then. Call them yourself if you’re so concerned about it.”
We actually had a man cuss at us today for needing his ID to buy Sudafed - he was convinced the government was keeping tabs on him and left without buying any.
[QUOTE=Chimera]
The bottom line is that people encounter petty rudeness all the time, but most of the time, it’s completely unintentional. People walk in front of you and stop, because they were in their own little world and didn’t see you. The choice about how offended you are and how much of a scene you make is yours. But you’d better believe that you do the same thing yourself, without realizing it.
[/QUOTE]
I’m sure you’re mostly right about this. But actually, I don’t do the same thing, because I am freaking neurotic about it. I spend more energy and attention keeping out of others’ way than I do getting where I’m going sometimes; especially in great big barns like Home Depot and the grocery store. It really is unbelievable how many people are completely unaware of anybody but themselves.
That being said, I live in Oakland, and I encounter unmistakeable, right-up-in-your-face rudeness: Every. Single. Day. Repeatedly.
Apparently, a lot of people around here, particularly kids and young adults, feel that no, we can’t all just get along.
[QUOTE=chaoticbear]
We actually had a man cuss at us today for needing his ID to buy Sudafed - he was convinced the government was keeping tabs on him and left without buying any.
[/QUOTE]
That’s not rudeness. That’s just “shit I left my tinfoil hat at home” desperation. Cut him a break. 
[QUOTE=chaoticbear]
We actually had a man cuss at us today for needing his ID to buy Sudafed - he was convinced the government was keeping tabs on him and left without buying any.
[/QUOTE]
(hijack)I know this was a move by the legislature to curb meth-making, and I know it certainly isn’t the clerk’s fault, but showing ID and signing a register to get decongestant pisses me off every time. I do try to keep the irritation to myself, though, I’ve never cussed the clerk. Still, I’m pissed. I have called local lawmakers but this particular law is a sacred cow now. (/hijack)
I only meet a few really rude people, but they really stand out by contrast with the perfectly nice considerate people I usually meet.
Probably about twice a month and I live in one of the most urban areas of the world. Maybe my tolerance for rudeness is quite high as twice a month doesn’t seem that often. I meet/encounter people and behaviour that irritates me, to be sure, but I wouldn’t often class it as people being rude so much as thoughtless or ignorant which isn’t the same.
As others have mentioned, there is a lot of inattentiveness, thoughtlessness and carelessness out there, and I often see that, and am able to cope with that fairly easily.
As for downright rudeness, I see that maybe twice a month, tops, and it usually involves driving or cellphones or both.
It used to be daily, when I worked retail. I was a punching bag for the middle class for five years. I’m getting tense just thinking of it.
I don’t see as many jerks since I’ve started working at a campus job. It’s still customer service, but there are very few outright rude people, and the most of them are about as funny as jackasses can be.