There was a whole thread about this very subject a while back, but I’m too lazy to look for it right now. Why not put your stuff in the car and walk the cart with the kids in it to the cart corral? Then walk with your kids back to the car? Or, conversely, you could put the groceries and the kids in the car, lock it up, and walk the cart back. If you park near the cart corral, it’s very easy. People who leave carts in parking spots (that then roll into other cars) are very rude. It’s not that hard to put the cart back where it belongs.
Back to the OP, with regard to manners:
People never say “please” and “thank you” anymore. I’m constantly saying “You forgot to say ‘please’ !” to myself when I’m out in public and I hear people asking for something.
I hate it when people stand right in front of doorways and have conversations. It’s actually kind of funny when they have to move for you, and then they move right back to the middle of the doorway. Like no one else is going to have to come through!
I’ve noticed within the past few years, drivers are abandoning the Courtesy Wave. When someone is nice enough to slow down and let me change to their lane, enter the street/highway, etc. I always give the Courtesy Wave. No exceptions. And if traffic permits me to let someone get in front of me, I do it. I am not obligated to be nice on the road-- I could easily be just another asshole who makes you drive onto the shoulder instead of allowing you onto the highway. Do I get any thanks in return? No. I have received precisely ONE Courtesy Wave in the past six months.
Another thing is flashing my lights to let people (especially big rig drivers) know they can get over. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen anyone else do this. A couple truckers have waved and given me a quick honk of the airhorn in appreciation.
I’ve noticed I’ve become increasingly more uncomfortable with adding “please” to a polite request, and it has just dawned on me that the meaning of the word (maybe only in the UK?) has subtly changed. It now has a hint of the imperative about it, and seems to change a polite request to a command. Anyone else feel this, or am I weird?
When someone asks me a question directly “Annie what is…” and someone else answers for me. This has happened with both factual information and being asked my opinion on something. I can speak for myself.
The cell phone rule of etiquette is so simple and I’m surprised anyone has to have it explained: If a group of people are assembled for a single purpose, DO NOT USE YOUR CELL PHONE. This applies to concerts, cashier’s line (in grocery, yes; in grocery line, no) or anywhere else on the entire planet. Some theatres are starting to jam cell phones.
The idiot who gets on a bus ahead of a group of people and starts asking the bus driver for information on where the bus goes and what bus does go to where they want to go. If you must question the driver, at least let the other passengers get on first. And in New York’s Port Authority, there is no excuse for this behavior: They have about 1,000 people downstairs whose job it is to give out bus information.
Or you could realize that no matter what they say in Fretful Mother magazine, mutant homosexual zombies, hopped up on goof balls and hungering for the tender flesh of children are not going to get your kinds in the 30 seconds it takes you to put the cart back. They’re just not, OK?
Talking loudly on your cell phone to complain about something, within earshot of others.
For example, there was a bomb scare on Friday, so the train from Dublin to Belfast was delayed, and there was a bus service laid on for the last half of the journey. None of the above was the transport company’s fault, and they got us in only 45 minutes late, and the buses were the newest and best in their fleet. Their priority is to get us from A to B as safely as possible, after that they consider comfort and speed, so I can’t fault them at all.
However, everyone on my bus was treated to some asshat complaining to his girlfriend how he had been “herded onto some shitty old bus” and would “miss fucking dinner” and that he’s like to “sue the fucking company” for 15 minutes. At top volume. Within earshot of children and the elderly. At 9:30pm at night. With everyone else in the same position.
Telephone manners. I don’t know if it’s just my family or what, but I constantly get people who are doing two things at once during a social call. Hey mom, if you’re going to bitch that I never call, how about actually paying attention to my end of the conversation, not interrupting me by talking to YOUR CAT who happens to walk by. I swear, it’s like talking to a bunch of fucking crows. “Oh, shiny!”
I’ve taken to saying “I see you have more important business to attend to. I’ll call back another time” and hanging up. People, if you’re on a call, pay attention and converse or hang up the phone. Don’t IM, talk to your pets or husband, or talk to your kids. Especially without at least saying “Oh, excuse me a second please” and taking the phone away from your mouth.
Other bad manners? How about sidewalk spitters? I live in the land of the spitting men- it’s like living amongst Llamas. Disgusting and incredibly rude. If you’re chewing tobacco, carry a freaking cup or something. I could puke every time I see someone spit on the sidewalk or open their car door to spit on the road at a stoplight. gag
So, what are you saying? That MY children are not good enough for Mutant Homosexual Zombies? Huh ? Huh?
In other arenas of personal irritation, I am a germophobe. Happily and neurotically so. That said, I expect everyone one of you that I meet to complusively wash your hands to keep from spreading your nasty, nasty germs to others.
This is a non-issue for everyone to realize.
But, do you size=1]yes, you! have to wait for ten minutes for the parking spot seven spots closer to the door than the next available slot to open up while Mrs. MacGillicutty unloads her $400 worth of groceries-straps the kids into their seats - puts cart back in corral clearly unafraid of Mutant Homosexual Zombies taking her offspring get back in car-remember how to reverse-go into reverse at the speed of a snail on valium and exit the slot all to save YOU A FEW STEPS to get into the farking store. Meanwhile, you are block the entire row for any regular traffic. What you saved in walking time you made up for in spades with real time, you fartknockled lazy ass dipshit.
Would it kill you to walk seven or eight spaces more into the store?
WHAT IN THE NAME OF HEAVEN ARE YOU GOING TO DO COME CHRISTMAS and THE LOT IS FULL? Plead to your doctor that you are a CRIPPLE SO YOU CAN GET A HANDICAP SPOT? Those gimp spots are for the elderly or truly physically crippled, not emotionally constipated like yourself, you farktard. Here’s a clue, there are no handicap spots for mouthbreathers.
People who don’t ever signal when they’re turning or changing lanes. How the fuck am I supposed to know where you’re going??
People who don’t take a moment to wipe off the machines at the gym that they’ve just left an entire puddle of sweat on. That’s so disgusting - I have to put my fucking face there. Wipe up your damned bodily fluids!
Another vote for people on their cell phones. At physical therapy, instead of listening to their physical therapists, some of these asshole businessmen spend their session on the phone, holding a hand up to their therapist, telling them to wait while they finish talking before moving on to the next exercise.
People who slump over their shopping carts and walk reeeaaaallll sssslllllooooowwwlly down the aisle, wandering aimlessly from one side of the aisle to the other so you can’t pass them.
Cell phones the scourge of existance. If I’m in line at the grocery or talking to someone else I just turn the ringer off. I can call them back.
There’s one asshole who takes phone calls constantly while at the gym. 5-6 calls in the 45 minutes I’m there. Shut up and work out already. (same asshat that grunts like a pig in heat and leaves the equipment sweaty)
cell phones on speaker…I don’t know what else to call them. You can hear the person on the other end and the idiot who’s holding the phone 6-10 inches away from their face and yelling into it. I really, really don’t want to hear about your friend’s intimate boyfriend problems take her off speaker please.
I remember one guy in the grocery store check out line yelling into the phone he’s holding in front of his face “what, I can’t hear you” Put the phone to your fucking year you dimwit.
My husband is a door holder and he laments the fact that he rarely gets a Thank You.
I will admit to being a cigarette tosser until I read a thread about it in GD and realized that I was being an asshat. I’ll use the ashtray if there is one and if there’s not I’ll put it out and save the butt until I can dispose of it properly. It’s not that difficult.
No one uses turn signals in Illinois (except me - I’m a big nerd) I’m starting to wonder if car makers are saving a few bucks by not installing them anymore.
Spitting in public. Its so incredibly disgusting! I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve had to jump back to avoid getting my shoes spat on. And then if the weather conditions are right the goo stays on the sidewalk forever (I looove looking at frozen spit globs!)
If you have some medical condition that requires public expectoration, please don’t feel like you have to share that fact with everyone, be discreet.
I’m at, say “Home Depot.” I finally manage to coral some service drone for help with finding the right widget, but need to explain what I’m doing/what I’m looking for. We’re talking things over, when some (invariably) middle-aged woman will walk up with never an “excuse me,” or “I beg your pardon,” but will just start accosting said service person as if I was not there. What makes this all the more galling is that 9 times out of ten, service boy will actually attempt to solve her problem, rather than saying something like, “I’ll be glad to help you as soon as I finish assisting this gentleman.”
grrrrrrrr…
Oh yeah, as other have said, please take off you one-size-fits-all, polyester-mesh, $2.99 baseball cap when entering a restaurant. And do yourself a favor by leaving it off for the rest of your life.
Call waiting. Unless you’re waiting for a call from the organ donar center saying they have a kidney for you, don’t take the fucking call! Wait until you’re done with who you’re talking with, then…wait for it…CALL THEM BACK. Jesus, call waiting is the rudest invention ever.
OK, there are two people living in this house. Only two. My husband and I. If you know us both and you are calling for him and I answer the phone, don’t say “Is Allan there?” How about “Hi Zette- this is Dave. Can I speak with Allan?” Don’t act like you don’t even know who I am. Who the hell else would be answering the phone? I usually treat these people to a “Hello Dave. This is Zette. How are you?” before getting my husband. Fucking rude.
And people wonder why I never answer the phone or call people back. It makes me homicidal.
Growing up, call waiting was absolutely essential in our house-and still is. My dad’s a funeral director and frequently on call. We couldn’t use the phone before we got it, at least not for very long, in case he got a call in. Thanks to call waiting, now we’re able to use the phone for longer than five minutes at a time.
That being said, the polite thing to do is-say, “Hold on, I have a call,” flip to the new caller, ask THEM to hold on, then flip back and say, “I’ll have to call you back.”
