I will never stop holding doors open for people.

But as time wears on, I am fighting the urge to slam them in their faces.

I just went to the store, saw an old woman walking towards the door:

"Let me get that for you..."

I opened it, she walked in with out saying thanks or even a smile. I am sure she would have had something to say if Ihip checked her out of the way.

Maybe she had a heavy heart today, fine. But I can not tell you the last time I remember any blue hair'd old person saying thanks for anything.

I am a big 'personal space' person. I consider it to be rude to crowd into someone's personal space, and likewise, consider it rude of someone to crowd mine. My personal space is not unreasonable when in public. Probably no more or less than anyone else here.

The group I find most rude on a consistent basis in this regard are old women in the 60+ age range at the grocery store. They will come up behind me as I am making my selections in the meat aisle or produce section and crowd me. More than once have I turned around and glared at them with my meanest possible "I am going to take your purse from you and beat you with it" look. It's generally only the old women in the grocery store though... which is why I find myself shopping more and more after midnight at the 24/7 supermarkets.

Manners and courtesy are fast disappearing in today's world.  Frankly, I have found older people more polite than today's "Me" generation that has little respect for anyone or anything.  For my money - older folks deserve the courtesy I extend to them and I don't worry about the "thank you" so much.

CWO

GRANNY PORN!!!

Show me your ankles Mabel!!

Quoted: Manners and courtesy are fast disappearing in today's world.  Frankly, I have found older people more polite than today's "Me" generation that has little respect for anyone or anything.  For my money - older folks deserve the courtesy I extend to them and I don't worry about the "thank you" so much. CWO

________

+1

CWO, I believe you've identified the crux of the matter.  We all try to do good simply because that's our goal--the "reward" if you will, is doing a kindly act.

Ed

It's not just the old...

Just this past summer I was out at a restaurant with my dad and we saw a handicapped woman on crutches with her son struggling to get in the double doors... I stepped out of line and held the door open for the woman and her son... She gave me a dirty look as she hopped past!

I said "you're welcome" under my breath but had the person not been handicapped I would have said it loudly... that burned me up. Try to be nice and get that treatment.

As to the old people... I've had my share of incidents.

• the "I'm too old to wait in that 20 person long line" ones

• the "I didn't get my way arguing with the cashier so I'll drop a string of protest farts from the register to the door, LIVE WITH THAT!"

• the old lady cashiers would get me too: I had one that didn't think she should be bagging 2 liter bottles of pop so she'd get them over the bag and drop them from two feet up... I've said stuff before ... One my wife was present for was "Could you bounce those from a little higher there, smiley?"

A-holes come in every stripe and age and level of health. I just seem to have a knack for finding them.

A lot of them think they're entitled to something because they've been alive so long.  It's a hit-or-miss with me.  Anyone I encounter is either really sweet or makes me wonder if someone actually likes being their grandkid.

I blame parents and the schoold for the lack of manners in most kids these days.
Take my children for example. They have all been raised in a "Yes mam" -"may I be excused from the table" house. My children know that I expect those manners at school and around others. They understand them and are for hte most part, very well mannered. But when they are in school the teachers dont want to hear that. They want to be called Cindy or Bob or whatever. They want ot be our kids friends, not teachers. Then to top it all off,  many kids out there that just dont give a shit about manners. Combined them with parents that dont teach and enforce them and its a losing battle.

Its a shame really,
CH

I frequently open doors for women, and most will say “thanks” but sometimes they just walk past.  That is when I loudly proclaim “YOU’RE WELCOME”.   It always stops them in their arrogant tracks and they respond with a meek “thank you”.

Opened a restaurant door for an elderly black woman when a young “gang banger wanna be” guy jumped in front of her and went through the door.  She looked at me with a disgusted look and I commented how kids these days demand respect but will not give respect.

I have had old ladies try to grab stuff out of my hands before at garage sales.

Love the ones at the cash register that will wait until the very last moment to fish for their wallets or coin purse, pay for their groceries in exact change, recount their dimes and pennies several times, and then get annoyed when the line forming behind them isn't happy about it.

It isn't generational.  People of all ages can be rude.

My missus and I are in our 50's.  We always hold a door for anyone.  When we are not thanked, we make a LOUD point of stating, "You're WELCOME" with dripping sarcasm.  It always gets their attention.

I do the gentleman thing since I was a teen, and for the best part, I do get thanked here, although I can see the surprise on their faces that someone still would hold a door open without expecting anything in return...

Those darned surly bluehairs.

I hold the door for them and if they don't say thanks, I follow them to their car and stuff a banana in the tailpipe.

 

i generally have no problem w/ rudeness from old people.  most express appreciation when i hold doors.  the ones you're seeing may be actually expressing a look of astonishment instead of a dirty look.  i also wish they would wait patiently in line, but they may have very real health conditions which cause them discomfort to stand for only a few minutes.  What has really gotten me though is when i'm looking for a particular item on the shelf and a young person walks up, says excuse me, I step back to let them quickly grab their item, and they then stand there and try to figure out what they want.  

Remember that more and more of the "old people" these days are in fact "baby boomers" a group not particularly noted for manners, selflessness or  social graces. I am not trying to offend any BBs at ARFCOM but if you are here you are probably more of the exception to the rule.

BabyBoomers flame away!!!

If someone's coming up behind me as I enter a building, I always at least hold the door open for them until they can grab it.  If they're an older person, I'll let them go in first.  Just how I was taught.

Most everyone says "thanks" around here.

I got yelled at just for trying to help a woman out of the stadium at a high school football game. The woman is in her late 50s to early 60s, and has been big and fat as long as I can rmember. Now she needs the aid of a walker to get around. Her husband is just about as fat and can't help her by himself. He was struggling to help her so without hesitating I started to help, as did another older man. She freaks out and starts yelling at me about the other man having a heart condition and he didn't need to be lifting anything. I said "Ma'am I'm just trying to help" and I walked off. I didn't tell the other man to help, nor did I know he had a heart condition. I think this particular woman is just bitter, because I have helped plenty of others without that kind of response.

OTOH, when I was in high school I worked in a grocery store, bagging groceries and putting them in the customers' cars. One time I was taking a rather elderly lady's groceries out to her car, pushing the cart behind her. Apparently I was following too closely because I rammed her right in the back of the lower leg, near the Achillie's tendon, with the cart. This was before we made it out the door, and she stopped and damn near passed out. All she could do was groan "Ohhhh! Ohhhh! Ohhhh!" all the while grabbing her leg. I felt terrible and was very embarrassed, but deep down inside I wanted to laugh, not because of the pain but because of her reaction. I apologized profusely but she was pissed.

I've noticed that old folks tend to pass at will, no matter where they are and they don't care who hears it, or smells it.

I know what you mean.It seems to me they have been told over,and over again they are the "greatest generation" and are starting to believe there own fucking press.I guess the generations that fought every other goddamn war we ever fought was just bored and had nothing better to do.They cut you off in traffic,I am old I cant help it.I cut in line and want to take 3 or 4 weeks to fish out a fucking penny,and those of you who aint retired and actually have a life or things to do,fuck you.Dont even get me startedSome old bitch hit my wife last year and all but totalled her truck,tried to do the "I am old and dont know whats going on shit"when the cops came.That old whore was able to tie shit up with her insurace for about 3 months,my wife allmost lost here job when we were trying to get her rides to work untill we got her truck fixed.Just so that old bitches $90/every six months premiums wouldnt go up.FUCK

My daughter works as a waitress in summers between school years and swears that soccer moms and a few old people are the frickin worst evert. The soccer moms lets their brats make a huge mess and then get up and leave it. That shit is just ignorant and rude.

The old farts can be just nasty and demanding on occasion but for the most part they're ok. That said, my daughter is a very sweet and easy to get along with person. Maybe she just knows how to talk to them.

Could also be she is very considerate of other people and was raised that way....

The more I deal with old people, the ones specifically who are old BUT capable of functioning on thier own, the more I really don't care for them as a group.

People like to complain about rudeness in teens, yep they can be real obnoxious. Old people...geez. They are the worst. The ones I've had to deal with lately have all seemed to have an attitude of "You Owe Me".

Maybe I've just had enough of hearing about the greatest generation. Well some of them did some great things while the vast majority just followed along and griped and moaned the whole way.

My inlaws are a prime example. Are they of that generation? You betcha. Did they do anything great? Not a fucking thing. They were the ones looking to Roosevelt for a hand out and praying they didn't get caught in the draft (which none did). Now my FIL sits around telling everyone how the republicans are going to take his house and steal his nice pension.

Pension? Did someone say pension? I work for the airlines doing a far more important and technical job than he ever thought of doing and now I won't be seeing a pension. Much less medical insurance.

Now since I'm on a real good rant, fuck you old people looking for me to take care of your costs, I got my hands full with my own. Meanwhile you go to your doctors appointments, take your meds (that you want me to pay for), clog the streets with your piss poor driving, get in my way in the local mega low mart and try to convert me to your worthless church (don't get me started on that). Do it , do it all...

But just keep in mind I'm one old guy bad attitude away from caving some of your worthless old skulls in with a lead pipe. It's gonna happen. Maybe sooner...maybe later, but it's a comming.

Now, the nice old ladies that bake me yummy cookies, they are O.K..........

I hate the ones who stampede you at the Old Country Buffet.  They are as aggressive as sharks in a feeding frenzy.  McDonalds in the morning is just as bad.  Nothing worse then a herd of old coots wilding while sky high on free caffine.  

Try getting some food in the morning at a hotel breakfast bar.  It is like they have all day to debate Rice Krispees vs. Corn Flakes.

Quoted: Those darned surly bluehairs. I hold the door for them and if they don't say thanks, I follow them to their car and stuff a banana in the tailpipe.

Oh but I always hold the door open for women.. havn't had anyone not thank me in awhile because I just close the door in the snotty chicks faces

I was in line at McDonald's once and I thought that the counter girl had got my order wrong, so I asked her to double-check it.  She turned and was asking the managers something...now, in the line NEXT to me, there was an old lady, being served by ANOTHER girl.  The girl serving her had turned to listen to what my girl was saying to the manager.  The old lady says to me "Can you wait to ask her this till they get my order?"
I frowned, but responded in a polite tone: "I'm being served by a different person than you ma'am."
She said "Yes, but my girl is being distracted by your problem."
At that, I laughed and said "Sorry, but that's not my fault."
Then she got all huffy and the younger lady with her (40s I thought) said with a twisted up face: "You should be more respectful to old people."
I shook my head and said to her "People earn respect."

"These people now a days,no consideration "

Whatever.

If younger generations are inconsiderate it's because those who
are the elderly now taught them to be that way.

Go to any store,
the older people are the rudest and most self centered of ANY
group.

Notice I didn't say old ladies ,because the older guys are jerks too !

My mother and grandmother are completely inconsiderate of others,
without even realizing it.
This did not pass on to my sister ,because my father taught us about
how interaction effects others as well.

The entire current older generation has a SCREW you and gimme -mine
attitude.

Quoted: That said, my daughter is a very sweet and easy to get along with person. Maybe she just knows how to talk to them.

Could be. My reminding old folks sneering at me when I hold the door open for them that I would make their upcoming hip replacement worth it if they don't start showing some gratitude soon probably doesn't do much to improve their grumpy mood. That said, folks whose highlight of the day consists of getting off the crapper in under two hours aren't going to be too pleasant in the first place.

Originally Posted By KC-130 FLT ENG: The more I deal with old people, the ones specifically who are old BUT capable of functioning on thier own, the more I really don't care for them as a group. People like to complain about rudeness in teens, yep they can be real obnoxious. Old people...geez. They are the worst. The ones I've had to deal with lately have all seemed to have an attitude of "You Owe Me". Maybe I've just had enough of hearing about the greatest generation. Well some of them did some great things while the vast majority just followed along and griped and moaned the whole way. My inlaws are a prime example. Are they of that generation? You betcha. Did they do anything great? Not a fucking thing. They were the ones looking to Roosevelt for a hand out and praying they didn't get caught in the draft (which none did). Now my FIL sits around telling everyone how the republicans are going to take his house and steal his nice pension. Pension? Did someone say pension? I work for the airlines doing a far more important and technical job than he ever thought of doing and now I won't be seeing a pension. Much less medical insurance. Now since I'm on a real good rant, fuck you old people looking for me to take care of your costs, I got my hands full with my own. Meanwhile you go to your doctors appointments, take your meds (that you want me to pay for), clog the streets with your piss poor driving, get in my way in the local mega low mart and try to convert me to your worthless church (don't get me started on that). Do it , do it all... But just keep in mind I'm one old guy bad attitude away from caving some of your worthless old skulls in with a lead pipe. It's gonna happen. Maybe sooner...maybe later, but it's a comming. Now, the nice old ladies that bake me yummy cookies, they are O.K..........

Dude I hear ya.I would rather drive on the road with 100 drunk drivers than one person over 65 sober.The next day the drunks will sober up but the old people will just be one day blinder,slower and more arrogent.If drunks could get together and have some lobbiest in DC,their poor driving would be overlooked just like the old people.

Quoted: Manners and courtesy are fast disappearing in today's world.  Frankly, I have found older people more polite than today's "Me" generation that has little respect for anyone or anything.  For my money - older folks deserve the courtesy I extend to them and I don't worry about the "thank you" so much. CWO

+1 don't do it for the "thank you's" cuz you're gonna be sorely disappointed nowadays (easy to say, hard to do, i know...)!

kinda surprised with ziti's situation, it's usually the younger crowd and the "entitled" ones you get the kiss off from.

Two words: Logan's Run.

Quoted: Try getting some food in the morning at a hotel breakfast bar.  It is like they have all day to debate Rice Krispees vs. Corn Flakes.

Yur telling me.  I live half my life at the Holiday Inn.  Nothing is worse then when they elbow their way in front of you and then S  T  O  P .   I usually just reach over or around them.

Thanks for reminding me of the endless battle that is my life.        

I went to Oakland on a weekend getaway recently. On the shuttle bus to the car rental place, I stood and offered my seat to a woman. To say she was shocked was an understatement. I still hold doors and offer my seat to the ladies but it seems like this isnt wide spread anymore. Oh, she did say 'thank you'.

Quoted: I went to Oakland on a weekend getaway recently. On the shuttle bus to the car rental place, I stood and offered my seat to a woman. To say she was shocked was an understatement. I still hold doors and offer my seat to the ladies but it seems like this isnt wide spread anymore. Oh, she did say 'thank you'.

Oakland Ca? WTF over?

You ought to deal with the old people my wife deals with. She's a pharmacist, so as you can imagine, has ALOT of older customers. By and large, with a few notable exceptions, they're #2 on the rudeness scale (#1 are the soccer mom types). They seem to think that not only are they OWED their medicine pronto (mostly by not having died yet, apparently), but that they ought to be given it free. They BITCH about having to pay anything at all for medicine. You'd think that being old, they'd have saved money by now. But noooooo.

Then she gets the senile ones who can't remember the name of their medicine, or what the pill looked like, or even the name of their doctor, when it comes to refill time.  Or they wander into the WRONG pharmacy, and get all puffy when no one can help them.

Boomers by and large, from my experience, are the rudest and most selfish bunch of folk to ever walk the planet. I'm sure someone will chime in and say it's not so, but that's been my experience (and the wife's too)...

I still hold open doors for 'em, but don't expect thanks. And on that I'm not usually dissapointed.

The absolute rudest people on the face of the earth are the old timers on the golf course.

Old folks rule!!!!

Many endured hardships that would kill off lesser 'modern' pussy-people.

The built civilizations and fought wars on a scale we can't imagine.


They can be idiosyncratic if they wish.


The way we treat our seniors in this culture is horrible.

The 'nuclear family' is an abomination.

The extended family is a better way IMHO.

Honor your ancestors!!!!!!

Do you know your family history???

Do you know your parents' and grandparents' bithdates??????

Quoted: The absolute rudest people on the face of the earth are the old timers on the golf course at the DMV.