Ignorant old people

Subject: Ignorant old people
From: GUEST,Chris B (Born Again Scouser)
Date: 07 Dec 10 - 02:24 PM

BBC Radio 4 today. So this American woman who lives in Portadown goes into the local post office to post off a few Christmas presents. The place is full of pensioners and she lets several go in front of her. Eventually she goes to the counter and when she's done she tries to exchange pleasantries with the old woman behind her when the whole queue rounds on her telling her she has no business being there on account of a) not being a pensioner and b) being American.   What the f......?

Subject: RE: Ignorant old people
From: Midchuck
Date: 07 Dec 10 - 03:06 PM

Is it being old and ignorant, or working for the Post Office? In the US, we've come up with the expression, "going postal," for working for years in a place, getting more angry with life, until one day you lose it all at once, come into the place with a bunch of guns, and shoot your coworkers at random until the Police get there and gun you down, or you commit suicide before they can. It's called that because Post Office workers seem to do it more often than workers in any other business or occupation.

I think it has to do with too much job security. These people are so hard to fire, that they just hang in there for years, even as they get stranger and stranger. Donno if it's the same in the UK, but I shouldn't wonder.

(Apologies to the majority of postal workers, who are no more strange than the rest of us. But it happens.)

Peter

Subject: RE: Ignorant old people
From: Jack Campin
Date: 07 Dec 10 - 03:13 PM

At a guess she got there at the time all those old people were collecting their pensions and didn't want to be held up by somebody doing a complicated transaction. Still none too friendly.

Subject: RE: Ignorant old people
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 07 Dec 10 - 03:19 PM

"...the whole queue rounds on her..." A queue is not made up of post office employees, Peter.

No excuse for bad manners, but maybe they thought she was jumping the queue. Could it be that without realising it she actually did that? "...she lets several go in front of her" sounds more like a melee than a queue.

Subject: RE: Ignorant old people
From: Midchuck
Date: 07 Dec 10 - 03:25 PM

Yeah, you're right. I thought it was the person at the window giving her a hard time...read it too fast.

P.

Subject: RE: Ignorant old people
From: GUEST,Chris B (Born Again Scouser)
Date: 07 Dec 10 - 03:27 PM

Would you be trying so hard to be even handed if she'd been verbally attacked for being black? Or is it OK to attack people for being American?

Subject: RE: Ignorant old people
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 07 Dec 10 - 03:46 PM

It was probably the "stopping to exchange pleasantries" after completing here biznis that got to them: nothing more annoying than waiting in a queue while someone who has finished being served stops to talk to the harrassed server about the weather or whatever.

~M~

Subject: RE: Ignorant old people
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 07 Dec 10 - 03:48 PM

This is basically gossip.

Subject: RE: Ignorant old people
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 07 Dec 10 - 03:52 PM

The bare facts give no indication as the the character of those involved. It is therefore premature, and well nigh impossible to express an opinion.

Subject: RE: Ignorant old people
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 07 Dec 10 - 05:32 PM

While it's possibly not the practice everywhere in the US, at a couple of Postal Stations I frequent, during "busy times" there usually are two or three agents for general postal business and at least one other at a separate "window" marked "pickups only" for those who only want to get mail from "general delivery" or who have received notice that something couldn't be delivered.

Attempting to go to the "pickup" window to send something when the place is crowded might cause objections from others, and if the station is not marked it could be just "tradition" that reserves that line(?), assuming there's another line for other stuff. Or again custom may dictate that there's a particular time when "the check is in the mail."

The assumption that "everybody knows" is not the exclusive province of the elderly. And "everybody knows" that you should never have to explain what "everybody knows" to anyone who isn't "in the know."

John

Subject: RE: Ignorant old people
From: kendall
Date: 07 Dec 10 - 07:45 PM

I have no opinion; I wasn't there.
Rudeness is universal.

Subject: RE: Ignorant old people
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 07 Dec 10 - 07:54 PM

The post office seems to be experimenting with various alternatives to traditional queues. I suspect that the American lady might have fallen foul of one of these, and unwittingly offended. Queue jumping is traditionally something that stirs up people over here.

Subject: RE: Ignorant old people
From: kendall
Date: 07 Dec 10 - 09:08 PM

It can get you hurt over here.

Subject: RE: Ignorant old people
From: Beer
Date: 07 Dec 10 - 10:24 PM

I don't know about this incident but i do believe that as we get older we tend not to take the crap that we did when we were younger. I am 63 and what I would have backed away from years before I now stand my ground and fuck what other people think. Maybe i should have been this way years ago but NOW in many cases I just can't be quiet.
Example though a simple one. At the local food check out cashier asks: " Did you find everything you needed sir?". Great question right!! Well after answering "no" for a good number of times, I decided to take a different approach. "Why are you asking this question. Are you going to do something about it?" She looked at me as if I was from another planet (which I am BTY.). I waved my hand at her and said "never mind, management never gave you the answer."

Subject: RE: Ignorant old people
From: GUEST,Chris B (Born Again Scouser)
Date: 08 Dec 10 - 02:15 AM

Good for you, Beer. That must have made her day.   The woman serving you must have felt priveleged to be in the presence of such insightful intellectual greatness.

Subject: RE: Ignorant old people
From: GUEST,Patsy
Date: 08 Dec 10 - 04:33 AM

Touch wood I have not yet encountered bad manners from young, old or from any race for that matter. Perhaps I am just lucky. With a multi-cultural society I realise that not everyone is aware of the social rules of the queue. In-fact the opposite I think people now far more easy going than they were 10 years ago in general.

Subject: RE: Ignorant old people
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 08 Dec 10 - 06:07 AM

OK - I have to ask - which is worse -
Ignorant Old People,
or
Ignorant Young People?

:)

Subject: RE: Ignorant old people
From: MikeL2
Date: 08 Dec 10 - 06:37 AM

hi

Only yesterday I had an embarrassing " senior moment " in our local village post office.

I went to the window to get some cash on my bank card and I entered the wrong pin number. The lady behind the counter was extremely friendly and asked me to put it in again. So I did and again the wrong number !! So I thought a little, and realised that I had changed over two of the digits.....but which two ??? You are right I got it wrong again !!!

By this time there was a fairly large queue developing behind me. ( our local post office only has one window !!).

The counter lady then explained that my card wouldn't work now after three incorrect tries and that I would need to phone my bank to unblock the pin no for me.

The lady was friendly and polite through-out and as I turned sheepishly to leave, all the people in the queue smiled knowingly.

No bad manners in our Post Office !!

I know this could go on the " You know you are getting old when.......thread but here is also relevant.

Cheers

MikeL2

Subject: RE: Ignorant old people
From: GUEST,Patsy
Date: 08 Dec 10 - 07:19 AM

I have only known on the rare occasion that if a young person is disrespected by someone old enough to know better should they speak up and react the finger of blame nearly always falls on 'loutish' youth more often than not. Regardless of the real reasons for it occuring.

Ignorant old people on the otherhand have the advantage of being old with all the courteousy given to them expected with age and would be more likely to get away with being rude rather than a younger person. Socially they lived in a time that was very Xenophobic and unfortunately still have not yet fully grasped political correctness. This can be very embarrasing for everyone even if it is done in a quiet unintended patronising way.

Subject: RE: Ignorant old people
From: Black belt caterpillar wrestler
Date: 08 Dec 10 - 07:42 AM

I have realised that over the years I have always encountered more rudeness from people older than myself.
Extrapolating from this either the world is becoming more polite as the old rude people die, or eventually, if I live long enough, I could end up as the rudest person on the planet!

Subject: RE: Ignorant old people
From: GUEST,Kendall
Date: 08 Dec 10 - 07:50 AM

Beer, I'm with you. I used to be the "Peace at any price" type. Now, I'm like Russian toilet paper; I don't take no crap off nobody.

Usually, I like to make someone laugh every day if I can. A few days ago, I went to the drive in of my local pharmacy, got my prescription, and the young woman said "Do you have any questions." I said "Yes, what is your phone number." I thought she was going to foul her knickers. I wonder if she would have laughed if my prescription had been for Viagra? Remember, I'm 76.

Subject: RE: Ignorant old people
From: GUEST,Patsy
Date: 08 Dec 10 - 08:47 AM

Black belt, no you won't. By the sound of what you have written I don't think that would happen.

Subject: RE: Ignorant old people
From: Beer
Date: 08 Dec 10 - 09:10 AM

A bit of a drift from the thread title but one to share just the same.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFsB6_U3RwU

Subject: RE: Ignorant old people
From: goatfell
Date: 08 Dec 10 - 09:20 AM

no matter what age you are you will always find ignorant people no matter age they are and some of them post on this site

Subject: RE: Ignorant old people
From: Chris B (Born Again Scouser)
Date: 08 Dec 10 - 09:45 AM

I can't help wondering if the fact that it was Portadown might have had something to do with it (ducks)!

Subject: RE: Ignorant old people
From: GUEST,Steamin' Willie
Date: 08 Dec 10 - 10:51 AM

In my experience, postmen fall into two categories;

Those who play out of tune banjos.

Those whose false teeth fall out whilst singing unaccompanied.

Subject: RE: Ignorant old people
From: GUEST,999
Date: 08 Dec 10 - 01:58 PM

Fuck em if they can`t take a joke.

Subject: RE: Ignorant old people
From: olddude
Date: 08 Dec 10 - 04:42 PM

No worries she probably couldn't hear a thing they were saying

Subject: RE: Ignorant old people
From: GUEST,999
Date: 08 Dec 10 - 04:43 PM

LOL

Subject: RE: Ignorant old people
From: kendall
Date: 08 Dec 10 - 08:10 PM

"If they can't take a fuck, joke 'em." (Robin Williams)

Subject: RE: Ignorant old people
From: frogprince
Date: 08 Dec 10 - 08:39 PM

I always heard that as "Joke 'em if they can't take a fuck" - Lenny Bruce.

Subject: RE: Ignorant old people
From: YorkshireYankee
Date: 08 Dec 10 - 10:29 PM

Chris B (Born Again Scouser) -- you said in your original post that you heard this on Radio 4. I'd like to try to hear the item myself, so I was wondering: was it on a programme I might be able to "Listen Again" to, or was it just a snippet on one of the 2-minute news bulletins? (BTW, did a quick Google on the words "Portadown", "post office", "pensioners" and "American woman", to see if I might find some article or other mention of it online, but the only thing that came up (on the first page(s); I wasn't motivated enough to trawl further) was this thread...

Thanks -- YY

Subject: RE: Ignorant old people
From: GUEST,Grishka
Date: 09 Dec 10 - 04:58 AM

YY, I did the same. Let's face it: the incident doesn't have any news value, it happens every day: person X breaks a rule she is not aware of, those in the know (proud of their tolerance) don't say a word for a while, X continues to break the rule, patience wears off, insults follow ("Do you think you can do what you like because you are young and American?"). Ignorant? Rather lacking "soft skills". The right thing to do is to inform the offender about the rule when your patience begins to wear off. On the other hand, a stranger should try to learn as many of the rules as possible, and ask if in doubt.

Interesting about the special case: if an insult is required, old ethnic clichés can be warmed up any time, in conjunction with the ever-acute generation gaps.

Subject: RE: Ignorant old people
From: GUEST,Patsy
Date: 09 Dec 10 - 05:39 AM

Some people can be abrupt with the way they say things and it can be sometimes mistaken for rudeness. Is speaking ones mind rude? When I was younger I was painfully shy, it was mistaken for aloofness many times.

Subject: RE: Ignorant old people
From: GUEST,kendall
Date: 09 Dec 10 - 09:23 AM

We should all lighten up.

Subject: RE: Ignorant old people
From: Greg F.
Date: 09 Dec 10 - 09:39 AM

OK - I have to ask - which is worse - Ignorant Old People, or Ignorant Young People?

Ignorant people in positions of power.

vide TeaBaggers, BuShites, etc.

Subject: RE: Ignorant old people
From: bubblyrat
Date: 09 Dec 10 - 10:05 AM

The truth is "Patsy ", that we Old People were not actually "xenophobic" all the time ; in fact,we grew up in a society where there just WERE NOT any "foreigners" !! I am 63 (like "Beer" ) ; I grew up in Midhurst, in West Sussex, in a TOTALLY "white" environment, where there were NO "black" or "coloured" people,no Europeans,no Orientals,no Indian or Pakistani or Chinese restaurants, no Poles, no displaced "Slavs",no Americans, no Italian or German POWs,no Irish tinkers,no Scots (that I can recall) and the only Welshman was our Primary School headmaster ( Mr Bevan !!). OK ; I admit that there WAS a boy at school called "Mueller",,who came in for a bit of "Heil Hitler"-type joshing,but didn't seem to mind ( unlike today !!)
             And, I must admit that there WAS a Maharaja of somewhere-or-other who was wont to play polo at Cowdray Park occasionally, but otherwise.....that was it !! And I did not ever set eyes on a "black" man until I saw one,at age TEN,in Reading !!(prior to that ,my knowledge of such matters was restricted to what I could glean from the pages of the school-provided "Little Black Sambo" books .....Ouch !!!) So knock ye not us older folks ; the world we grew up in was more different than you could ever imagine.

Subject: RE: Ignorant old people
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 09 Dec 10 - 10:21 AM

Absolutely right, Bubbly.

Louis MacNeice's long poetic record of part of his life as it passed, Autumn Journal, contains a memorable summation of our view of the Classical world, "It was all so very, very different - And all so long ago". But never mind the Classical World. At my age [78] I often find myself quoting it of things I myself can well remember which just are not so any longer.

~Michael~

Subject: RE: Ignorant old people
From: GUEST,999
Date: 09 Dec 10 - 11:43 AM

`We should all lighten up.`

I just did and now I have to leave the internet cafe. Thanks.

Subject: RE: Ignorant old people
From: GUEST,Grishka
Date: 09 Dec 10 - 11:44 AM

Bubbly, the lady in question has been told she

has no business being there on account of a) not being a pensioner and b) being American.

Are you suggesting all people were pensioners in your days??

What sort of ignorance are we talking about? The only sense I can make of the story is what I wrote above, where xenophobia just serves as a handy source of insults. (BTW: who says there were no persons of Pakistani background in the queue?)

The effect I described in my own version of the story is not restricted to persons deeply rooted in their traditions, though they may be most susceptible. Many middle-aged people who know the world are nevertheless convinced that their own set of rules is valid universally, and that not knowing it constitutes a moral vice.

Subject: RE: Ignorant old people
From: kendall
Date: 09 Dec 10 - 03:02 PM

Had that been me I would have said, "And can you point out where it says that in the Magna Carta"?

Subject: RE: Ignorant old people
From: Naemanson
Date: 10 Dec 10 - 12:12 AM

I am an ignorant old person and I wouldn't do that to anyone.

Subject: RE: Ignorant old people
From: Bugsy
Date: 10 Dec 10 - 03:56 AM

Someone should write a song about it.............


Cheers

Bugsy

Subject: RE: Ignorant old people
From: GUEST,Patsy
Date: 10 Dec 10 - 03:59 AM

I do remember how it was back in the 60's and 70's and less so in the 80's the same was for me in the outskirts of Bristol where I lived. The only differences that I was aware of was the attitude towards class and gender differences, ethnic people were mostly in the inner-city anyway, where I lived in the outskirts and suburb it was made quite clear to me by the very teachers teaching us probably they had all mostly come from Public School that we would never make it in life because of that. But yes it was a rare thing to see anyone from a foreign country that is until the school began the foreign exchange programme with students from France. Immediately the difference was quite evident the students being quite ahead on the fashion front for a start!

Fortunately young people seem to be well aware of the differences of bad manners and on the whole can see it for what it is even amongst their own.

Subject: RE: Ignorant old people
From: Van
Date: 10 Dec 10 - 05:46 AM

Rounding on someone because they are American should come as no surprise to anyone living in the UK. You also get the challenge of you're not from round here are you when you live 10 minutes up the road. My late wife, who was English, had to give up work because of the attitude of her colleagues in Scotland - and that was in a government department.
Face it the world has a fair share of idiots and unfortunately we seem to let them run it.

Subject: RE: Ignorant old people
From: GUEST,Patsy
Date: 10 Dec 10 - 08:28 AM

The funny thing back when I was a teenager on a holiday on the Isle of Wight most of the other kids were from London and quite a few from the North of England and while we were sat in the usual hippy circle I was encouraged to 'say something' just like a show and tell because they thought I sounded American. It wasn't in an ignorant nasty way but I presume some of them hadn't been through Bristol but I did feel on display. I think they were disappointed that I wasn't.

In later years I have been accused of being a 'carrot cruncher' or having a straw in my mouth so I can understand how horrible it can be to be treated this way.

Sometimes families can be like that about other families too if they are thought to have a bad reputation.

Perhaps we could start another thread about New Year Resolutions for the good.

Subject: RE: Ignorant old people
From: kendall
Date: 10 Dec 10 - 08:33 AM

It's the same thing when dogs piss on bushes. They are marking the boundary of their territory.If you don't belong to the local pack you are not welcome. We are not that far from the lower animals.

I've traveled quite a lot outside the USA and some of the Americans I have seen in other countries exhibited appalling behavior. If a New Yorker came here and acted like that they would also be told they were not welcome.

In Jamaica I saw a gang of toughs from England acting like assholes, so, ignorance is universal.

Subject: RE: Ignorant old people
From: Richie Black (misused acct, bad email)
Date: 10 Dec 10 - 11:09 AM

I feel there are more ignorant young people these days.

Subject: RE: Ignorant old people
From: kendall
Date: 10 Dec 10 - 01:33 PM

Right, I wonder what they are teaching in today's schools. They have no manners, can't hold a thought, can't converse without "Like" or "Nome sayin". Their spelling is atrocious and their grammar is worse.

Subject: RE: Ignorant old people
From: Little Hawk
Date: 10 Dec 10 - 01:53 PM

It's spelled "know'msayin'?"

U R the 1 who can't spell it right, know'msayin'?

U R, like, soooooo out of it, know'msayin'?

R U, like, over 50?

I soooo bet U R and that is sooooo OLD!



*(The above is a joke, Okay? Satire.)