Ignorant selfish 'me' people

[jimboalee]

Jesus anyone would think this forum is frequented by a bunch of grumpy old buggers!

If society of today is f*cked up isn't it the previous generation that raised them at fault?



There are a few helpfull people still out there... have some faith, we are not all doomed just yet.

It's his birthday on Friday.

 

[Night Train]

Back in the 80's there was a big freeze and I had to drive from London to Norwich late one night.
Heading up the M11 in my Land Rover I must have stopped every half mile to help people out of the snow. Most people out in 4x4s were helping.

I guess in those days 4x4's as fashion accessories were only just appearing and those who had them knew how to use them.
Can't see it happening much today except with 'off road club' members.

 

[postman]

I'll give you an example .I had a 4-30 dental appointment Leeds city centre.
Used the bus .So just after 5-00 i am waiting in a small queue.But it's going home time and soon it gets longer .

Well we Brits have the unspoken rule wait in line .
Well that did not happen .And i did not like it one little bit .I am retired but i used to go to work on a motorcycle .
If i had to put up with that sort of behaviour every night .There would have been words .
But this was a one off visit

 

[Wigsie]

It's his birthday on Friday.

Is it though?

 

[darkstar]

I think there are loads of helpful people around, a good example was on the news a few days ago. A couple were due to get married but the snow came and threatened to ruin the day. They called the local radio station and put out an appeal. Loads of people responded and came to help out. The majority helping transport people in 4x4's. Just shows the generosity some people have for complete strangers.

 

[al78]

Yes, all this 'haven't got time' thing. Years ago people didn't have cars, worked longer hours, prepared food from scratch and were generally a lot more pleasant to each other. What I want to know is, what are all these people doing with all the 'time' they are saving.
I commented on why people collected their kids from school all of 5 mins walk away & someone said, well, it's the time, isn't it?
Grrrrrr!

Did people really work longer hours years ago?

Technological advancement has resulted in efficiency increases across many areas of our lives but those efficiency increases are not used to gain more free time, they are used to get more done in the day so we don't end up with any more free time than before. Add to that the increase in commuting times and I would be surprised if the working day was any shorter than back then BICBW.

In crowded areas, there is the principle of diffused responsiblity at work. People will walk past someone in need because they assume that someone else will stop to help.

There is also the consideration that in order to help in a situation you need to know what you are doing. If you don't, you could end up making things worse (first aid springs to mind here).

 

[Globalti]

Very true. I used to have a Land Rover and on the few occasions when I did tow people I always handed them the end of the rope with the shackle and let them connect it to their own car, just in case there was any damage and they got nowty.

Once towed a young lad in a chavved up Corsa out of a sloping car park - he was frantic because he was supposed to be picking his GF up; probably didn't want her to know he'd been stuck in a notorious dogging spot......

 

[dominos]

That is one of the things that I love about cycle touring - it restores my faith in humanity. There is nothing like pedalling around, fully loaded to bring out the best in others - offers of a cup of tea, a bed for the night, directions, a free lunch, a chat in the shade with a cool drink, help when I'm in a pickle... Helps me to be less cycnical about the world and in turn, reminds me to be more proactive and thoughtful towards strangers.

 

[Globalti]

Any book you read about self-propelled travel makes the same point; when you travel at human speed you meet other people and enjoy the meetings.

 

[phaedrus]

"there is no such thing as society."
"people must look to themselves first."

Are we seeing part of Thatcher's legacy?

 

[summerdays]

I'm still trying to impress upon my children things like saying thank you to the bus driver as I get off the bus... I think its simple things like that which have disappeared in our rush to advance and modernise ourselves.

 

[Fnaar]

One of the things I love about the North-East is that people still say thanks to bus drivers, as a matter of course... almost everyone does it... however, if I may have a mini-rant...
I had to buy some game thing for my daughter yesterday in HMV... got it off the shelf, and joined the queue (I thought)... turns out the queue had been 'interrupted' by a floor/ceiling pillar, and I had actually joined mid-queue... rather than simply point this out to me, the neanderthal next in queue got rather aggressive... tw@t! With his face about 1/2 inch from mine, I smiled sweetly and said in my best accent "I'm so sorry, sir, I didn't realise"... took the wind out of his sails, as he was expecting me to get aggressive back, I think. Rise above it, rise above it....calm calm...
Then, to get Christmas shopping out of my system, I rounded my trip off with a leisurely pint. The pint was poured haphazardly, and was about 2/3 beer and 1/3 froth. I pointed this out the barman, who reluctantly had another go. It still had about an inch and a half of froth, so I asked him to do it again... He grabbed it off the bar, and managed to spill most of it taking it to the pumps. Finally I got a decent-looking pint, and as I paid, I smiled at him nicely and said"There, that's much better, isn't it?"

 

[Twenty Inch]

It's because the proletariat in this country have become a homogeneous collection of sun-reading, McDonalds-eating, bread-and-circuses-TV-show-watching, slack-jawed, fat morons.

Thatcher's children, innit?

 

[Mr Pig]

Yeah well, that's England for you... ;0)

 

[Wigsie]

Thatcher's children, innit?

Cop Out?