Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
So I've noticed this recently and I have to comment on it. I have seen quite a few middle aged adults who seem to be totally unaware of their surroundings. They don't seem to notice people around them or how to behave in a room with several people.
Examples:
1) In my church I can't count how many times I have seen people walk into the building and just stop right in the middle of the hallway and start talking to people. They do it almost every Sunday and even if there is a potluck and someone is carrying a crockpot. They just stop walking wherever they are.
2) In the break room at work one of my coworkers (during lunch hour mind you) stood in front of the Keurig machine and blocked a microwave. She stood there humming to herself and looked surprised when I wanted to use the microwave during my lunch break and seemed to have no idea anyone was in the room besides her.
3) Another coworker in the break room stood at the sink for a good three minutes washing a cake pan and was completely unaware that I was waiting to use the sink. Not once in that time did she even notice someone was in the room.
4) Also in the break room (Noticing a pattern here?) I was standing by the microwave and was the only one in the room. A coworker actually asked what I was doing there. Did she forget where she was and what people do in the break room?
5) In general, people at places like Walmart who walk slower than a snail's pace down the aisle when there are people waiting for them.
At what age do people lose this awareness of their surroundings? Do people need to announce their presence anytime they enter a room? Am I missing something?
Obviously you have spent no time around teenagers. Not only are they unaware of their surroundings (unless they pertain directly to their teen social lives), but they pretty much don't care.
So I've noticed this recently and I have to comment on it. I have seen quite a few middle aged adults who seem to be totally unaware of their surroundings. They don't seem to notice people around them or how to behave in a room with several people.
I typically see this at Wal Mart when two or three people, usually rather large people, all walk down the aisle side by side very slowly. I call them MORONS.
Quote:
Originally Posted by WyoEagle
5) In general, people at places like Walmart who walk slower than a snail's pace down the aisle when there are people waiting for them.
Ah, should have kept reading. It's not just the Wal Marts I go to.
Quote:
Originally Posted by WyoEagle
At what age do people lose this awareness of their surroundings? Do people need to announce their presence anytime they enter a room? Am I missing something?
Like others have said, inconsiderate a**holes come in all ages, sizes, creeds, genders, class and anything else I can think of. You don't have to be any ceryain type of person to be a Grade A Butt.
Sometimes people are lost in their own thoughts, but it sounds to me like the OP is just passive aggressive. You seriously stood there for three minutes waiting for someone to notice you without you just saying "hi!" or "excuse me, mind if I use the sink real quick?"
^^^This. It happens a lot at work, but I don't see a problem with someone being lost in thought. You can just as easily make your presence known instead of assuming they should notice you.
Blocking an aisle is one thing, but I don't view it the same as someone simply not noticing your presence. If you come up behind someone slower moving in an aisle, excuse me works much better than assuming they should know you were there.
I call them "obliviots" and they come in all ages, sizes, and colors. I've learned a great way to handle them it's called patience and good manners, as in wait 10-20 seconds and then say "excuse me, could I please get by?" It's really that simple. Like someone said, you seem to be in a huge hurry if you can't wait for someone cleaning a pan in the sink to finish. Or you could say "excuse me, I just need to get a quick glass of water, could I cut in there?" It's not hard.
As others have said, this isn't an age thing- a lot of people are just not aware of their surroundings. And- there's a difference between being merely lost in thought and being rude because you are blocking other people in an unreasonable way. It's generally rude to walk three-abreast, blocking the whole sidewalk, veeeery slowly. It's rude to block a whole supermarket aisle by standing and browsing to the immediate side of your cart. It's rude to stop for a conversation and block a shared hallway.
It's not rude to take three minutes to wash a cake pan, though.
Since there's a good amount of venting in this thread, I'll add my own "obliviot" one- folks who go on crowded public transportation with overstuffed backpacks slung over both shoulders, and then proceed to jostle, strike, and shove other passengers with said backpack every time they move. That behavior should warrant some kind of grotesque Medieval punishment. TAKE YOUR DAMN BACKPACK OFF AND HOLD IT BY THE HANDLE.
You need to let people know you are there. I like to break into a loud chorus of Bob Dylan's "The Times They Are A-Changin'."
"Come senators, congressmen, please heed the call
Don't stand in the doorway, don't block up the hall
For he that gets hurt will be he who has stalled
There's a battle outside, and it is ragin'
It'll soon shake your windows and rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin'. "
People get distracted, or they get lost in their own thoughts sometimes. You are taking ONE incident - washing a cake pan -- and extrapolating into a major character fault. For all you know, her boyfriend just broke up with her and she was thinking about that. Or she's planning her shopping list for after work. Or she's still fretting over a report that's past due. It happens to all of us -- I bet it even happens to you, sometimes.
[quote=cyberphonics;34259814]I have this issue every time I go grocery shopping. There's always someone I can't get around and can't go back and I have to keep saying excuse me, excuse me, EXCUSE ME. EXCUSE. ME. EXCUSE ME!!! until they're finally like, "Oh, sorry" and move (or I get annoyed and just push through them/move their crap).
For your examples...
1) In my church I can't count how many times I have seen people walk into the building and just stop right in the middle of the hallway and start talking to people. They do it almost every Sunday and even if there is a potluck and someone is carrying a crockpot. They just stop walking wherever they are.
This is obnoxious and one of my pet peeves. It's especially a problem in the city with tourists. We understand that you're visiting and taking in the sights, but you have to understand that if there are 100 people moving elbow-to-elbow down the sidewalk, you cannot just stop dead in your tracks in the middle of the sidewalk and start chatting and taking pictures, especially if you have luggage and other stuff with you. It's inconsiderate.
------------------------------------------
My husband and I visit NYC frequently and we, too, get annoyed with tourists who stop dead in their tracks on a busy sidewalk or get off the subway and stop dead in their tracks at the top of the stairs. Last year, our daughter was with us during one of our visits. Since she hadn't been to NYC in 10 years, we found ourselves having to pull her aside while she took a photo of, for example, the ESB.
One particularly annoying NYC experience --- We were exiting a Broadway theater just after the play ended. You know how chaotic foot traffic is at that time. As we exited the theater, I felt my foot get caught on something and almost tripped. It took me two tries to free up my foot. Turns out that a guy pulling a suitcase decided to stop right in front of the theater and light a cigarette! He did apologize but I let him know that I was annoyed. You mean he had to do this right that second as a crowded theater was letting out?
No matter where I am, I make it a point to be aware of my surroundings. How many times have we heard stories of people who became crime victims because they weren't paying attention to their surroundings? When I visit my local mall, I go during the middle of the week when it isn't crowded. After I'm done shopping and go to my car, I make it a point to look around to see if someone is lurking.
So I've noticed this recently and I have to comment on it. I have seen quite a few middle aged adults who seem to be totally unaware of their surroundings. They don't seem to notice people around them or how to behave in a room with several people.
Examples:
1) In my church I can't count how many times I have seen people walk into the building and just stop right in the middle of the hallway and start talking to people. They do it almost every Sunday and even if there is a potluck and someone is carrying a crockpot. They just stop walking wherever they are.
2) In the break room at work one of my coworkers (during lunch hour mind you) stood in front of the Keurig machine and blocked a microwave. She stood there humming to herself and looked surprised when I wanted to use the microwave during my lunch break and seemed to have no idea anyone was in the room besides her.
3) Another coworker in the break room stood at the sink for a good three minutes washing a cake pan and was completely unaware that I was waiting to use the sink. Not once in that time did she even notice someone was in the room.
4) Also in the break room (Noticing a pattern here?) I was standing by the microwave and was the only one in the room. A coworker actually asked what I was doing there. Did she forget where she was and what people do in the break room?
5) In general, people at places like Walmart who walk slower than a snail's pace down the aisle when there are people waiting for them.
At what age do people lose this awareness of their surroundings? Do people need to announce their presence anytime they enter a room? Am I missing something?
I find teenagers and people who rely on their smart phones to be far more unaware of their surroundings. This is especially true when they're driving.
No matter where I am, I make it a point to be aware of my surroundings. How many times have we heard stories of people who became crime victims because they weren't paying attention to their surroundings? When I visit my local mall, I go during the middle of the week when it isn't crowded. After I'm done shopping and go to my car, I make it a point to look around to see if someone is lurking.
Me, too. It astounds me how many people are completely oblivious to their surroundings. Especially when they have young children with them. I grew up when John Walsh's son Adam disappeared from a store, and at that time, it was a huge story. There were some made-for-TV movies about it as well. I see people in restaurants, at the mall, in grocery stores, wrapped up in themselves and paying not a speck of attention to where their kids are or what they're doing - or anything else, for that matter. SMH.
And, like other people said, it's not just middle-aged people that are unaware, it's people of all ages. I can't tell you how many times I've seen a kid or a teenager walk or run out into oncoming traffic. I see people so engrossed in their conversations, their phones, or their e-readers that they don't realize that they're about to bump into somebody, or something. One girl I work with does this all the time. I've had the restroom door almost slammed in my face a couple of times when she's been exiting. There's even a sign on the door stating to be careful with the door when entering/exiting. One day, she was so busy talking to someone else she almost walked right into the wall. The fact that she gets in a car and drives home frightens me. Same with the grocery store, people standing in the aisles chatting, or leaving their carts in the middle of the aisle while they peruse the shelves. You've heard of "defensive driving"? I practice defensive walking!
I can understand the OP's frustration, especially with the breakroom. People have a limited amount of time on their breaks in a lot of places. If I have to wait three minutes for someone to get done farting around at the sink, that's 20% of a 15 minute break. I ask "can I get in there really quick?" because all I need is a quick cup of water to make tea. I understand that these people have a lot on their minds, but the rest of us do, too. I try my best to keep out of other people's way just out of courtesy. I try to be patient and understanding, but honestly, people not paying attention is one of my pet peeves.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
