Old people, why so rude? (death, wisdom, fence, Miami)
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You would not want to be on the road with those old people if they were driving fast, and not stopping for other cars, imaginary or otherwise. Where they are going, they're in no hurry to get there.
Rude is the wrong word. Rude people know they are rude, try to be rude, take pleasure in being rude. And the worst offenders are young people.
There is an interesting social phenomenon taking place. No society can survive a breakdown in inter-generational continuity, but we are changing so rapidly, that is exactly what is taking place. At one end, there is the generation that could never learn to make their VCR stop flashing 12:00, and at the other end, a generation that doesn't even know what a VCR is. The two generations don't even have a common language, so could not communicate if they wanted to, and they don't want to. The old see the young as contemptible, and the young don't see the old at all unless they are slowing down traffic.
You are right about the driving, and the generational issues, but I disagree with the rude part. People of ALL ages are rude, and it seems to me that the elderly are going out of their way to be so. Perhaps I perceive that because of the fact that this area is so "rich" with the elderly and retired, and with so many of them being from north of the MD line, that might very well have something to do with it.
In the 1980's, I worked as a bank teller in a branch that was near a number of senior citizen complexes. Not only would some of the seniors be rude to me, they would also be rude to each other. Often they would brag what they had and point out what another friend (a senior too) didn't have.
One of the things that annoyed me the most is that this was during the period when interest rates were high, unemployment was also high, and this bank teller job was about the only one I could find, and it didn't pay exceptionally well. At one point interest rates started to go down, which meant the economy was getting better. Except that some of these entitled seniors would complain to me-a lowly bank teller-about interest rates going down, how much money they would lose, etc. As if I had anything to do with interest rates really. What bugged me is that some of these complainers earned more in interest income from this one bank than I earned in income. They found nothing good about interest rates going down, how it would help others. It was always about themselves.
Yeah not long ago I was on a packed elevator, and when it reached the ground floor an elderly lady shoved her way on and began hitting us with her cane when we didn't get out of her way! Hey lady--you can't get on until we get off!
I dunno what it is. Entitlement, I think, which is ironic because that's what so many of them say about 'kids these days'.
As for drivers, one thing that is characteristic of American drivers is that they drive as thought nothing unexpected will ever happen, so there is no need to be attentive. And then they get all bent out of shape if something unexpected (a doddering old driver) suddenly comes on the scene. In any other country, drivers would just see the irregularity, be prepared to deal with it, and get on with their trip.
Old people are rude because they know that no one in their right mind is going to make them unrude,i.e. pop them in the mouth with an overhand right.
Now if a 30 year old swats a 30 year old, the cops probably won't even show up and if they do it''ll be an hour late. If a younger person swats a senior the cops will be there in 5 minutes and your going to prison.
I'm right behind you at 58! I guess we stop beating around the bush. No point.
Me too. I used to fist fight, but now I don't waste my time. I'l shoot ya instead, it's faster and i ain't got a lot of time left.
Seems to me the 20 somethings can't do much except push a few buttons and expect something to happen.
I seem to do ok at pushing buttons, but i can sew my own clothing, butcher my own meat, grow my veggies and fruits, start fire with nothing you can buy in stores.
I bend steel for a living. I know how things work. The young can't articulate whats broken well.
Read most car repair threads and you get.....
My car makes the sound.... bla bla bla, as if the reader should some how know what year make and model that car is.
In my day a kid worked and bought a wreck for 200 bucks, and now it seems mommy and pa buy the kid a new BMW.
Only once when I was young did an elderly women get pushy. At the time I didn't understand why, and I don't now.
I was 3rd in line at a food store check out, and this old creature began to bash me with her cart. After the 6th hit i turned and told her. "Lady don't hit me again, because I am a young punk from Boston. This took place in Miami.
She stopped, and I said no more.
OT maybe but the only other female who ever set me off..
In Boston I held a door for a woman, in her early 30's, I was in late teens around 69'. Feminisim was the new fashion, and this woman I held a door for kicked me, and began to mutter insanely about men. I stood there stupid, and she kicked me again.
I half hard punched her in the nose, and told her she was equal. Always ammused me therafter.
I come down on the side of Omaha Rocks, who said that there are rude people in every group, however you group them (by age, gender, ethnicity, etc.). But having said that, I still think there are some trends. People from NYC have already been mentioned on this thread; there is such a thing as the general culture of a place and people in NYC are generally recognized as ruder and more in your face. In similar fashion, there was a certain gentility and graciousness in the Old South which I honestly believe still persists there (perhaps not so much in modern urban areas like Atlanta), especially among older people. I have experienced this first-hand. The poster who mentioned medication was onto something too; so many medications have bad side effects, including nasty personality changes. I believe the OP was being true to his personal observations, but was over-generalizing a complex and nuanced situation (human behavior).
Is it a sense of entitlement? Or a sense of "i'll be dead soon, so why not be a jerk" ??
Everywhere I go, mostly because this is an area of mostly retirees, they seem so rude, they cut in line at stores, pull out in traffic without looking and go slow, brake check imaginary vehicles (must be seeing things because when you're 10 car lengths behind and they almost dead stop in the middle of an open road), they act and speak rudely to people around them, etc... what's the deal?
I'm wondering what the OP's and everyone else's definition of old is? Do you think someone is old just because they are retired?
I'm wondering what the OP's and everyone else's definition of old is? Do you think someone is old just because they are retired?
My definition of old is a minimum of 75.
Your definition of "old" varies with age. The average life span for an adult male in the US is 78. Old to me is anyone over 50, you know, the crowd that should have to have their eyes tested every year for drivers license purposes, and go shopping during rush hour, rather than go while everyone is at work.
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