Why do people think it's OK to use bad language in public?

[BlueBloodedBlue]

Particularly when there are children about?

On train full of families with young children and a man on the phone whose conversation started with "Fuck off you cunt I'm on a fucking train and so fucked after last night........" and so on.

He's not angry with the person he's talking to and can't be oblivious to all the children around him so he obviously just doesn't care.

I do agree that all adults should have a duty to be socially responsible and watch what they say in the earshot of children. If somebody talking loudly in public gave graphic details of what they'd done in bed with their partner last night, or what they saw on a porn video, I don't think many folk would just say "well, it's an adult space" and tell children to ignore it. Anyway, it's not an adult space, as would be a pub in the evening or a nightclub - it's an all-ages space.

It’s a verbal tic. I have a theory that people who use ‘fuck’ in every sentence are sexually frustrated - as in the adage “When a man is hungry, he talks about bread”.

I appreciate the cathartic value of a good justified swear as much as the next person, especially in bed,

If you don't like swearing then why have you used profanity in your posts?

Some people genuinely speak like that all the time and don't think they need to modify it. I once worked with a woman who thought it appropriate to be effing and blinding in the office, she genuinely didn't think it made her look unprofessional, nor did she care that some people found her language offensive.

I am known to swear now and then but I try not to swear when out and about. I usually limit myself to a ‘sake.

I don’t like folk roaring into their phones/on speaker phone/ipads blaring etc when I’m on the train or bus though.

If anything would make me want to go full swearymary in public, then that would be it.

I tell my daughter if she does swear do it in German or French e.g. Scheisse or Merde it sounds better and not many people will know.
I’ve tried this and now know from bitter experience that much more people around know other languages.

Everyone knows what scheisse and merde mean, just makes you sound pretentious.

His language was pretty extreme and not language I'd use personally but ultimately I'm sick of this current trend of requiring everyone to censor every single word out of their mouth in case someone somewhere can find a way of being offended.

Bet he had his phone on speaker too. Arseholes don't seem to be capable of holding their phone to their ear.

They're only words. I guarantee any school-age children in earshot will have heard worse amongst their contemporaries. I see more grounds for possible offence with blasphemous swear words (I'm an agnostic but I can see why people of faith might be hurt by them). Fuck and cunt are just substitutes for words we'd say quite freely using biological terms.

If you don't like swearing then why have you used profanity in your posts?

Who was that to? Regardless, MN is an adult audience and we've been specifically talking about swearing in front of children.

I didn't say I don't like swearing. I made the point that I don't think it's right or considerate or respectful to loudly use what many people consider offensive language, in a packed train carriage particularly as there were obviously so many children present.

It's about being aware and respectful of the people around you.