Is it me, or are people really really really rude these days?!

[ChubbyFeets]

Yesterday I went to the shops twice with the pushchair and after school with pushchair and my 6 year old.

I can't believe how rude and selfish people are walking on pavements, driving, cycling.

Firstly, I was nearly reversed into by a driver not looking. I shouted at her to stop and the person inside put his hand up at me gesturing sorry I guess. The shop manager just gave me a blank stare (he was watching), didnt ask if I was ok even though I was clearly angry and shaken.

Then I went to pick up dc from school, went to shops again and as I began to cross a road a woman (who was parked) decided to drive off at exactly that point cutting infront of us! I shouted "how rude" but she ignored me making a "whatever" face and her kids at the back made faces at us as we walked around.

Then we got to a bus stop and as I approached a bus came and everyone jumped up and ran to the bus. We waited behind these people and they all kept cutting infront of me thinking I was getting on the bus. I said "excuse me" loudly and they moved a little bit but I think they thought I would cut infront. So I pushed pass and said "thank you" loudly. Yes I was PA. I'd had enough by then.

Are people generally more arseholey these days? Or am I just paranoid? Oh and I had to move over to the side on the pavement because a cyclist was riding on it on the way to pick up dc from school.

[Sparklingbrook]

Well as it happens I am off to the shops now. I need to exchange something in Burton. I will return to regale you with tales of courtesy and patience........

[Sparklingbrook]

I do wish people could complain more quickly though. Just explain to the staff what is wrong, let them speak and try to help.

Don't shout and rant for 15 minutes, going on and on.

[BeetlebumShesAGun]

I had similar experience to limited yesterday in the Post Office. It's one of those that is just a counter in a very small corner shop. It's lunchtime and the queue stretches round the shelves of the shop back to the door. Man at the front of the queue does something to do with car tax but before he pays proceeds to have a lovely twenty minute rant with the cashier about how "anyone could tax a car with no insurance now, gippos could steal a car and tax it with no insurance". Cue much shuffling, foot tapping, sighing. He looked round a few times to see the queue as well. Knob.

[Sparklingbrook]

I know what you mean Honey. I could see full well that the till was becoming free but you have to let the other customer put their purse away and leave. The man must have thought I hadn't noticed or I wasn't quick enough to get over there and hover over the customer.

No need for manhandling is there?

[Honeysweet]

I am still feeling unnerved by the man who manhandled you by the elbows and steered you towards a till, Sparkling.
I told my husband, near the beginning of our marriage, to never do that to me again, after he did it once. Perhaps it is a pet hate of mine.

[ChubbyFeets]

limitedperiodonly !! I hope you shouted out "no thanks I don't want to expose my INFECTED TOE"!!! God.

The other day in town, I was walking and a couple walked out of a shop and straight into my pushchair and they both stood there and gave me death stares so I laughed back nervously.

Another day my DS threw his comfort cloth out of the pushchair and a woman behind me just walked over it and didnt even pick it up. She was looking down too.

[Sparklingbrook]

I think I may be projecting a teeny bit mantic. had to strap two DC in as well, all the time the man sat there in his car with his arms crossed and a face while a huge queue of cars built up behind him.

As soon as I started the engine he moved forward giving me hardly any room to get out........

[manticlimactic]

So sitting there impatiently indicating doesn't speed things up any. Nor does not giving me enough room to reverse out

I sit there with my indicator on, not impatiently but to let others know I'm waiting for that space. Take all the time you want.

[WanderingAway]

Limited - it is like people walking have no common sense. Where do they expect the people walking towards them to go if they wont move.

[Crowler]

Pfft! Nothing. I was at the doctor's and the receptionist said in the packed waiting room: 'If you could just pop your tights off, Limited, it would save doctor time.'

Bloody hell.

[limitedperiodonly]

The man behind me grabbed my elbows from behind and steered me toward the till saying 'that one's free now'.

Pfft! Nothing. I was at the doctor's and the receptionist said in the packed waiting room: 'If you could just pop your tights off, Limited, it would save doctor time.'

I had an infected toe. Last time I ever made small talk with the receptionist about my ailments.

[Sparklingbrook]

Oh and while I am at it. Parking. If you are waiting for my space please note i have to put my shopping in the car and get in before I can reverse out. So sitting there impatiently indicating doesn't speed things up any. Nor does not giving me enough room to reverse out.

And please don't follow me in your car as I walk across the car park because that is just creepy.

[Sparklingbrook]

I was waiting in one of those rope queue things. Two cashiers on the tills. Both serving. The person being served at the second till paid and went to walk off. The man behind me grabbed my elbows from behind and steered me toward the till saying 'that one's free now'.

[MsAspreyDiamonds]

I was crossing at a zebra crossing with my ds in a buggy when a car just sped through not making any attempt to stop. The female driver wound down the window and told me to "get out of my *&%#@+ way"! Charming. She had two toddlers strapped in childseats at the back.

[limitedperiodonly]

sparklingbrook I always look both ways but there's one road near me where there's no way I'd walk against the green man.

It's part of a busy one-way system and even if nothing's coming people come round a blind corner so quickly they can be on you in seconds.

I've never seen anyone hit but seen plenty of near-misses and heard plenty of angry tooting - usually from people who are probably going a little bit too fast.

I don't want to be hit and neither to I want to run out of the way looking all sheepish.

[Sparklingbrook]

Oh no, it's the dodging traffic when there is something coming that bothers me limited. If there really is nothing coming from either way I will walk across if I am honest.

[limitedperiodonly]

I don't always wait for the green man. I know this annoys people trying to teach their children to cross.

It's just that sometimes there really is nothing coming. Feel free to say: 'Look at that silly lady.'

I'm always a bit peeved when people stand dumbly on the opposite pavement and refuse to step aside to let me out of the road.

But I suppose it would serve me right if I got squashed in front of them.

[PollyIndia]

Some people are definitely rude, but I travel loads with a pushchair on the underground in london, and every time I am struck by how nice people can be. I have had people of all ages and all backgrounds help lug the pushchair up stairs and had all sorts of random conversations.
So I would like to think you were just unlucky.

[ChubbyFeets]

Oh the green man thing pisses me off. I never cross a busy road without waiting for the lights ever since I had children. Not only because I want to teach them it's good to use the crossings, but because I feel safer. Countless times Im at the lights and cars will slow down and stop when in traffic and gesture to me to cross. I always ignore and wait for the green man. When I don't cross, they zoom through the crossing angrily because I didn't cross when they offered me. I'm a driver myself and would never do this to pedestrians.

It does seem everyone is in a hurry these days.

[Sparklingbrook]

Sometimes everyone seems in such an angry hurry. What they are doing is much more important than whatever you are trying to do.
Nobody waits for the green man when crossing the road any more putting everyone in danger.

That car that has to overtake you at all costs, then you catch up with them at the next set of lights/roundabout. What is the point?

[DawnOfTheDee]

I find 'day' people are much nicer than 'evening' people. When i'm pottering about during the day people say hello to me as i pass, they hold doors open and chat to me in a non scary way on the bus.

Then all the angry office workers come out and ruin it....

*disclaimer: when not on mat leave I am also an angry office worker.

[littledrummergirl]

Try running the checkouts. Management refuse to employ enough staff and everyone shouts at you because there are queues.
Supermarkets in my experience bring out the worst in people.

[limitedperiodonly]

The woman in front of me in Sainsbury's the other day was nattering into her mobile and hadn't noticed that the conveyor had cleared enough for her to start loading her shopping on. She was so oblivious she hadn't moved up either.

Suddenly an elderly woman nipped into the gap and loaded her own small basket of shopping on.

I don't know whether it was an accident or deliberate. Deliberate, I expect. In a way I admired it .

The phone woman woke up and said to me: 'Did you see that?' all outraged.

I said I had, but I thought I'd let it go but if she wanted to say something...

I was really not going to row with an 80 year old woman in the supermarket and find out she had Alzheimer's or was blind, or something, when if the woman in front had been paying attention it wouldn't have happened.

[limitedperiodonly]

That should have read: I got over to one side and expected the one nearest me to slip back