self entitled middle class??

[sweetsoulsister]

As an 'out of towner' can people explain why the middle class in this fine city of London feel they are so god damned righteous?

I'm standing in a queue with my children at the local swimming pool, and judging by the car park, it's busy. We go in and join a long queue. A couple of the families in front of me take their turn at the counter, turn around in disgust, and pace back and forth, argue with each other and work themselves up into a frenzy. Assuming they are going swimming I ask what has happened with the pool. One of the ladies says, 'The pool is at capacity and if we want to go in we will have to wait until someone leaves,' her voice rises another octave and she continues, 'This is completely unacceptable!!'

Really? Unacceptable? If you were the first family in the pool and it got too crowded because they let everyone in would you just suck it up because it's unacceptable to let everyone in?

This is not the first time I've encountered this outrage and it always seems to be what I've deemed the 'self entitled middle class...'

Explanations please???

[NearTheWindmill]

Prefer Mabel

[pandarific]

You're totally right, Pigeonhouse. (I get depressed when I think about my schooling. Where were MY elbows, huh??)

[Pigeonhouse]

Znaika, if that was aimed at me, I'm sure you would not claim to be an expert on the social systems of all countries. Yes, all countries have inequalities of education, income and opportunity, but these don't necessarily equate to a class system (in which income is independent of class status) like the UK's.

My country for instance remained a largely rural, agricultural economy until the mid to late 20thc - so the main social distinction was big farmer vs small farmer, and the emergence of an urban middle class of any size and importance is a fairly new phenomenon. Class as a result, and ideas about 'new' and 'old' money, operate entirely differently.

(I quite like Maud.)

[NearTheWindmill]

When I was a little girl the baths (swimming pool) actually still had baths. You know baths where people without bathrooms could go for a bath once a week. Everything was very green as I recall.

[MrsKoala]

i call it the baths too. always have.

[falulahthecat]

I'm pretty sure this isn't a class issue. It's a twatism issue.

[NearTheWindmill]

The council pool. How very demeaning - sounds like you are looking down your nose Crowler. The polite term is leisure centre I think - try to get a picture of Mr Brittas in your mind and move with the pooterish vibe.

[Crowler]

Body! You can't compare Maud to Columbus!!!!!

[bodygoingsouth]

in names I have to say I find calling your children Chardonay and Kianu as pretentious as calling them Maud and Columbus but I suppose my point is I really don't care.

the rich elite like the royals will always be free loading if us.

the poor will also always be with us needing help.

the rest of us just shift inbetween.

[Crowler]

I view going to the council pool much like going to the library.

[WhereIsMyHat]

Nah, middle class definitely attend the council run pools around here, it makes them feel 'down to earth'

I so know what the OP means, we live in a borough that has parts that are very middle class and people do get like this. It's quite impressive as it usually gets them what they want. I love seeing it, very entertaining. My gym is the best, people complain about the feel of the towels, the speed of the hand driers.....

[AmIIndecisive]

OP - If they were as you say "middle class" I am sure they would be a member of a private health club (no capacity issues or mingling with Joe Public) and not need to go to a public swimming pool.

[FixItUpChappie]

AIBU in making sweeping assumptions based on some sort of jealousy based chip on my shoulder?
Yes, yes you are.

Hoppinggreen. I agree. ^^ This about sums it up.

[Caitlin17]

I was going to mention apostrophes.

[Mim78]

Sounds to me like someone having a bad day. Could happen with any class, location IMO.

Maybe she is fed up with the lack of facilities in their area - I suppose that might be a London issue potentially - that where they live everything is always full/ has a queue? But that is just me making up a scenario I guess.

[Pigeonhouse]

Body, I disagree. I find class issues come up a lot in day to day life - God knows, it's not possible not to think about class when you look at the number of public-school-educated men in the current cabinet, which social classes are overrepresented at the top journalism and the media, why opera- and theatre-goers are overwhelmingly middle- and upper-class, despite tickets for premier league football matches costing as much or more, which social classes are most likely to be at elite universities etc etc.

I also think that it filters into a lot of people's decision-making and aesthetic choices, but that some of the time they aren't aware of what forces are making them choose a name for their child or sign them up for an activity. Why is Carole Middleton a figure of fun in the media? Why can we be fairly sure that Zara Phillips and her husband wouldn't have called their baby Princess Tiaammi?

I think the only difference with Mumsnet is that class is talked about openly and quite frequently, whereas in the real world, it's more an implicit underpinning.

[Dromedary]

I've met a fair few snobs

[bodygoingsouth]

do you know who I am attitudes are just simply rude. The difference might be one person saying the words while another punches then into your face.

[Fecklessdizzy]

Alpaca Forgotten about that one - total classic! I wonder if we've still got it somewhere ... ( Wanders off to spend the next three hours looking )

[AmberLeaf]

I disagree that the MCs would go to a private gym/pool.

Some might, but certainly not all.

[AmberLeaf]

All the debate about class classifications aside, I think I know the sort of thing the OP means.

I have encountered people with that kind of attitude, it's a this isn't acceptable to people like us sort of mentality. I have seen it in various scenarios. Some people expect to be treated differently and get pissed off when they have to shut up and put up like everyone else. In those situations, it is people who are MC, that said, there are arses of all classes. You just get all the 'OUTRAGEOUS' type comments from the MC ones.

[bodygoingsouth]

Pig it really doesn't figure in RL half as much as it does on mumsnet or in the media generally.

my main point is I have never, and have no friends, who care two hoots about what car each other drives or what you call your kids because that's so desperately shallow and silly.

sure there are daft twats who do judge but the vast majority of the British population are just getting in with it.

there arnt really too many Katie Hopkins around bless her.