Aibu to be annoyed at people's lack of basic manners?

[Starryeyed16]

So I'm doing the school run today, with my 8yr 3yr and 6month who is now in a pushchair. We have a small pathway between a school and housing estate to get further up to DS school.

We were walking along and there's a group of women with two large dogs and some children completely blocking the pathway talking there is no way to get past them, they see me walking but don't move and after several attempts of me politely saying excuse me they barely give me enough room to get back single filed. I looked at them and said they shouldn't be stood like that and got a dirty look. Surely it's common sense if you see someone coming the opposite direction you move in to let them pass. When did people become so rude?

who exactly is this site for?

I joined over 10 years ago, and I don't remember it being a place where people could just casually fart out xenophobic comments as though they were like, I don't know, considered opinions or something

on another thread, ghouls are poring over the murder of a small child, so exciting! So fun! Whodunnit? Let's have details!

I don't recognise this place anymore, 'by parents for parents' my arse

Anyone?

I don't think it's true that people instinctively move out of the way...as I battle against the school run while I'm trying to get a train. If it's not buggies two or three abreast, it's armies of scooting toddlers whose parents expect me to leap from their path

I think there's a difference between fighting against traffic coming the other way (scooting toddlers) - I see people not moving over enough when they're walking straight towards you plenty and yes, it's bloody rude when people assume that they have the right of way.

The op is talking about a group of stationary people though who apparently were blocking the whole path and purposely heard and ignored her 'excuse mes' and didn't move at all. I've never ever seen this happen in any situation. Yes, people might be (unfairly) irritated and shuffle grudgingly or slowly - but point blankly staring you in the face and turning away and refusing to move? Nah.

I often have this discussion with dh. He feels that manners have really slipped in the uk in the last twenty years, blocking pathways, staring blankly when one says good morning to some colleagues, very little in the way of please and thank you in retail (by both staff and customers). Oh, did I mention dh is Italian 😀

I am becoming increasingly irritated by a similar issue at my DS's school. There is a path running between the main road and the school doors where parents are asked to wait for their children to be sent out by the teacher. Lots of parents bring their small dogs on the school run on relatively long leads and allow them to run/jump around whilst they wait for their DC. Most are so busy chatting/cooing over their dogs that they don't seem to notice that others cannot get past. Just last week I was tripped over several times when dogs ran out infront of me. In each case the owner saw what happened but instead of apologising grinned and made some comment about the dog wanting to play.

A group of them have now also started to stop for a chat when they get to the junction between the path and the road so that anyone who wants to get round them has to go on the (pretty busy) road.

I know what a pp means about most people being programmed to move at an 'excuse me' and that they probably haven't heard- on Friday I asked them to move quite politely several times but as they were paying no attention to what was happening around them they did not hear until I practically yelled. They did move but gave me a filthy look (presumably for raising my voice).

I don't think these people set to be ill mannered but they just don't seem to give any thought to others around them. I don't have any problem with people having dogs or standing for a chat but I would have expected a grown adults to a) realise that standing chatting on the corner of a narrow path that is the only way in/out of school is not a great idea b) notice that small children are having to walk in the road to get round them and move out of the way and c) consider either keeping the dog under better control or leaving it at home the first time it sends a passer by flying.

What irritates me most is that all the individuals in question are the first to complain if a child is running around and gets in their way. Rant over. As you were.

I think you've hit the nail on the head with what probably actually happened with the op too chunkymum.

PoppyBirdOnAWire

I'm Portuguese, so I can complain.
Just trying to soften it for the poor Italians.

It's mostly tourists that are annoying

You seem exceedingly clever, btw. Well done. And delightful.

I was itching to post because I know you're Portugese Lweji
now that you have I can relax

What's also annoying is groups of people walking 3 abreast on narrow streets. It holds up the flow of traffic both ways so people often step on the road to get around them. But they seem oblivious.

Also people who stand chatting in doorways.

Yes, I agree. It's mostly groups, and particularly groups that have nowhere to go.

There should be a law forbidding more than two people standing and talking in public. Except queues.

Detailed The op is talking about a group of stationary people though who apparently were blocking the whole path and purposely heard and ignored her 'excuse mes' and didn't move at all. I've never ever seen this happen in any situation. Yes, people might be (unfairly) irritated and shuffle grudgingly or slowly - but point blankly staring you in the face and turning away and refusing to move? Nah.

Erm the OP just said that they ignored her first few "excuse me" 's (any pedants here to help with the grammar there?!) Nothing about staring her in the face. And they moved in the end, although not much.

I'm honestly surprised (and pleased tbh) that this hasn't happened to anyone else, but I can believe it. There's a group of women who congregate daily on my street - more recently they move without prompting but smiles are taking much longer to develop... used to just get stared at blankly, which, when one expects a smile due to cultural conditioning, appears rude/hostile.

IME (

Dusty What's also annoying is groups of people walking 3 abreast on narrow streets. It holds up the flow of traffic both ways so people often step on the road to get around them. But they seem oblivious.

YY. And 95% of people start doing this around Christmas time... lumbering around slowly like zombies.

Well this post quickly moved on. I've know Italians and they don't appear to be rude Atleast I haven't any experiences. I agree with op who said people in Uk do seem more ruder than previously, not moving over to let people aside, talking on the phone when getting served etc.

Argghh the nightmare of Christmas shopping! 😱

Oh, and people walking in front of you who suddenly stop to read a text - move to the side and out of the way if you need to stop walking you twat!

And breath....

Well starryeyed you must be 100 percent convinced now that good manners have well and truly gone. Some of the ridiculous replies on here are nonsense. Blaming you for dictating where people can stand! Of course you were in no way unreasonable - people are shits sometimes and more so when they're in groups and think no-one else is of any importance.

Its deemed okay for people to hang around waiting for these ignorant people to deign to let you pass - judging by a lot of your replies.

My arse! If these same smart arses were the ones kept waiting I'm sure - with their supercilious attitudes they would have something to say.

Next time you should - accidentaly - clip their ankles with your buggy while doing your best to squeeze past in the small amount of space they reluctantly give up to you.

Common sense is missing from this site today.

YANBU - they were being selfish by blocking the pavement. Even f they hadn't heard you ask to be past, they will have seen you trying to get through.

How big is your pushchair? Chances are that if you drive a spaceship like most modern parents no pavement would have enough room. Lol
Jokes aside Tbh I think they were just ticked off with the way you asked them to move. A polite excuse me gets you everywhere in this situation.

I'm guessing that they were Sicilian

Fleur, it was a small pushchair not massive, I was polite but after several times of saying excuse me they were rudethey saw me and still don't move over. Funny enough I saw them again this morning not as big crowd but they moved over straight away.

Maybe one is a MNetter.

You never know 😆

Italians do have manners, they are sometimes different from British ones, what with being from another country.

It's true, they tend to clutter up the pavement and obstruct the doorways of restaurants and bars debating at length whether to go in or not.

They also stare a lot, not realising that to a British person, this isn't an innocent pastime but a declaration of war.

And they indulge in loud and competitive parenting, especially when they realise that you are a cold English person and therefore a child hater. One of my most hellish afternoons was being stuck between two large Italian families on a Spanish beach.

I said: 'Just fucking sit down and shut up' a lot as well as 'God, why do those men have to keep touching their winkles, do they think they're going to drop off?' but being English, I muttered it under my breath.

I have no comment to make on why these presumably British women, their British dogs and British children were reluctant to get out of your way, OP.

Starryeyed16

Well this post quickly moved on. I've know Italians and they don't appear to be rude "Atleast I haven't any experiences. I agree with op who said people in Uk do seem more ruder than previously, not moving over to let people aside, talking on the phone when getting served etc."

Ruder is fine; more is superfluous.

I am now reviewing my opinion of Italians.
OK, just one stupid tourist couple who refused to give up their seat for a person who needed one, even though they were in reserved seating.