To think people are not nice anymore.

[SofaKingFedUp]

I get that we live in a crazy world nowadays, you never know what people are like, what they are going through, what they are capable of etc etc and you have to protect yourself and children etc etc.
But I feel like people just can't be bothered anymore, they feel like it's ok to be rude or cold towards people they don't know.

For example, on a bus the other day and an elderly man was sat behind a mother and her child, child looked about 3. The elderly man was talking to the child as she had stood on the seat and turned and was looking at him. Just general questions like "what's your name, how old are you, that's a pretty name etc" and the mother snatched her child away and snarled at him saying she's not allowed to talk to strangers. The gentleman appeared to be upset about it, he didn't say anything, but you could see it in his face.
I have a 7 month old girl and although I will teach her to be wary of strangers, never take anything from them or leave with them, I don't want her to grow up thinking that all strangers are evil, and that you shouldn't even talk to them or that it's ok to be rude.
When you look around people are constantly on their phones, even when dining out with friends. If their phone is not in their hand, it's beside them on the table.
Also totally understand people need their phones for emergencies too, but most of the time it's the youngsters on social media (even though that's what I'm on now but I'm alone while DD is out with nanna)
Also good customer service seems to be dwindling away. A staff member of a supermarket made us feel as though we were an inconvenience the other day because my mum picked up some slippers, they were reduced. She scanned them but they scanned at full price, she called the member of staff over and it was as if we'd asked her to reprogramme the whole computer system. Rolling her eyes, tutting, telling us she will have to take us to customer service as she was unable to sort this at self service, but with a really negative tone. Also in a different supermarket on a different occasion, someone had smashed a bottle of wine, near the checkouts. I made sure the pram wasn't in the way of the staff member sittin on the floor cleaning it up, but I heard a voice abruptly say "can you move your pram so I clean this up?" Now a simple please would've been ok, obviously I moved the pram even though it wasn't in the spillage but manners seem to be non existent recently. Maybe it's just where i live. Maybe I need to move...

AIBU to think this? Does anyone else feel the same? I feel quite sad that people don't interact much anymore.

Selfishness and rudeness prevail. I am actually very surprised when someone is polite which is a sad state of affairs.

Being shoved out of the way in shops and on the pavement, buggies aimed straight at me. People beeping for no reason when we are in the car, well actually there is a reason, they are stupid, because if they took their head out of their arse and looked in front they would see that people haven't moved forward because there is a damn great truck blocking the road, or someone with crutches crossing, oh no, that doesn't matter, does it? We all have to move out of the way just for the twat behind with no brain.

There are lots of lovely people out there. I think as a society we are often too focused on the negatives though which is sad.

I disagree. I find that the majority of people are nice. I can’t remember the last time I needed to ask a stranger for help and they haven’t obliged; or been offered help without having to ask. Sure, there’s asshole behaviour out there and everyone has off days - you might be coming across people during the 1% of the time they’re tired / stressed / fed up and miss out on the other 99% of them.

There’s a saying that I’m sure will get your back up: if the occasional person you come across rubs you up the wrong way, it’s probably them; if most people you come across do, it’s probably you. I do think there’s an element of truth in this, hat it’s how you respond to other people that plays a big part.

I think there are a lot of kind people out there but we tend to notice the negative bits more unfortunately.

A lovely older gentleman past us at the bus station a few weeks ago, he told my 5yo her glasses were very nice and patted her on the head. She smiled at him as did I and said thanks as he walked off then his wife told him off for touching a child then came back to apologise telling me that he has always loved children and has dementia so his social skills were a bit lacking.

I honestly thought nothing of it but a lady next to me i needed to be careful because "there are some weirdos out there".

Every generation says this. Give it a few decades and todays DC will be looking back to this time with fondness and stating how much nicer people used to be.

I’m lovely. 😁. I’m very polite and helpful too. ( Probably a bit judgey in private but no ones perfect.😉)

I live somewhere where most people are pleasant and friendly with the odd rude obnoxious person. I think that’s fairly typical.

I hear what your saying but there are nice people too. I was waiting at the bus stop this morning and an old man offered me a choc ice! Was random and I declined as I was bloody cold but it was a really sweet thing to do and it lead into a conversation. Loneliness is crippling among the elderly and I might have even been the only person he spoke to today but what a sweet man. That said, when I got on the bus there were a group of teenagers sat in the seats reserved for elderly/infirm/disabled/pregnant people and none of them moved despite there being plenty of other seats which meant the old man and the lady on crutches who got on the bus too had to go to the back of the bus. And I’m in London, the bus driver very rarely waits until people are seated before driving off so it caused a lot of difficulty for the old man and lady. There are inconsiderate, rude people out there but there are also some lovely, kind people. I think it’s up to you which you choose to focus on. I prefer to focus on the good, it helps me feel more positive.

I sort of agree. I see it mostly on the roads and on public transport - people have no patience and just an overriding sense that they're more entitled than other people. And f and blind if you dare to imply otherwise. It's like there's a huge mound of aggression bubbling away under the surface of society.

I agree with Comptesse. Even when I lived in London and used the Tube daily, I found most people civil and many actively pleasant and helpful.
I now live in Oxfordshire and rarely encounter rude behaviour.

There are a lot of lovely, friendly people about. Try to focus on them and avoid/ignore unpleasant people as much as possible.

Yes you're probably right I'm just focussing on the negative, I just have seemed to witness more negative then positive recently, although maybe that could be that I'm looking for negative.
I'm just a little worried about my daughter growing up in a toxic world.

I've read so much of bullying and assault in the street recently , even on here I find some people are very rude with their replies when they don't really know much about the poster, I just feel people could maybe be nicer.
To be honest I live in an area where there is alot of "bad people" unfortunately, they're involved with drugs and alcohol and I guess if they haven't had their fix then they're not in the best of moods. But then in the same area there are some nice people, the dog walkers etc and they generally say hello.
Maybe I'm a negative person myself I'll try to focus on the positive and look for the good things.

I hate this sense of entitlement that is so prevalent today and it can lead to a downward spiral. I've had a few occasions recently when I've gone out of my way to help others. Each time the effort I've made hasn't even been acknowledged, let alone thanked. It's like the person thought of course I should have put their needs before mine. It has made me wonder why I should bother helping again. This is not good and not the sort of member of society I want to be.

There are a lot of dickheads about. I can't say whether that has always been the case though.

I think it depends where you live. My little village is nice a friendly, I was out walking with dd yesterday and everyone either smiled and said hello or stopped for a little chat with her (I'm new here so they were all strangers). When I lived in Liverpool loads of strangers were really helpful, kind and friendly too.

When walking on a pavement, I’m always the one to move out of the way, in shops, I let other people pass by but I rarely get the same courtesy back. Maybe I should stop being so nice?

I stopped working with the public years ago because of the general rudeness of some customers.

It's easy to think like this.
I was in a popular take away getting breakfast earlier. It arrived on tray, I asked for take out. While he was transfering it to a bag, the very young guy serving asked me 'how are you today?' it was asked so genuinely I was taken aback.

Re poor customer service it would be perfectly fine if you complained. We have no problems around where we live. Everyone in cafes etc is very nice. If they aren't nice no one goes and they go out business or people complain and the employee soon looses their job. Re talking to strangers I can understand why it makes people uncomfortable. It makes me uncomfortable but then again I understand how much happiness people derive from children so I try to tollerate it. I know obviously that we are under no obligation to make other people happy but I don't see the harm in it.

@Polarbearflavour, I work in customer service/hospitality. Currently on maternity leave though. I found that people are very rude, I work in a restaurant and one night these people came in and literally treated me as their personal slave, I was in the last week of work before going on maternity, my due date was in a 9 days, so could pop any time.
These people were rude, they would click their fingers and shout while I was dealing with other customers, I would try to be polite and say I will be there as soon as I can, when I finally go it was always meaningless things like get me more cutlery, or more napkins, which usually is no problem I don't mind but they could see that I was a little busy and alone, and that was a cutlery station about 4 footsteps away from their table. Some people treat those in customer service like they are nobodies, I hate that

People have never been nice. These rude gits are the descendents of people who attended public floggings and executions for a laugh.

Stripeszebra I feel the same when people are genuinely nice... I am shocked. This isn't how it should be but sadly it is.
Sometimes when I feel people are being really nice I have this voice in my head asking me, are they after something? But generally I'll do anything I can to help someone.

@Polar When walking on a pavement, I’m always the one to move out of the way, in shops, I let other people pass by but I rarely get the same courtesy back. Maybe I should stop being so nice?
I hear you. In town on Saturday, I encountered several groups of people walking three abreast ie taking up the whole pavement. Literally nowhere for me to go so I have to stop, they stop, they expect me to move ... to where exactly?? You're walking three abreast, one of you step behind for heaven's sake. And sadly this happens so very frequently. Absolutely no consideration for other people, it's all about me.

People are nicer than they used to be ime.

I am actually very surprised when someone is polite which is a sad state of affairs.
This ^^. There are decent people out there, it's just that there are also a lot of unpleasant ones, and a lot seem to work in customer service roles (or for John Lewis Customer Service anyway!)

My food shopping delivery driver was very nice today. She said I looked tired, I said I was just out of hospital, she offered to stay and unpack my shopping.

Most people are still nice where I live. The rudest people I encounter are not teenagers or random strangers but the baby boomer parents of some of my friends who really are extremely pleased with themselves and treat everyone around them like underlings. Luckily their children are nothing like them