or is this horribly patronising?

[Himalayansalt]

Someone has posted a photo of one of the people who sweeps our streets in our local forum/group with this caption

"This is xzy, a big feature in our local tapestry here in xyz. He sweeps our streets and throughout the whole of this year’s crisis, has not taken any time off. He does his job come rain, shine or pandemic. In the next lockdown he will be there again diligently cleaning up the mess that others leave behind.

As well as being passionate about keeping our neighbourhood looking tidy, he’s a bit of a guru and will stop and chat happily about life, the universe and everything. I stopped and chatted to him yesterday, as I always do when I see him and he thanked me for taking the time.
If you see him, have a chat and say thank you."

I have got the absolute cringe with this, although some would say she was well-meaning and trying to #bekind. But - it's off isn't it?

Really patronising.

Also agree that encouraging people to interrupt someone at work is ... weird. And rude.

Since she does chat to him, I'd assume something they've discussed has prompted it eg he's feeling ignored, taken for granted, a bit low, or isolated.
I don't think it's patronising. It's not patronising to laud someone's work and ask people to treat them as human rather than as automated street cleaners. The people who ignore him should be embarrassed not the woman who wrote the post imo.

It’s wanky virtue signalling

It's one of those topics that get derailed by the writer having access to a keyboard :)

I like the way we are able to say what we can on forums, but sometimes the writing gets in the way of the point you are trying to get across, and lends itself to the writer showing off about themself.
There was a woman on here only yesterday bemoaning about her husband's lack of enjoyment of life giving it a five out of ten despite having x y and z - she wasted no time in telling everyone about.
Pass me the sick bucket please :(

If she stops and talks to him regularly, why is he thanking her on this occasion? Or are we to assume he thanks her every time?

I'm a bit torn. My company is massive and for the most part cleaners/canteen staff are treated with a lot of respect, even more than 'office' staff, because people will go out of their way to say good morning to the cleaners, which we may not do to 'office' staff we don't know. However, I think cleaners/canteen staff are still a bit of an unseen army, I don't really everyone really notices clean kitchens/changing rooms/showers or knows the amount of effort it takes.

I don't strike up conversation with people unless they talk to me (bit of an introvert), but I do often think whether I should make more of an effort with cleaning staff, and then I wonder why I think that, everyone just wants to make it through the day.

@TheCrowsHaveEyes - I don't know anybody who doesn't treat street cleaners as humans. If they look at me when I'm walking past I'll smile and maybe say hello, the same as anyone else whose eye I might catch. People just respect that everyone has a job to do and probably don't want constant interruptions from 'well-meaning' try- hards trying to show how compassionate they are. Would they interrupt a solicitor in work to go and tell them how great they think they are?

Oh man this is so cringe.

'Aww look at the man doing his job which is fucking exhausting. I'm so nice cos I actually, like, spoke to him and he didnt just grunt at me. Unlike you ungrateful bastards who just let him get on with his job that he applied for and gets paid to do. Tell me how #kind I am. No really, its not about me at all.'

Chat to the guy if you want, get on with your life. You don't need a sticker.

It's patronising and gross.

It smacks of someone thinking they're superior to him and that they think they're amazing for affording him a few moments for a chat. And would you believe it, a street cleaner can actually string a few sentences together to respond back to me?

"If I can give up my time to speak to someone so lowly, then you should be charitable and do the same too"

Yuck

My toes are curling in protest. YANBU.

It’s nice to give recognition to someone that might be undervalued and taken for granted, but the last bit of the post was patronising.
And imagine I’d be pissed off If there was suddenly an influx of well meaning wankers trying to make conversation with me, or thank me when I was just doing my job.

Extremely patronising. She has posted that to be all about her and how virtuous she is. Next time he spots her wafting around the neighbourhood in her smug cloud of faux virtue and phony empathy I hope he 'accidently' trips her up with his broom. People like this make me cringe when I read these type of posts, on social media it is always the same people/ type of people.

Yanbu. That's outrageous, the photo on social media would be my first issue. Why do people do this? Live your life and interact with people but why document everything? Did she have his permission? As for the wording.....I have no words.

Translation:

Here is a picture of the street cleaner.
Aren't you glad you are not the street cleaner? I am!
But here's the thing - you get to feel really good about yourself if you lower yourself to talk to the street cleaner, and amazingly, he can actually talk and is suitably humble, which is fab because you get to feel like Henry VIII being kind to a peasant.
And because we now have social media, you get to share your graciousness with everyone.

Now everyone will know how benevolent and caring I am.
And all I had to do was post a picture on social media.
Go me.

Good point Eckhart. I looked it up and personally think he might be about to swing his brush at her.

Virtue signalling .

Patronising and virtue signalling, as if to say let's celebrate the little man who cleans the streets. And look, he's even a bit of a guru. Well done me for noticing the lesser people.

Idk, depends how he feels about it, not us.

I looked it up and personally think he might be about to swing his brush at her.

How did you find it? Link please!

Definitely highlights their own poor preconceptions of people working in cleaning roles. Also I'm sure what made them feel good was a bunch of Facebook likes moreso than any pleasant conversation.

However, I think cleaners/canteen staff are still a bit of an unseen army, I don't really everyone really notices clean kitchens/changing rooms/showers or knows the amount of effort it takes.

Sure, but then I also think people forget that the 'unseen army' see each other just fine. And they have families and friends and lives... they're not ACTUALLY invisible.

They sit in their break rooms and drink tea and chat and then go home and hang out with their families – it's not like they're lonely souls who'd wither away if it weren't for everyone else doing some big Noticing of them.

Fuck sake. Imagine trying to do your job and every wanker stopping for a chat?!

“Please give me accolades for actually talking to someone who sweeps roads.”

That’s what that post is.

‘Tapestry’ 🤮

Ok if they had a chat and he said it’s so nice to chat I wish more people would do that... and she asked if it was ok to post on fb about it.

Otherwise.... no. And she really should not have done this without his consent

@ILiveNearby my God I'd stop leaving the house if that self styled wannabe paparazzo was lurking in the area! I'd be so upset if she posted me without my knowledge- and she wouldn't be posting with my knowledge, I wouldn't agree to it. It's incredibly intrusive and turns people into exhibits with their "features" pointed out. I'd feel like a zoo exhibit and a bit dehumanised, especially with the way she labels people and doesn't find out their names. It's incredibly rude, disrespectful and reductive.

I hope people who see the posts tell her so, too and ask whether her subjects are ok with this. I would certainly be pointing out that her "labels" are rude.

She stood quite far back to take the picture. I've never had a chat with someone and then asked for their picture. I'd be mortified if someone did that to me. Best to ignore someone rather than treat them like a spectacle.