to think the ageism on here has been disgusting recently

[EverythingYouDoIsaBalloon]

Distaste for the idea of older mothers. Pesky pensioners daring to shop at weekends when they've 'got all week' to do it. Retirement-age people being lambasted for not resigning to free up jobs for younger people. A lack of comprehension as to why older people are even in the workplace at all. Calls for over-80s to be stripped of their driving licences. A solemn assertion from one pp earlier in the year that '60 isn't young. It's old.' like middle age doesn't even exist. And that’s just off the top of my head.

Some people are going to get a shock when they get older themselves, according to some of the comments I’ve seen on this forum recently.

So why is car insurance so much more expensive for younger, less experienced drivers?

You mean those boomers who had a strong work ethic, went without luxuries holidays etc in order to save for a modest house, not expecting everything immediately but were prepared to wait, while using second hand furniture, until they could afford decent stuff? Were you abused by those boomers? Diddums!

60 is old. Unless you're going to live to 120, it's not middle aged.

And the point is, they are living off private pensions, not at the public expense.
Some people on here are just so ignorant of how the world works

It goes both ways. I think the reason some of the older mother threads have turned the way they have is in retaliation to some of the patronising insults towards younger mothers. One thread referred to women in their 20s as "young girls" having babies. You notice what offends you, and as someone who (successfully) had and raised children from a younger than average age I can assure you there is plenty of offensive vitriol reserved for younger women on here too.

And if an 18 yo is involved in an accident, the most likely scenario is it’s their fault.

It's not that simple though. There are more young drivers and they tend to drive higher mileages so they have more opportunity to have accidents. If you correct for that, you get a roughly U shaped curve. The type of collisions that drivers of different sexes and ages have tend to be different, with more incidents attributed to excess/inappropriate speed, recklessness etc in young drivers, especially young male drivers, but things like inattention and failure to judge speed and distance correctly are over represented in the elderly. There is increased risk at both ends of the age range and the fact that young drivers exhibit a lot of risky behaviour, which does indeed need to be addressed, does not negate the fact that very elderly drivers also represent increased risk on the roads.
Government data from 2022:

This is another thing that happens on Mumsnet. Any discussion, views and perspectives round the topic of the thread shot down on the pretence the post being criticised has nothing to do with the topic when it definitely has.

Of course you should have some checks at 80 before you can drive. People just don’t realise they have deteriorated. Look at Biden!

It has to be said that life is so much more than that and statistical calculation illustrate. Age is also a state of mind in some ways and we’ve all known ‘old’ 20 somethings and ‘youthful’ 80 yr olds.

Ageism is something different and used to excess on here way too often. A good example yesterday was a thread about GPs being potentially too old to look after grandchildren when circa 65-70. 😞

This is why nobody can or should be able to see into the future. With the quality of life I and my DH have, I honestly think our parents would never have bothered having us. My point is, boomers didn't have kids and think "Excellent, now we can set out to ensure our kids can never have the same quality of life we had." as that would directly imply that boomers caused inflation, high taxes and not retiring until 75.

My grandad on my mother's side died in his 70s, I'll assume 72, as my age now makes me middle aged. Boomers are only partly to blame, and indirectly at that. But of course it's easier to blame the previous generation for your own life's ills. It always is. It's not my fault that my house cost as much as it did when I bought it, but it is my fault that I didn't try to start a family sooner because I put my career first. I was selfish, naive and had the emotional maturity of someone half my age at the time.

So no, YANBU. Ageism is rampant on here.

So all boomers abuse people?!

I a boomer and take real exception to this. I will stand up and be counted. I worked fucking hard after my husband randomly off with a wealthy friend. I never recovered financially. I change people's lives with the work that so do and I do not judge them for any of their circumstances or characteristics.

I have no medications. I pay tax and NI. I run and consciously keep myself fit.

You can just take your ageist prejudice and go far away.

Agree about most of it. The driving one had no regard to the many unfit drivers who are below usual retirement age, for example.

It probably won't. Someone will end them for their rudeness before they get old themselves.

So did I but nothing was done

The generational attacks are getting worse, and I mean that both ways.

I know "boomers" who are very young at heart, I know "boomers" who are up to their eyes in debt and think they're entitled to everything being handed to them.

I know Gen Z's who work ridiculously hard and save their butts off. I know Gen Z's who think the world owes them something.

I'm married to a young Gen X who works hard and spends his free time with his family and pottering round his house. I'm an older Millennial who manages to have a good career and be a mum and enjoys the simple life.

The age someone is, or the time they were born into, says nothing about who they are.

I thought middle age was, well, the middle of your average lifespan. Looking at my overall family, that makes middle age between 40 and 50. I suppose I'd see it as between 40 and 60, with 60 the beginning of old age.

Dh is a few years off 60. He doesn't seem like the 60 yr olds I knew growing up, but they probably weren't like the 60 year olds they remember either. When dh is 60, he will technically be old, as in the time he's been alive and well have left.

My dad is late 70s. He is old and heading into elderly. He wouldn't see himself as elderly, but his body would say otherwise.

Please quote your source.

I'm still waiting to hear how an entire generation abused you.

So? Does that mean it's acceptable to stereotype

Well said.
I know what they can do with their wand

@LeviOsaNotLeviosaa LeviOsaNotLeviosaa · Today 12:11

Oh well.

After years of abuse from boomers I think most of us younger people have run out of fucks to give. I bet you will be quick enough to get your parents or grandparents to babysit for you though???? I am in the unenviable position of being full time carer for grandchildren who lost their mum to cancer! will I immediately give up my driving licence? my pension? how do I live if I have no income considering I have to provide food and electricity for the children? I didnt go to uni cos my parents couldnt afford it. I didnt get a council house because there were none to be given. we had to save before we got married and before we had children to buy a flat and put a roof over their heads! many people do it all upside down. kids while still living with parents and no job, then they wonder where they went wrong because they still have nothing at the age of 40 and start trying to save at that point!! I am 70!!! now envy me!!

I am so sick of the complaints about ageism on mn. Young people take a pounding with all the snowflake comments and no one gives a shit.

Mn is now full of the professionally offended. Get over yourselves and get a life.

You forgot older people should leave their homes and downsize

Perhaps their homes should be confiscated.