To think everyone is so rude nowadays.

[Elfie111]

I just returned home from a shopping trip in a large shopping mall (can’t say where as would be outing) - 😂 not really, it was Bluewater.

I just want to know why everyone is so hostile. I know this has been discussed before but is it really the post Covid bad attitude / no social skills or awareness.

I was making my way out of a changing room with a pram this morning and a mother and adult daughter blocked both aisles to leave the changing room and then glared at me. I waited for them to move as they seemed as though they were quite invested in being aggressively in the way/ I was a massive inconvenience for wanting to exit the changing room. Normally I would say ‘excuse me’ or ‘sorry’ (I know people hate this as why am I apologising for being alive) but today I thought - I’m not even going to speak. You know you’re in the way. You’re both glaring at me and instead of getting changed in the cubicle you’re in the gangway with open mouthed gormless stares.

In my experience people behaving like that is more and more common now.

Does anyone have a similar experience?

That in abundance in the shopping mall today. It’s horrid.

It’s a thread about rudeness and you were being rude. I think she was saying she was frustrated at the lack of service so went elsewhere to spend her money.

I agree OP. No awareness of anyone else. A lot of people seem to be just about themselves, so entitled.
What has happened to good old fashioned manners ?
I think it's even more apparent on the roads. The standard of driving and the impatience is dreadful.

😩 People with no lift etiquette (common sense) are my worst nightmare.

If there was a super early shopping hour where I could avoid everyone I would be up and out for it no questions asked 😊

I've found the opposite recently (thankfully!). I've had good service in shops, nice interactions with people in public, politeness. Still lots of wankers on the roads, but it's always been that way.

I assumed she'd bought a different brand from a different counter in John Lewis, and I thought that was strange. I don't think my response was comparable to being ignored in front facing customer service situations or not acknowledging people holding doors open for you, but evidently your viewpoint is different. Opinions vary of course. Have a pleasant afternoon.

I agree!! Driving is noticeably shocking. It's a worry really....

I no longer go shopping, I get most stuff on line. Our local Facebook group is always discussing the demise of our high street, saying we should use it or lose it. I really don't care, staff and the public in general in a shopping centre are rude and incompetent, and I just can't be bothered dealing with it all.

I complained in Waitrose recently as the young man on the till made no effort to be polite while serving, no eye contact, not a single word out of his mouth and came across as so rude that I really felt like I wanted to say somehting. I spent my youth on tills, and we would never have been allowed to be rude like that. Plus honestly I don't complain. its a shit job so I cut a lot of slack. But this was a bit much.
I was told that he was just back from a bereavement and that is probably why he seemed off. OK, yes, 100% can see that making polite chit chat with customers would feel difficult - but ffs don't put him on the till. Stick him out the back where he can be left alone. He just came across as rude, and it couldn't have been very nice for him having to interact with people

I think it’s a post covid thing, but I think the root is social media. People got so used to their bun fights over people wearing and not wearing masks, spying on each other, hating/loving lockdowns etc that people got used to being nasty to each other, and that has continued with community pages of people shaming people and sharing ring footage of their neighbours just existing etc.

I also think modern society in general is very stressful now alongside social media - too many cars on the road, people working harder and harder with targets, pressures in all directions from family etc, not many people have enough money since the covid years because everything has increased in price massively since then, not to mention threats of war and terrorism. We are living in dark times and I think some people (wrongly) take their stress out on strangers.

Im one of the polite people when I’m out and about, but I’ve witnessed lots of road rage incidents between people, people being rude to shop staff. Once upon a time shops didn’t need to have “abuse towards staff won’t be tolerated” signs. I worked in retail when I was younger and it was very rare to have a rude customer, but now the signs are in a lot of shops post-pandemic.

I think there are a few things behind this rudeness epidemic. Covid, and the way it shifted (diminished) our capacity for social niceties is one. The cost of living crisis is another. Life is much harder, in a general sense, for huge swathes of the population than it was 8 or 10 years ago. Then there's digital life. Increasing numbers of adults live a huge proportion of their lives online. They're a different species, in some ways. They have learned how to interact with the world in an online space and it is not always conducive to sweetness and light in person. I find some of the under 30s at work (I am 46) very abrupt, weirdly insincere, and very blank faced. I also like some of them quite a lot when they finally let their lovely characters show! Mainly though, we are a sadder, more angry country now. Personally, I suck up the rudeness, because I am doing OK and I think working in a shop, bringing up a family, the COL crisis, zero hours contracts, and people buying designer bags with no concept of other people's lived existence, must be a fuck of a lot to stand.

It’s a jungle out there on the roads. You’re right.

We were in a play centre this morning. There was a child of about 7, long blonde hair dressed in pink with a flowery top - shouting at me (I’m not sure why or what about just being generally aggressive (no parent around)). I ignored the child completely to be honest as I couldn’t be bothered to engage with someone else’s rude kid while they were presumably sat having a coffee.

I picked up my baby and said come on, let’s leave the little girl to it.

The child screamed: I’M A BOY!!!!!

The Dad appears out of nowhere. Like a bat out of hell to reiterate: he’s a boy. His names Ewan. Then mumbled about misgendering.

I felt like saying: that’s nice. I don’t know you - and easy mistake to make mate given the child’s outfit. I literally said nothing and walked away.

Entitled parents and kids. What a delight. 🙈

Bluewater is full of chavs in fact all shopping centres are. Chavs from north Kent are the worst IME.

Such brilliant points ♥️

Must be depressing OP

Not a view I even remotely share

“everyone” 🙄

You cannot use the economy state as an excuse for rudeness.

It's different shops

Well, we all have different perceptions of rudeness. I think referring to people as chavs is pretty rude, as is making sweeping judgements of people's characters based on where they're from.

Agree. Bereavement doesn’t excuse basic greeting and manners.

For those unaware - Autograph is from M&S.

I always compliment them on something. It makes them feel bad for being rude if you're nice to them.

Thank you. That's helpful. It seems I misunderstood.

I also find that many people drive aggressively and rudely. I like to smile and wave; they are shortening their lives by behaving as they are, all that cortisol running through them! I blame upbringing, my children often say how kind I am to people, I've really tried my hardest to show them how much better it is to be pleasant, I blame Thatcher's children - I'm alright, Jack, sod everyone else.

I agree with the hostility, and has anyone noticed the "stare"! I don't go out much now but when I do go shopping, I like brief interactions with people. A smile or an exchange of a few words with other customers or staff can make my day but I'm often met with blank stares now, it's a bit unnerving and rude.

No worries. 😊