Nice People Thread No. 14, all Nice and Proper

hjd

Generali wrote: »

It shocks me these days how people talk to shop assistants in the UK. Each time I've been back I've brought someone up on how they've spoken to retail staff. I blame the class system. Many Brits seem to think they're 'better' than the people serving them in shops. It's why Plebgate rang so true to so many I think.

I don't see that when I go to shops - mind you I've never been to Australia so don't know what happens there.
The rudeness I see is shoppers going through the checkout whilst talking to someone else on their phones - in which case they don't talk to the retail staff at all.
I also haven't found any difference in people's behaviour between North and South, contrary to what a lot of people say. I talk to (almost) anyone and find they are polite in return. Some are more chatty than others but that's not a North/South thing.

Generali wrote: »

The simpleton Toynbee was typically self contradictory in her ridiculous summation of things:

I know this is the NP thread and all - but I cannot STAND that woman. (Maybe that contradicts my words above..) She was on the BBC yesterday being sour-faced over the whole thing. The other person who makes me reach for the off button is Will Self. Self-important just doesn't go far enough!

Rant over.

CKhalvashi

SingleSue wrote: »

I doubt my mum would remember as she was 2 and a half, dad might have some hazy memories but he was not quite 4 and a half.

My parents weren't born until late 1950s.

Grandparents, no idea, too. This one was a victory for us too.



Welcome to Vienna, you'll love it here

lostinrates

Actually I think the way people here speak and deal with each other in this country can be truly disappointing. Not just people in shops ( the way people act towards other customers can be fairly eye opening ) , but people passing each other on streets and pavements, people in workplaces, people in any public place.

Britain used to have a reputation for politeness ( if up tightness) now we might remain uptight but our general level of courtesy in general is often disappointing.

Wheezy_2

PasturesNew wrote: »

Got Alan, Chatty Man, on - and he's got Lee Mack in the chair. Alan asked him "what's the weirdest bit of trivia you've ever heard?" and Lee said "All sons will grow to be taller than their mums". He said there would be some unusual/rare exceptions, but, unless you're the mother of a dwarf it would appear to work. He asked the audience if they had a son shorter than them and nobody did have one.

And then you say that election TV is boring.

CKhalvashi

lostinrates wrote: »

Actually I think the way people here speak and deal with each other in this country can be truly disappointing. Not just people in shops ( the way people act towards other customers can be fairly eye opening ) , but people passing each other on streets and pavements, people in workplaces, people in any public place.

Britain used to have a reputation for politeness ( if up tightness) now we might remain uptight but our general level of courtesy in general is often disappointing.

I'm very often blunt, but try to be polite when doing it.

I always say that I don't work in a public-facing role, and there's a good reason for that. I have no problem in dealing with people, but my personality just couldn't do it all the time without getting really annoyed.

lostinrates

We have a problem in the house. Or rather I do.

Bugs are biting me. I don't know what sort of bugs. Only I am getting bitten, but I am being eaten alive. The animals have good quality spot ons for stuff and I've checked and they have no passengers.

I have even checked for ( gulp) bed bugs. No sign of them. The bites are all over my body ( not face though) and its getting silly. Its bites though, not a rash.

Doozergirl

lostinrates wrote: »

Actually I think the way people here speak and deal with each other in this country can be truly disappointing. Not just people in shops ( the way people act towards other customers can be fairly eye opening ) , but people passing each other on streets and pavements, people in workplaces, people in any public place.

Britain used to have a reputation for politeness ( if up tightness) now we might remain uptight but our general level of courtesy in general is often disappointing.

We must live in a nice place then as people are really friendly here. Or I'm lovely. Or both.

You could possibly get into an argument about who is going to let who go first. 'After you' 'No, after you'

Generali

British people tend to be nice to each other (outside London) in general but in many cases they are absolutely horrible to shop assistants, especially if something goes wrong.

I mean do people really think that a 16 year old Saturday girl can change the refund policy of Breadheads Incorporated or whomever?

The most gratuitous I ever saw was a Radio One DJ reducing a 14 year old girl to tears because she was meant to charge 5p for a carrier bag. Given what we have subsequently found out about Radio One DJs I think she got off lightly (and please don't think I'm making light of what those nonces were doing).

There's one of those US BBQ (smoked meat) competitions on TV. It followed a survivalist program showing you how to make a stove out of a couple of coke cans and some rubbing alcohol. Two words to describe that program: Awe Some.

Took Mrs Generali out on her new bike today. She was pretty shaky at first but once she got going she was fine. She's aiming to do the family Sydney Spring Cycle in October: 15kms over the Harbour Bridge and round the city.

LydiaJ

hjd wrote: »

I don't see that when I go to shops - mind you I've never been to Australia so don't know what happens there.
The rudeness I see is shoppers going through the checkout whilst talking to someone else on their phones - in which case they don't talk to the retail staff at all.
I also haven't found any difference in people's behaviour between North and South, contrary to what a lot of people say. I talk to (almost) anyone and find they are polite in return. Some are more chatty than others but that's not a North/South thing.

That is my experience too. Evidently you and Doozergirl and I all live in nice places.

lostinrates wrote: »

We have a problem in the house. Or rather I do.

Bugs are biting me. I don't know what sort of bugs. Only I am getting bitten, but I am being eaten alive. The animals have good quality spot ons for stuff and I've checked and they have no passengers.

I have even checked for ( gulp) bed bugs. No sign of them. The bites are all over my body ( not face though) and its getting silly. Its bites though, not a rash.

Hope you work out what it is. I find I keep getting bites of some kind in the area behind and slightly below my ears, but I assume it is being done by something that flies that I can't do anything about. OTC antihistamine helps quite effectively for the kind of bites I'm getting. It must be vile to have bites all over. Sending hugs. :grouphug:

Generali

We have fly screens over here, like those things you see on poor people's doors on films set in the South of the US. They are fricking awesome.

You can have windows and doors open and the flies can't get in.

The other cool thing is that they slide out of the frame quite easily so as a teenager you can sneak in and out of the house without opening a window or door.