People using up your time

peaceandfreedom

I know this is veering off-topic a bit but it's kind of relevant as it's mostly older people that are accused of holding others up on this thread.

As I get older myself I realise that as you get older, you seem to become less visible - as if you just merge into the background somehow. No-one really notices a middle-aged woman in the way they would have noticed her 25 years before. While this can be liberating, it can also be annoying.

As you get even older, you can often lose links to society completely - I think this happens more so in bigger towns where you don't have the community links and local activities to keep you connected. As others have said, going to the shop might be their only human interaction all day. The days can be long and lonely.

We all need to be more patient (I obviously include myself in this). When I find myself getting wound up by the glacial speed of the elderly customer in front, I remind myself that if I am lucky, I will be that old person one day, baffled by the latest technology and shuffling about at the checkout hoping for understanding.

Tygermoth

I felt sorry for the staff at my local GP last week. I was first on the list went in and a very routine 5 min procedure that went a little wrong....

An hour later i was still in there (and to make it worse they had to take another GP out of her clinic to come help)

When i came out there was a waiting room jam packed full of people. All of whom were tutting huffing and looking angry and a receptionist in tears.

I always have to remember that the reason things are like this are because of people.... we made things this way....

Clinics overbooked - because we don't turn up.

Staff who don't care - Because people want cheap goods so they are on zero hour contracts (staff is usually a huge outgoing for a store) they are not a valued asset so why put effort into what you do?

The human equation - things can just go wrong, unexpectedly (like me last week) we expect to have some one take the time for us if we suddenly become ill/ have a problem. but on the flip side we also expect no one else to take our time and make us wait if we need to use the same service.

Having lengthy process or procedure to do some simple task, like a return or purchase - this always strikes me it is because some one has taken the mickey in the past of complained 'they were not told' about some aspect.

I appreciate the above is simplistic but it helps me be all zen about these things.

The problem is not the staff, the drivers, the queues... the problem is people.

There are way to many of us, with our own agendas, needs wants and self justifications and no system be it a supermarket or the NHS can cope with the individuals own set of demands without upsetting someone else's.

As Mother Theresa once said - People be crazy, dude.

Petra_70

peaceandfreedom wrote: »

I know this is veering off-topic a bit but it's kind of relevant as it's mostly older people that are accused of holding others up on this thread.

As I get older myself I realise that as you get older, you seem to become less visible - as if you just merge into the background somehow. No-one really notices a middle-aged woman in the way they would have noticed her 25 years before. While this can be liberating, it can also be annoying.

As you get even older, you can often lose links to society completely - I think this happens more so in bigger towns where you don't have the community links and local activities to keep you connected. As others have said, going to the shop might be their only human interaction all day. The days can be long and lonely.

We all need to be more patient (I obviously include myself in this). When I find myself getting wound up by the glacial speed of the elderly customer in front, I remind myself that if I am lucky, I will be that old person one day, baffled by the latest technology and shuffling about at the checkout hoping for understanding.

What a brilliant post. :T

I think that says it all.

Very few have time for the elderly, and it's such a shame. They will be old one day though.

Still, I do get the posters that say it's annoying and wrong when people constantly keep you waiting and are constantly late. The odd occasion is fine of course, we are none of us perfect, but when someone does it constantly, it's incredibly obnoxious and disrespectful.

Petra_70

Tygermoth wrote: »

I felt sorry for the staff at my local GP last week. I was first on the list went in and a routine procedure that went a little wrong....An hour later i was still in there.

When i came out there was a waiting room jam packed full of people. All of whom were tutting huffing and looking angry. I always have to remember that the reason things are like this are because of people....Clinics overbooked - because ppl dont turn up

Staff who don't care - Because people want cheap goods so they are on zero hour contracts (staff is usually a huge outgoing for a store) The human equation - things can just go wrong (like me last week)

Having lengthy process or procedure to do some simple task, like a return or purchase - is because some one has taken the mickey in the past of complained 'they were not told' about some aspect

I appreciate the above is simplistic but it helps me be all zen about these things. The problem is not the staff, the drivers, the queues... the problem is people.

There are way to many of us, with our own agendas, needs wants and self justifications and no system be it a supermarket or the NHS can cope with the individuals own set of demands without upsetting someone else's.

As Mother Theresa one said People be crazy, dude.

Also a good post with some good points.

Did Mother Theresa actually say that though? :eek::rotfl:

fussypensioner

peaceandfreedom wrote: »

I know this is veering off-topic a bit but it's kind of relevant as it's mostly older people that are accused of holding others up on this thread.

As I get older myself I realise that as you get older, you seem to become less visible - as if you just merge into the background somehow. No-one really notices a middle-aged woman in the way they would have noticed her 25 years before. While this can be liberating, it can also be annoying.

As you get even older, you can often lose links to society completely - I think this happens more so in bigger towns where you don't have the community links and local activities to keep you connected. As others have said, going to the shop might be their only human interaction all day. The days can be long and lonely.

We all need to be more patient (I obviously include myself in this). When I find myself getting wound up by the glacial speed of the elderly customer in front, I remind myself that if I am lucky, I will be that old person one day, baffled by the latest technology and shuffling about at the checkout hoping for understanding.

Perhaps we should all join the "Naked Rambler" in the Hampshire area, he certainly gets noticed :rotfl:

He even appeared in front of the judge naked, but got 2.5 years in prison!

But I do agree that older people become invisible, although I enjoy my holiday's in Italy because its the only place I still get a nice smile and a nod from sophisticated older men.

geerex

fussypensioner wrote: »

Perhaps we should all join the "Naked Rambler" in the Hampshire area, he certainly gets noticed :rotfl:

He even appeared in front of the judge naked, but got 2.5 years in prison!

But I do agree that older people become invisible, although I enjoy my holiday's in Italy because its the only place I still get a nice smile and a nod from sophisticated older men.

They should lock up that pervert for life and throw away the key.

zarf2007

geerex wrote: »

They should lock up that pervert for life and throw away the key.

look theres no need to still hold grudges about your dad...

fussypensioner

zarf2007 wrote: »

look theres no need to still hold grudges about your dad...

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

good start to the week!