Why I'm Ashamed of My Generation

[Jason]

About two days ago, my fiance and I had a day off together. So we spent the day going out, seeing a movie (The Proposal. Which was really good) and killing time at the mall. We decided to stop at Wal-Mart.

I pulled into a pretty wide parking area. There was another space next to mine. as we were getting out, two kids, in what I think was a Honda, pulled up directly behind us and would not lay off the horn. I got out and the kid finally took his hand off the horn. He was probably my age. Maybe younger. Maybe older. He also has a passenger about his age, as well. He shouted, like a complete jackass, "Do you wanna move your truck? I was gonna park here." I told him, "I didn't see you, and there's a parking spot right next to me." He said, "My car can't fit here. And it doesn't matter because I wanted that spot. So do you wanna move your truck?" I was already irritated by this kid. So all I said was, "No." He asked, "Do you want me to move it for you?" I said, "Heh. Sure. Good luck with that." We walked off. His response? What else? He just sat there, honking the horn until we both entered Wal-Mart.

I noticed him through the glass a few minutes later driving around the parking lot. We were in Wal-Mart for about ten minutes. Just killing time. We came out and right next to my truck was a truck twice the size of mine. An enormous Dodge Ram. So I know he could park his rice burner in there without any problem.

Am I in the wrong, here? Or are the youths of today just a bunch of arrogant jackasses?

[Man in Black]

Don't be too hard on your peers J. I've noticed for quite sometime that humanity in general seems to be losing the knack for decency and respect. People will cut in lines like you are invisible, they will tell you off for the simplest mistakes and complain about the most mundane things to a waiter or clerk.

I still hold doors for people (even though sometimes it's hard for me to even get them open) and most of the time they will look at me like I'm from Mars or something.

I was in line at a KFC last week and there was one teenage boy running the register, filling the condiments, preparing orders and helping with the drive thru. I thought he was doing a bang up job (but what do I know with 15 yrs of restaurant exp?) This man just all of a sudden starts flipping out because the tea machine was empty. He even yells out to the kid "I'm about to thirst to death over here."

I was just thinking right then and there that so many people are under the impression that they are the only one who exists... like they are some royalty or something. There are good people in this world, but they are getting harder to locate.


Btw Jason, that's about the best response you could have given. A lot of us would have made it worse by bristling up. I'm always more proud of myself later if I can make myself just walk away.

[Jason]

You know, that is true. I worked at KFC, also. But I was a cook and never had people interaction. But I did work at a Target for about a year, and most people I encountered were very rude and persistent. I honestly don't know HOW I managed to work there for the entire year that I did. Thank God I was the cart guy. I didn't have to deal with it too much. When I was on register, I was pretty much miserable. Whenever I'd greet somebody they would have very little to no reaction at all. That's how it was about 90 percent of the time. BUT there was one family that had finished shopping while I was working the register. They were very very nice. I mostly talked to the dad, but once I had finished ringing up their items, I overheard him whisper to his wife, point at me and say, "THIS is the reason why we should move here". It was extremely touching, to say the least.

[Man in Black]

That's just proof that positivity is infectious. But... negativity spreads much faster so it's important to stop it when it comes through you. If you are rude to everyone you come into contact with after you are ticked off, then if only half of those people are rude to everyone they are with it's like a negativity explosion ;D

Am I making any sense at all?

[Jason]

Haha. I definitely get what you're saying. NEGATIVITY IS A VIRUS. Haha!!!

[BellaSwan]

Yeah, I agree MIB. People these days... Working in a restaurant as a server, you see all kinds of things. People are so rude, just in general, without even trying it seems. Nothing irritates me like walking up to a table to greet them, and no one looks at you or acknowledges you when you speak, or even worse, when they just keep talking while you're trying to get the ball rolling. Sometimes I just walk away.