As I continue to age, I like so many before me, pine about the "good old days". Yes, my youth was great but what we have now and the technology we have is greater...however, what we've lost is really horrific...we've lost one of our most prized possessions...COURTEOUSNESS. We are becoming more of a "what's in it for me" and "it's all about me" society, so much so, that RUDENESS is becoming the norm, and we as a society are to blame for allowing it to happen, by doing nothing and letting the RUDENICKS rule the day. I for one am tired of it and would like to recruit some like minded "courteousness seekers" to join me.
When I was a child growing up, courteousness ruled-the-day (yes sir, no ma'am...respect for elders and women) or, the back-of-the-hand took center stage. We or anyone around us that were rude or selfish were quickly chastised and as culprits, we were embarrassed or shamed into ceasing our rude behavior...NOT TODAY! Take note of what happened to us recently (and this is just one of many daily rudenick stories y'all know very well).
She who must and I were at our favorite Waffle House yesterday and the place was crowded and service was really rough (a lot of employee "sick calls). A rudenick was sitting at the counter nursing a cup of coffee (which is all he had). He got up and disappeared for about 15 minutes, when he reappeared a to-go order was sitting on the counter in front of him (the only place it could be put). Now, all hell is breaking loose in the store and rudenick loudly demands that "this bag be moved"...it bothers him, this is HIS spot. The staff did move it and the poor woman who was desperately waiting for someone to take her money at the register FINALLY came back to get her food and the fiasco continued. She looked for five minutes for her food...rudenick says nothing, finally a (courteous) patron pointed out her food, which she promptly went behind the counter to get and left, obviously distressed, while rudenick just sat there nursing his coffee.
About ten minutes later rudenick saw someone he new, so he jumped up again, this time taking his cup and he ran outside for about 20 minutes during which time a couple had come-in, waited for about 10 minutes and then took two of the three obviously empty places at the counter (why not, no one had been sitting there for at least 10 minutes). Now, while the couple VERY patiently waited another 10-15 minutes for someone to take their order, in walks rudenick and nastily says to the woman sitting on "his" stool, "I would like to have my seat back...now", bewildered at his rudeness, she and her husband got up, obviously angry and left! Waffle House looses two customers and retains rudenick....hmmmm, not a great business model in my opinion.
Now, what would have happened if it had been me, is as follows. We would have taken "our" seats that were obviously empty and then when rudenick came up to us and announced "I would like to have my seat back...now", I would have proudly retorted "I would like to ban the world or rudenicks....now, but since that is obviously NEVER going to happen, then I will choose to remain in "OUR" seats and YOU can have the empty one over there!"...I just VERBALLY slapped him.
Now, it is important to note that I saw the reaction of several people that witnessed rudenicks earlier rantings and they appeared to be equally as sickened by rudenick as I had been. Can you imagine the applause or the happiness I would have brought to everyone around me if I had been sitting in that seat!
Please my friends, let's work together to bring back good old fashioned courteousness, let's return to our 21st century the fine old tradition of respect and decency, let's make shame and embarrassment mean something again.
Let technology not be the only thing we can be proud of "as we boldly go where no man has gone before" sorry pcr's (see, courteousness). Take a VERBAL slap at rudenicks, it feels good and "it's good for ya"! Remember "only YOU can prevent rudenicks" (sorry, Smoky).
Fatman
Thursday, July 5, 2007
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