WAYNE KELLY WRITES
Menu
  • WELCOME
  • About Me
  • BLOG
  • JOIN THE MAILING LIST
  • WORKSHOPS/TALKS
  • CONTACT
  • NOVEL WRITING
  • SAFE HANDS
  • JOINED UP WRITING PODCAST
  • SCRIPTS
  • VIDEOS
Menu
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy

U is for Uncommon Courtesy

Posted on April 24, 2013 by Wayne
No Rude People Allowed Photo by Wayne kelly
No Rude People Allowed
Photo by Wayne Kelly

Common courtesy. What is it? Well, for one thing, it certainly isn’t as common as it used to be (I now realise that statement makes me sound about a hundred years old, and you may now be picturing me smoking a pipe, squinting into the middle distance and chuntering about ‘the good old days’).

In reality, I’m a mere 36 but I don’t think that precludes me from bemoaning the moral decline of manners and decency towards others. I was brought up to be polite and show consideration to others – a fairly standard part of being a human being – or so I thought. I was obviously mistaken.

Just a few examples of my gripes:

1) Smiling and saying hello to someone, only to be ignored, rebuffed with a sullen grunt or to receive a menacing stare.

Two words: Miserable. Sods.

2) Holding a door open for the person behind you, for them to sail past without acknowledgement or gratitude.

Oh, I’m sorry, I forgot I’m invisible. I must remember to wrap myself in bandages next time I want to be seen.

3) Following an individual in to a building only to have the door closed in your face.

Remove your head from the dark place in which it currently resides and notice the similar-looking organisms that surround you – they’re called people, you self-absorbed imbecile.

4) Using your phone to listen to music in a public place – particularly on the bus – without the use of headphones.

Firstly, the kind of person likely to do this usually has awful taste in music. Secondly, music played through a tiny phone speaker sounds terrible anyway. Thirdly, headphones were invented a LONG time ago. Use them, you inconsiderate troglodyte.

And, at the risk of once more donning my ‘Old Man Withers’ pipe and slippers, it only seems to be getting worse. What next – someone using my shirt sleeve to wipe their nose? It’s coming . . . mark my words.

What are your pet hates when it comes to lack of etiquette and civility? Or perhaps you regularly indulge in some of the behaviour I have outlined and think I’m being a little over-zealous? Let me know your thoughts below.

This was my 21st post for the A-Z Blog Challenge. Follow the blog during April for more writing tips, inspirational life posts, short fiction, film-inspired articles and more songs with audio recordings. Next post – V for Vinyl. Why I love to put The Needle on The Black (with song and lyrics)

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
Category: A-Z Challenge 2013, Amusing Rants, Life

31 thoughts on “U is for Uncommon Courtesy”

  1. lynneinpborough says:
    April 24, 2013 at 6:16 am

    Great post. Welcome to being older.. I think there’s an age where people stop noticing you as much.. then they do again.. hmm.. Cultures change, who opens the door for whom is very different since I was young. It would have been offensive for me to open it for a man, still is sometimes but if I get there first likelyhood is I’ll open it for you. So long as I’m being polite that’s all that matters. We can only change our behaviour and hope no-one can ever be grumpy about what we do..

    Reply
    1. mrkelly2u says:
      April 24, 2013 at 6:30 am

      What worries me, Lynne is that I’ve been like this since a child! Maybe I’ll regress as I get older. That won’t be pretty.

      Reply
  2. Maria Smith (@mariaAsmith) says:
    April 24, 2013 at 7:42 am

    Good manners cost nothing. I agree it’s quite startling how very rude some people are…

    My own motto is ‘Be Nice To Each Other’ and like you, I see rudeness every day. Everything is getting diluted, to the point that people are becoming insular, and wrapped up in their own worlds. Not in a writerly way, more of a ‘can’t be bothered’ way, as if people don’t matter any more.

    Take parenting, it’s no wonder we are where we are, I hate passive parents, who let their offspring run amuck ..Don’t start me off Mr Kelly, I could go to town!

    Good post, I think you’ll get many comments.

    http://www.firstdraftcafe.blogspot.co.uk

    Reply
    1. mrkelly2u says:
      April 24, 2013 at 11:16 am

      Yes – insular is really the root of it all. I could write an essay on this stuff, but just a little vent now and then should suffice!

      Reply
  3. dee says:
    April 24, 2013 at 7:44 am

    Haha this made me laugh. Not your frustations, of course, but the way you wrote it. #4 is one of my biggest pet peeves!

    Deecoded

    Reply
    1. mrkelly2u says:
      April 24, 2013 at 11:18 am

      Haha – that’s ok, Dee – you were meant to laugh. I like to moan about it from the safety of the blog. I’m too much of a chicken to actually complain to the offenders!

      Reply
  4. cassam101 says:
    April 24, 2013 at 8:00 am

    People on buses or in shops who speak to each other in the loudest voice possible just so you will hear them and because they think their lives are so interesting.
    Assistants at service desks or GP surgeries who say,”Yes” with their heads down writing at never lift it to look at you as you speak.
    People who wear sunglasses indoors or when there’s no sun.
    Need I go on?

    Reply
    1. mrkelly2u says:
      April 24, 2013 at 11:18 am

      We are definitely singing from the same hymn book, Anne!

      Reply
  5. Beth Lapin says:
    April 24, 2013 at 10:52 am

    My pet peeve? When people continue to drive in a lane that is marked for closure, which causes a huge backup.

    Beth
    http://bethlapinsatozblog.wordpress.com

    Reply
    1. mrkelly2u says:
      April 24, 2013 at 11:20 am

      Yes – I didn’t even get on to my list of annoying driver traits! Thanks for popping by Beth. I look forward to seeing what you’ve been up to as well.

      Reply
  6. rinellegrey says:
    April 24, 2013 at 11:07 am

    I haven’t had the issue with music in most places, but it frequently happens in parks, and people have it very loud! (Often from their cars.) What’s with that? Bonus impolite points if the lyrics are not something I want my child to hear!

    Rinelle Grey

    Reply
    1. mrkelly2u says:
      April 24, 2013 at 11:22 am

      Yes, Rinelle. Silly youths thinking they’re cool because they have enough bass on their car stereo to cause a minor earthquake.

      Reply
  7. Another Clean Slate says:
    April 24, 2013 at 2:24 pm

    I’d like to add- using headphones but playing your music so loud that everyone around you can hear your show tunes blasting regardless.

    You and I have the same gripes- where do these rude people come from?!

    Reply
    1. mrkelly2u says:
      April 25, 2013 at 6:34 am

      If only it was just Show tunes! Most of these rude folk come from rude parents in my experience!

      Reply
      1. Another Clean Slate says:
        April 25, 2013 at 11:57 am

        And they will likely raise ride children…

        Reply
        1. mrkelly2u says:
          April 26, 2013 at 6:42 am

          *shudders at the thought!*

          Reply
  8. John Wiswell says:
    April 24, 2013 at 3:03 pm

    I tend to satisfy myself with having done well by others, regardless of their feedback. Neutral or positive feedback, including being ignored, can be okay. It’s only when someone yells at me for daring to hold the door that I get missed. And that does actually happen.

    John at The Bathroom Monologues

    Reply
    1. mrkelly2u says:
      April 25, 2013 at 6:37 am

      I can comfort myself with that Zen feeling of ‘doing good’ for only so long, I’m afraid. I get annoyed with myself in the end, because I can’t help continuing to greet someone and engage in conversation – even though they have ignored me the last dozen times I’ve tried it! And yes – I’ve had the same door experience. RUDE.

      Reply
  9. Lost and Found says:
    April 24, 2013 at 8:30 pm

    *totally* agree! Great post :))

    Reply
    1. mrkelly2u says:
      April 25, 2013 at 6:37 am

      Thanks Donna!

      Reply
  10. Rosalind Adam says:
    April 24, 2013 at 8:45 pm

    I agree with all those moans and would like to include the people who drive straight by me without acknowledging a thank you after I’ve waved them through a narrow section of road and waited patiently.

    Reply
    1. mrkelly2u says:
      April 25, 2013 at 6:38 am

      Ah, yes, Ros – this happens EVERY time I go on a journey in the car. I even try to instigate the wave: NOTHING!

      Reply
  11. Hunter says:
    April 25, 2013 at 12:54 am

    Yeah. Miserable sods, complete tossers. I always try to be nice and courteous, but I expect that on a few days I might be some of those sods too, lost in a world of dark – or perhaps just writing in my mind, but missing the world around me, bad habits hard to stop.

    Reply
    1. mrkelly2u says:
      April 25, 2013 at 6:40 am

      We’ve all had those ‘miles away’ situations where you zone out for a while, but you usually realise and apologise, whereas Mr and Mrs Insular simply retreat further in to their own version of The Truman Show.

      Reply
  12. DJ Kirkby says:
    April 25, 2013 at 4:28 am

    “Chuntering”, I love that word! I am lucky enough to have married a proper old fashioned gentleman and I love every bit of chivalry he extends to me and anyone else he encounters. He’s a true gem, my husband. On Mother’s Day this year he tweeted that he was drinking a pint and watching the rugby and he had lots of astonished tweets back asking how he ‘got away’ with that. His response was that he treated me as if every day was Mother’s Day, and it’s true, he does.

    Reply
    1. mrkelly2u says:
      April 25, 2013 at 6:41 am

      Yes, Dee – chuntering is a lovely word! Sounds like you have a decent chap there – I also treat my wife like everyday is mother’s day – she would probably argue I do this by treating her like she’s my mother!

      Reply
  13. Natalie says:
    April 25, 2013 at 7:20 pm

    Since becoming a mother I have noticed that the worst contenders for a lot of these things are women with pushchairs.
    One of my biggest pet peeves is when a group of people decide to take up the whole of the pavement when they are walking so that anyone coming in the opposite direction cannot get passed. On a similar note – the ones who stop in the middle of the pavement meaning that no one can get passed.

    Reply
    1. mrkelly2u says:
      April 26, 2013 at 6:49 am

      Yes Natalie! The pavement-hoggers I call them!

      Reply
  14. Pingback: A to Z Blog Challenge 2013 – My List Unveiled | Kelly's Eye
  15. Louis Cunningham says:
    July 29, 2013 at 8:24 pm

    After I initially commented I appear to have clicked the
    -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and now whenever a comment is added I
    get four emails with the same comment. There has to be a means you are able to remove me
    from that service? Thank you!

    Reply
    1. mrkelly2u says:
      July 29, 2013 at 8:48 pm

      Hi Louis. There haven’t been any comments on this post for quite some time, but as I didn’t add you to the comment subscription I can’t remove you unfortunately.

      However, all you need to do is log on to your wordpress account and ‘Manage Subscriptions’. From there it’s a simple case of deleting the post you no longer want to subscribe to. Hope that helps.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • ThrillPit Mentor Scheme
  • Finding Creative Focus During Lockdown – The Power Of The Deadline
  • Book Review – The Righteous Spy by Merle Nygate
  • How to know when an idea is ‘THE IDEA’
  • 3 Ways Short Stories Will Improve Your Novel
Tweets by MrKelly2u

Recent Posts

  • ThrillPit Mentor Scheme
  • Finding Creative Focus During Lockdown – The Power Of The Deadline
  • Book Review – The Righteous Spy by Merle Nygate
  • How to know when an idea is ‘THE IDEA’
  • 3 Ways Short Stories Will Improve Your Novel

Recent Comments

  • Maria Smith on Finding Creative Focus During Lockdown – The Power Of The Deadline
  • NaNoWriMo Tip – Give the story ‘legs’! | The Joined Up Writing Podcast on How to know when an idea is ‘THE IDEA’
  • Foster on How To Keep Writing Over Christmas
  • BONUS – Richard Rippon – Should you write everyday? Epilogue #71 | The Joined Up Writing Podcast on BOOK REVIEW – Lord Of The Dead by Richard Rippon
  • Wayne on How To Keep Writing Over Christmas

Archives

  • March 2023
  • March 2020
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • December 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • November 2012
  • May 2009
  • April 2009
  • March 2009

Categories

  • 15K in May
  • A-Z Challenge 2013
  • Amusing Rants
  • amwriting
  • blog
  • Book Review
  • Don of The Dead Series
  • Film related
  • Fitness
  • Flash Fiction
  • Inspirational
  • Life
  • Music
  • NaNoWriMo
  • Novel Writing
  • podcasts
  • Poetry
  • Social Networking
  • Songs/Lyrics
  • Uncategorized
  • Write up to date
  • writing
  • Writing Tips/Advice

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org
© 2023 WAYNE KELLY WRITES | Powered by Minimalist Blog WordPress Theme