And they call themselves men ...

[Kilted KT]

HERE !HERE! I agree most heartly. The loss of manners and common decency is the begining of the decline of a nation. I think it also falls in with parents complaining to teachers, when their children (who can do no wrong) get bad grades and tell the teachers to change the grades, or they are going to be sued!!

my wife teaches 6th, 7th and 8th grade special education students at a public school.. I know all too well how much the parents let their kids run over everyone...

[The Supreme Canuck]

Supreme Canuck - you're where I was ten years ago. Stick to your principles and use of the common courtesies - you'll be true to yourself, be doing the proper thing, and you'll make a better impression during job interviews than the degenerates.

Well, I've no plans to change. Still, it's nice to get a little respect back every now and then, isn't it?

[KiltedKnight]

Just a couple of things on this subject, firstly, the reason that we don't have the manners that we once did in our country is that at one time if we saw some young punk being a punk or simply some ignorant kid not showing decent manners and giving up the seat to someone in greater need of it than they had we could step in and teach them a lesson, whether it took only a mild word or the back of the hand if a quiet word didn't do the trick. This goes for rude drivers as well, we all could at one time follow some punk and teach him/her a lesson at their next stop if they flipped us off after cutting us off in traffic.

However, that being said the truth of the matter is that some liberal lawyer looking for lawsuits decided they could get more cases if they made sure there were laws on the books forbidding the lawabiding folks from teaching the low-life any manners so now the low-life knows they can get away with anything as long as they aren't seen by a policeman and are long gone by the time we get our story told.

My point I guess is that some laws are the enemies of civilization and act as a corrosive agent on society when they protect the guilty by exposing the well meaning to lawsuits by punks that pressed charges for being bitchslapped for being less than polite. Think that I'm wrong? How many home owners have had to sell their homes to pay damages for some burglar that tripped and fell in the darkened house that they were in the process of burglarizing and some lawyer got a judgement against the homeowner for putting his couch in the middle of his living room instead of against a wall where his client wouldn't have fallen over it and broken his leg. Don't laugh, this has happened. Some laws are NOT our friends, we should get rid of all laws written after 1920. Seriously, anything that was a real crime already had a law written for it by that time, everything after then are victimless crimes. Think about it.

Now my second point is that when I open a door for my wife as I always do I make sure that I walk through that door FIRST. I picked this up from the Germans and it's a great idea. The reason is simple, suppose there is something or someone dangerous inside the restaurant or whatever it is that you're entering? I don't want my wife exposed to any danger so I enter first just to symbolically check things out before she enters.

Sorry for making this so long.

Chris.

[GlassMan]

I had a room mate in college who was in a wheelchair, and I learned a lot about how difficult managing a chair can be. I do know that you don't just go up and grab someone's chair to try and help. That can be too much of a surprise and sometimes frightening to the person. I do however, offer assistance. Sometimes the person won't accept the help, but most are very appreciative of the offer.

I don't know about everyone else, but if I can help someone out with just a little effort, it makes me feel really good about myself.

Yeah, my actions may not change the world, but they help to keep the world from changing me.

I agree, it's totally unnerving when someone just grabs the chair and tries to take over. For a moment it gives you the feeling that you are being kidnapped, especially if you don't know the person. But I'm amazed at how few people offer to get the door. It's absurd.

And here's a funny story. I've always been well mannered. I use the appropriate honorifics at all times in public discourse, and when I was able bodied I always made sure to hold the doors, give up seats, etc.

In the same way that I feel it's important to behave properly towards others I also have always taken care of my appearance and made certain that my spoken English was properly ennunciated and grammatically correct. I've never felt that there was any excuse to be a slouch. If something is worth doing, it's worth doing correctly.

So in College everyone felt that I was the perfect gentleman. When I finally came out of the closet it was a complete shock to everyone. I asked my friends and acquiantances if they hadn't noticed some sign beforehand. Hadn't anyone wondered why I never brought up the measurements or potential sexual activities of a female? Or wasn't their any suspicion about my refusal to stare at scantily clad females?

What was their response? They had never considered any of that odd. They all simply felt that I was a cultured gentleman who would never lower himself to such activity. I found it hilarious. Of course, I wouldn't engage in such activity or conversations regarding anyone of any gender. It's just not right to be a cad.

I also had another interesting encounter in college that relates to this topic. I don't remember exactly which year it was, but I was leaving Sterling Memorial Library and I noticed a female student behind me with her arms full of books. Naturally I held the door for her. As she walked through she let me know that my gesture was not appreciated and that I was just reinforcing the patriarchal society that endeavoured to hold her and other women down. She refused to listen to my explanation that I would have done the same for a similarly burdened male student and instead launched into a long harangue about women's rights. I completely support absolute equality, but that women was what other's call a "feminazi." It was a horrible encounter and a sad comment on her upbringing.

[Kilted KT]

Sorry for making this so long.

Chris.

Very well said...I'd rather read an intelligent post that is a mile long, than three lines of meaningless blather....

[arrogcow]

J
How many home owners have had to sell their homes to pay damages for some burglar that tripped and fell in the darkened house that they were in the process of burglarizing and some lawyer got a judgement against the homeowner for putting his couch in the middle of his living room instead of against a wall where his client wouldn't have fallen over it and broken his leg. Don't laugh, this has happened.

Chris.

Not saying I completely disagree with your hypothesis, but I need some proof about that statement.

Adam

[The Supreme Canuck]

It's true, in Canada at least. The owner of the property is liable for all injuries that occur due to the unsafe condition of the property. The injured person's intent does not matter. Only the irresponsible upkeep of your property does. Now, the example given would likely not hold up in court as keeping a couch in the middle of the room is not unsafe in and of itself. If, however, the burglar had slipped on your unsalted icy walkway and injured himself, you are liable.

Of course, you can bring him up on trespass charges. And, in Canada, you generally don't end up paying through the nose. "Mental anguish" and all of that generally doesn't fly here. Payments are far, far, far smaller than in the US.

[AckZel]

Hats? People still wear hats? Yet another piece of civilization that has gone for good here.

Usually baseball caps x)

[The Supreme Canuck]

Urgh. Maybe I'm better off.

[AckZel]

Lawsuit against homeowner because burglar fell and hurt himself? Haha, if some burglar had went to tell to lawyer in Finland that he wants to file a lawsuit against the homeowner. After the lawyer had laughed his *** of he would have told the burglar to get a flashlight x)