Monday Moan 19

What An Example

Sitting on a bus going into one of our lovely provincial cities from the Park & Ride facility on Saturday I shared the top deck with a family group – Grandad, Grandma, Dad, Mum and child.  The child wondered why Grandad was sitting a few seats in front of the rest of them – “that’s so I can fart when I want to” explained the senior gentleman.  Nice.

 

The rest of the journey was no better.  The Grandad’s and Dad’s ‘conversations’ were littered with expletives, delivered at full volume so everybody on the bus could hear.  There was a running commentary on everything outside and an assessment of everybody they saw. 

 

Loud, obnoxious, opinionated, foul-mouthed …… what an appalling example to the poor child.  She may turn out to have respect for others and to behave in a civilised way, but if she does it will be no thanks to her relatives. 

 

Shame on them.

 

 

Any Chance Of A Seat?

Later in the city it was time for lunch.  Everywhere was busy but we didn’t want a full meal so decided to go to one of the many Starbucks/Costas/Pret A Manger/Caffè Nero-type places that have replaced the sandwich bar and cafes of the past.

Finding food wasn’t much of a problem.  But finding a couple of seats was.  Plenty of seats in the venue but mostly occupied, at the height of a busy Saturday lunchtime, by groups of people lingering over a cup of coffee and a very long chat.  At least there was no evidence in the particular place we chose of the laptop brigade – who can manage to make a single drink last for hours as they occupy a whole table with their laptops and papers.  Mind you, we found them at another place later in the day when all we wanted was a quick refresher after sightseeing and shopping.

What is it with such people?  Why is it that they think it acceptable to occupy space in a busy restaurant when their own food (if they ever had any in the first place) and drink has been consumed and they are just sitting around chatting, when people with food cannot find a space to eat?    Ask them to move up to make room, or perhaps ask if they are about to go and you are likely to be ignored, given a withering look or perhaps verbal abuse.

And why do the establishments themselves not do something about it?  Go out to a proper restaurant and overstay and you are quite likely to be asked to leave if there are others who are waiting for a table. 

 

Not Just The Crude

Whilst I’m on about it, there are plenty of others who can be intrusive and obnoxious in public places, as well as the foul-mouthed ones mentioned earlier.

Whilst less offensive than my bus companions, I’m not really that happy to find my ears assaulted by braying children of the rich who want everyone to know about their fabulous holidays, expensive sports activities, how Mummy or Daddy do this or that, or anything else of a similar ilk.

Whatever happened to private conversations between people in public places?  I try very hard to keep whatever I say to my table companion between the two of us and not to broadcast everything I say to everybody else in the place.

But then I’m not showing off, I’m not bragging, and I’m not wanting everyone to see me and know how important, rich, clever or funny I am.  I’m just out for a quiet day with someone I’ve chosen to be with and who wants to be with me.  We want to enjoy ourselves without imposing on others.

I know, that makes me weird.

 

Chicken Or Egg?

I wandered into the hell that is Primark during my city outing and found myself wondering whether the shop and its ethos were the cause of mess that is their sales floors or whether it was all the fault of their customers.  If you have shopped in one of their stores you will know what I mean – clothes all over the floor, customers rifling through piles of t-shirts or the like looking for their size and not worrying about those that fall on the floor around them, let alone folding them up again and putting them back afterwards if they decide not to buy.

You see similar things at other stores during sales times – as people rush to try to find the bargains and just leave discarded clothes on the floor. 

Is it the cheapness of the clothes that makes people behave like this?  Are there just too many customers trying to get hold of the goods so that they have no time or space to put things back?  Are the employees not trained or bothered to tidy up?

I don’t know the answer, and it is probably a combination of many things, but it all makes for a depressing experience, made worse by the knowledge that the clothes won’t last, so you’ll have to go through it all again soon.

  

You Are Only As Good As Your Last Gig

Clare Balding was one of the media stars of the Olympics and Paralympics.  Her stock rose to new heights as she was lauded as the best TV presenter, a person who knew what she was talking about, who had presence, authority and humour in just the right proportions.

It must have seemed like a good idea for her to accept the offer to chair last week’s ‘Have I Got News For You’ as a means of furthering her reputation. 

I doubt that she thinks so now.  HIGNFY is a show I like.  It usually manages to cover (loosely) the key topics of the week in a lively and entertaining way.  But not this week.  It might have seemed obvious to comment upon the Jimmy Savile revelations and upon Abu Hamza’s arrival in NY but, unfortunately, neither worked and we faced a series of tasteless jokes and embarrassed reactions from the audience that left the performers wriggling uncomfortably in their seats – and this despite what were undoubtedly the best efforts of those whose job it is to edit the mass of footage into a sharp and funny half hour programme.

A good reputation can so easily be tarnished by one calamitous appearance – I hope for Clare’s sake this is not something she’ll live to regret.