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I know the elderly have been on this planet for a long time and can get a bit testy at times. We often speak about the youth of today and their lack of manners but I tend to think it cuts both ways.

The other day whilst out shopping I witnessed an incident between a 12 year old boy and an elderly gentleman. Obviously, the boy who was with his parents was excited as he had a small bag in his hand – a game for a Play Station, I believe.

Now he wasn’t aware that an elderly man was coming up behind him rather quickly to walk past and he swung the bag in a half circle as he walked.

The Elderly man let rip

Now the bag did not touch the man however the man went right off his dot at this child who was quite confused. The child immediately apologised but the man wouldn’t hear any of it. After a few expletives, the man walked off in a huff and a puff, leaving the child terrified and shaken up.

I do believe children mimic what they see and obviously this is in the minority but the elderly should stop and think and also have some common courtesy when out and about. The whole world doesn’t need to revolve around them, just because they’ve lived on this Earth a bit longer.

Mind Your Manners

As I walked away I heard the child say to his mother: “but I said sorry and he was still yelling at me and really angry.”

It really is sad that manners and courtesy are left at home nowadays whether it is the young or the aged.

Have you ever had a similar experience? Tell us in the comments below.

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  • I used to complain about this all the time. There I was with my bub in a pram and I found that I might struggle to hold a door open for an older person who would just barge on through without a thank you. The young teenage boys would always thank me. The elder people would barge through a door and let it swing behind them and never give a thought to holding it open for me where as the young teens would always hold a door open for me.

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  • Yes there are some out there that get so angry and rude

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  • Yeah it’s pretty sad when this happens. And really upsets the kids in my area there is an old guy that walks around and yells at kids and my 1 year old was just walking so she wants to walk in the Main Street laughing having a good time and he yelled at me saying I was a bad mum and I shouldn’t have kids I was like what my chicks was no where near him she was just laughing I was pretty upset as it makes you feel like crap

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  • I am lucky that this has never happened to me or mine, but do think that rudeness from all ages seems to be more prevalent these days. Such a pity as we all have to get along on this one and only planet of ours. Lovely that the young lad did apologise, and do hope he will continue to show good manners in the face of adversity in the form of this grumpy old man.

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  • I don’t think it’s fair to just label this particular incident as “the elderly” should mind their manners. This is a one off, based on a single person. The issue surrounding youth disrespecting elderly is much deeper than what your implying here. The youth consider the old boring, lacking wisdom and speak to them like kids or their mates. Seats are not often given or reserved for older people and unfortunately many of their children prefer to make money and leave their parents in care homes – when they have EVERY mean to look after them

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  • Yes, I’ve come across some grumpy and unreasonable elderly people. It does make it hard to stay patient and civil.

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  • Some people just want to be grumpy no matter what you say. At least the boy knows he did the right thing apologising


    • I really believe its just the old school generation. They don’t really think before they speak.

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  • I could understand the man complaining but the boy did apologise even though the bag never connected with him. Hopefully his parents told they were proud of him for using his manners.

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  • There is this saying to “be kind to unkind people, they need it the most”…
    in the end of the day we don’t know what’s going on in their lives

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  • Awww, I’m so sorry for this young boy. But I love his response. He’s been raised well and clearly came across a grumpy old man.

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  • A good opportunity to model the appropriate social skills to our children and also teach empathy – maybe this older man was anxious about something, maybe his memory was not as it used to be before and he’s scared and lashing out, maybe he’s sick, chronic pain would make anyone grumpy and irritable. I would also teach my child what to say in such a situation – like apologise and move away. If the old man continues to carry on, that’s his issue not yours.

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  • I have experienced angry elder syndrome myself many times. Oh, and I am middle aged. I have had a very angry elderly woman who decided that perhaps I wasn’t moving as fast as she would have liked and she rammed her trolley into my shins. I let the first one go. On the second one I turned around and asked nicely if she would be more careful with her trolley as she had run into my shins twice. Then she did it again, harder. I turned around again and told her that running her trolley into my shins was in no way going to make me go faster as I had people in front of me who I did not want to ram with my trolley. Well, she just let rip. Like it was my fault that I was in her way or something. I also copped an earful from an elderly woman who decided that joining the queue for the express counter at the shops didn’t apply to her and she could just go past all of us in the queue and be next. I was surprised no one said anything so I did. I very politely pointed out that the end of the queue was back that way and that she was after all of us who had been waiting. She raged about being in a hurry and I said that we are all in a hurry but we all have to wait our turn. Well, she finally went back to join the end of the queue and everyone else clapped me for standing up to her. I was polite and she somehow thought that her age gave her the right to be obnoxious and ignore decent behaviour.

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  • Absolutely there was no need for the man to be so rude. I find sometimes people take their own frustrations out on others and a small incident can trigger peoples aggression. I hope the man felt bad about what he did when he thought about it later.

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  • I agree wholeheartedly. There was no need to carry on in that manner and I feel for the child that he was slighted unnecessarily and did not deserve to be treated that way. I hope the young fellow doesn’t think that all old and older people act that way or are that grouchy because they aren’t. I hope the old man’s conscience is tested and he will realise what he did and change his attitude so there won’t be another moment like that to take place.

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  • Yes I find some older people are expecting a lot they push in , speak rudely demand a lot
    I got told off in the street because miss 15month at the time wouldn’t sit in her pram and was walking beside me not running off but jumping galloping and laughing and I was told I was horrible mother and need to look after my child as she was in his way of walking which he clearly could of gone around her

    Reply

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