the general public

[pinkmoon]

I wonder if anyone on here who like me works with the general public has noticed that they have become more abusive and violent over the past few years.

[Cogidubnus]

Hi Jason

Oh no...I started out in my working life forty two years ago as a Tax Officer with the Inland Revenue...from which I learned that there is a percentage of the general public who will always complain (sometimes justifiably) of bad treatment...there is also an equally alarming and very worrying number of people too, who won't! I can genuinely say that in my time I honestly tried to sort out all my customers fairly...

But since then I've worked now over 38 years for a public transport company, and I don't think the overall percentage of complaints per passenger journey has either substantially increased or decreased...what HAS increased however is the number of complainants seeking compensation, (a surprisingly high proportion of which prove false);

I leave it to you to formulate a conclusion

All the best

Dave

[pinkmoon]

Hi Dave,I've worked for the same large retailer for 27 years and I can say without a shadow of doubt that people are a lot more more abusive and violent having recently been spat on by a customer purely because I wouldn't give him discount makes me wonder if it's time to go and do something else.

[GUT]

G'day Pinkmoo

I've spent most of my working life, about 40 years, working with the public in one form or another and I think the problem is that no one respects anyone else or cares about anyone else, and that may be because they don't respect themselves.

The world is definitely worse.

Now I work in the Legal System and am constantly surprised at how some people dress to go to Court.

[pinkmoon]

I have noticed as well that a lot of people seemed to be stoned out of their mind before they even leave their front doors.

[Robert]

I think some of it - by no means all, but some - is the "I'm underprivileged - so I must be privileged" syndrome. They think they have a right to be rude/violent because they're having a tough time.

[pinkmoon]

I think some of it - by no means all, but some - is the "I'm underprivileged - so I must be privileged" syndrome. They think they have a right to be rude/violent because they're having a tough time.

I would disagree people with a few quid seem to be a lot more rude and abusive then people who are not as wealthy .

[Wickerman]

I wonder if anyone on here who like me works with the general public has noticed that they have become more abusive and violent over the past few years.

Not directly no, but I think we have all noticed increasing impatience and ignorance on the road.

[GUT]

I would disagree people with a few quid seem to be a lot more rude and abusive then people who are not as wealthy .

I don't think social standing has a thing to do with it, there are good and abd in all groups.

[Fleetwood Mac]

The world is definitely worse.

Whenever I think of this, I'm never sure on a conclusion. Part of this is down to England really being two countries in one. So, when you look at rural England I'm not so sure too much has changed. They, both North and South, retain a strong community spirit and a sense of values. They would probably argue that their way of life has been eroded to an extent by an over-bearing government largely dominated by town and city folk, and by increasing infrastructure projects on green land. God, we have magazines with huge readership numbers devoted to maintaining England's green and pleasant land.

The towns and cities? They just seem like a free-for-all to me and dominated by the culture of "what can I get out of it?" But, perhaps this has always been the case as in days gone by people moved in from rural areas and with no sense of belonging to a town or city. These days people move from city to city, again, with no sense of belonging, community or ties to that city. The resulting lack of care is inevitable.

England has always had a rough working-class. You can read accounts from foreign travellers during the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries with said travellers being gobsmacked at the levels of violent behaviour and the pleasure people derived from this.

I'm not so sure this part of the world is worse. John Wesley held outdoor sermons in Cornwall because the people wouldn't go to the Church, so the Church had to go to them in order to tackle alcoholism, violence and general lack of moral instruction. But, this part of the world certainly could be better.

[GUT]

G'day Fleetwood Mac

Part of this is down to England really being two countries in one.

I think this applies to most of the Western World.

And you are right about some places being better than others in this regard, but I think even the best towns are not as good as they were.

Or are we just sounding like our parents "I remember when ....."