Unwritten rules that MUST be obeyed?

I think it depends. I think this is something society as a whole should teach. I've seen teachers try to teach manners when children are obviously lacking in that department and it falls on deaf ears. High school students only mock it (not all obviously I am generalising). What I would prefer to see is it starting off in Kinder, where social skills are being taught. And I'd also love to see adults practice what they preach, when most don't so maybe a community service campaign about manners too. I think that's why it irks me to think we are passing the buck, instead of teaching the adults because the children will ultimately mimic their parents/village and society no matter what they are taught in school.

Yes manners gets my goat. A lot. And often when adults are rude they think are showing their power... A favourite quote "Rudeness is a weak person's imitation of strength.

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I think it depends. I think this is something society as a whole should teach. I've seen teachers try to teach manners when children are obviously lacking in that department and it falls on deaf ears. High school students only mock it (not all obviously I am generalising). What I would prefer to see is it starting off in Kinder, where social skills are being taught. And I'd also love to see adults practice what they preach, when most don't so maybe a community service campaign about manners too. I think that's why it irks me to think we are passing the buck, instead of teaching the adults because the children will ultimately mimic their parents/village and society no matter what they are taught in school.

Yes manners gets my goat. A lot. And often when adults are rude they think are showing their power... A favourite quote "Rudeness is a weak person's imitation of strength.

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I worked as a check out chick for 10 years - it never failed to amaze me how customers (some customers) seem to think that because you work in a store, you a) have no brain b) have no feelings and c) don't deserve to be treated any better than something disgusting stuck to your shoe. There was never a trend for who was the worst - sometimes I found it very suprising how the most upper class people and most refined people thought it was their right to treat you like dirt - could turn from having the most charming conversation with someone in the store to not even using the word thankyou when you handed over their change (and I was always polite to them regardless).

Another quote comes to mind...

"A person who is nice to you but rude to the waiter is not a nice person."

And that's my point. We really need to attack this from both ends. The older generation and the very young generation and hopefully it will rub off on everyone in between. In the meantime if you're a parent and you're reading this... give your children the greatest gift... teach them manners.

Great quote - reminded me of a time I had a meal out with my pastors wife (former not current) and was never so embarassed to be sitting with someone treating a waitor the way she did! Wanted to be swallowed up by the ground! I was digusted - shining Jesus to the lost my foot!

Yes ausgirl, i was a check-out chick (pronounced 'chuck') for many years too, and i was treated with such amazingly varied degrees of respect. From lovely kind friendly customers to the most offensive rude disrespect. Thankfully, the good outweighed the bad and a bit of laughter afterwards helped too.

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Rudeness is a weak person's imitation of strength

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I love this.

You know what, check out chucks? ( :lol: ) It goes both ways... Be nice to us too!

If you are working in customer service, then SERVE your CUSTOMERS and do it politely!

I am a friendly, polite person. If you smile at me and ask how I'm going as I load up my groceries and shepherd my two LOs through the checkout, I will smile back and engage in conversation. If I make it through the entire check out process without a single word from you, this it NOT acceptable customer service.

Yes, this has happened. More than once.

On the same track... engaging in polite conversation is just that, polite conversation. If you ask how I am, I'll say "good thanks", even if I've been up seventeen times overnight, am suffering from terrible morning sickness and may vomit on your shiny new cash register and my two kids have turned into devil children, cuz you really don't want to hear that. When I ask how you are, I expect the same sort of polite response. I don't want to hear that you really don't want to be there and you hate the lunch rush and just want to go home. I'm part of the lunch rush - by default, you just said you hate me. Doesn't leave a nice taste in my mouth!

If you are at a place where the food is on display (cafe/food court and the like), and you have a large crowd of children, don't line them up in front of the food display, or even have them sitting on the display. Preferably take them and have them seated so other people can choose what they want and order while you are placing your enormous order, instead of them having to weightloss 10+ mins to (finally) order.

/me hates school holidays!!!!!

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You know what, check out chucks? ( :lol: ) It goes both ways... Be nice to us too!

If you are working in customer service, then SERVE your CUSTOMERS and do it politely!

I am a friendly, polite person. If you smile at me and ask how I'm going as I load up my groceries and shepherd my two LOs through the checkout, I will smile back and engage in conversation. If I make it through the entire check out process without a single word from you, this it NOT acceptable customer service.

Yes, this has happened. More than once.

On the same track... engaging in polite conversation is just that, polite conversation. If you ask how I am, I'll say "good thanks", even if I've been up seventeen times overnight, am suffering from terrible morning sickness and may vomit on your shiny new cash register and my two kids have turned into devil children, cuz you really don't want to hear that. When I ask how you are, I expect the same sort of polite response. I don't want to hear that you really don't want to be there and you hate the lunch rush and just want to go home. I'm part of the lunch rush - by default, you just said you hate me. Doesn't leave a nice taste in my mouth!

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Alternatively, when I smile and say fine thanks, please don't probe me about my life ...

I don't want to tell you what each of my grocery items is for
I don't want to tell you how I have spent my day or how I will spend the remainder of my day
Don't ask me what I do for a job

And don't talk to me about the customer you served in line before me. It's rude!

Change of tact here...Road Rules

Don't give way to me when you have right of way, its confusing and causes accidents cos no one is ever completely sure what is going on.....

This really annoys me as yes, someone might be trying to be kind and let you in, but then are putting you in danger as the other drivers don't know whats going on, It's much easier if everyone just follows the road rules

Yep, I agree about following the road rules. It also doesn't help teach my kids what is right and wrong if cars give way for them to cross the road when there is no crossing. The kids need to learn to wait for the traffic and you're just getting them confused.

If traffic is busy, everyone should let someone in, if nobody lets anyone in, no one gets anywhere!

If you take the bin out, replace the bin bag!

Oh thought of another one don't know if it's been said already.

But also on the check out people, if a child is saying 'Hello, Hi, Hi Hi, HELLO! HELLO!!' answer them!! Children are people too! She is repeating it and now yelling because you are pretending you don't hear her when she's right in front of you. Just say Hi! It's not hard! Wtf? This happens to me probably every 3rd time I go shopping.

Letting people in a lane/out of a driveway etc is not what I mean though, that's a must I agree and can be simply understood because someone can indicate to show they want to get in.

I'm talking about at an intersection where someone has right of way but waves the other person to go - its confusing and dangerous, especially when there are other cars around that aren't aware of whats going on.

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if you take the bin out, replace the bin bag!

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omg yes!

Put the toilet seat and lid down when you've finished!

If you need to do number 2's while in a public toilet (especially a parents room one where it is almost a certainty a child will enter after you), Remove the skid marks!!

If you're sitting at a table...push the chairs back in when you're finished. Tables look so messy with chairs sticking out at all angles...just push them in! Is that anal?

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