Like the man who helped the mom and her two kids down the stairs of a double-decker, a tricky maneuver when the bus is moving (side rant: it's my understanding that the drivers of these god-awful things are supposed to use the monitors when stopped to look for passengers who are leaving and wait for passengers to safely come down the stairs - this isn't the case. I will film this).Or the Durham College student who stood up and let out a stream of profanity at a woman who had asked this student if she could refrain from swearing while describing her day at school. Hey, I'm no angel and I can swear with the best of them, but being subjected to "cocksucker", "motherfucker", "stupid cunt", "fucking this and that" in sentence after sentence in a loud boisterous tone can really begin to grate on the nerves. Sorry to republish the profanity here, but it helps to paint the picture.
The reaction was unnecessary. The woman who asked for the student to tone it down wasn't being rude. She was trying to read. I gave up reading an article on my phone because this girl was so loud.
The student attempted to justify her right to swear as much as she wanted telling the woman no one else seemed to have a problem with it since she was the only one complaining. Other passengers stared out windows or straight ahead. For people like this student, silence *is* acceptance, and this only made her bolder with her accusations.
The woman who the student was screaming at got up and went downstairs. That was a smart move. There's no point in engaging these idiots. I've learned this much.
I chose not to say anything despite wanting to. I regret it now because my silence meant this kid felt she was in the right and she wasn't. After the woman left, this kid really went off and it was downright disgusting. Even her friends seemed a little put off by her grandstanding with one telling her to calm down which was met with laughter and more profanity.
At least someone tried.
8 comments:
What a stupid....
the problem is you never know when someone like that is going to get violent. I saw a guy smacking his young son in a fast food joint because he couldn't make up his mind quick enough. Someone spoke up and they almost got physically beaten for their efforts. It's better in most cases not to address it yourself but to reach out to someone whose job is to do so.
^ Why I've been taking the high road lately. Not worth it.
And unfortunately, with buses, people are usually gone before TSO or local police show up and I'm not expecting the driver to hold anyone hostage.
teenagers these days disgust me...and i blame the parents..
Always the same, when you ask someone to lower their voice in the quiet zone...."No one else is complaining...what's you're problem"
I've always come to the aid of the person that is directed too, but I often end up the target of the vitriol.
I have seen a number of other people pitch in as well, which has resulted in the person leaving in a huff. No one feels good after that interaction though, even though they were successful.
@Anon Please don't paint all teenagers with the same brush. Some of us - maybe even most - aren't loud and disrespectful; it's the few who are that tarnish the reputation of youth. For what it's worth, I was a teenager less than a year ago and would have had no problem standing up to the student in this story.
@Skin Man - If nothing else, take solace in the fact that the other party will probably think twice next time they want to act out.
It's true. Not all are bad. Tyson is a lovely respectable young man. His parents did a fine job and you know what, there are plenty of parents who. I will have a teenager myself in 3 years. Lord knows, I hope to feel just as proud.
I wish someone would go all Batman on these types. The only thing they'd understand is a good, fat knuckle sandwich. But the average citizen only gets to serve one once and then has an arrest/conviction to make sure he or she never gets a decent job again.
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