The Things People Do!

Never mind all those CCTV cameras.

Wherever we go - we are being watched.

And lots of watchers like to judge.

Consequently, many of us have no shame.

Lste DH and I were enjoying a wine tasting and gourmet lunch at a small winery in France some years ago ((a birthday present from a daughter). We were the only customers until a couple arrived + baby. The mother proceeded to plonk said baby on the table and change its nappy. The 'patron' said nothing nor did we. I still can't believe it happened.

I must take exception to your post, Chinesecrested - a very dear friend of mine has Motor Neurone Disease and his mobility scooter is his lifeline to having at least a part of what passes for normal life. Just be thankful you are able to "leap out of the way" !

My house faces a large area of common land, which has numerous trees and pathways. It is very popular with dog walkers. It is also quite popular with off-road motorbikes, and it’s only a matter of time before someone is killed, or badly injured. As most of the bikers don’t wear crash helmets, and sometimes ride two on a one-seater, they are equally at risk. The police seem unable to stop them.

DH and I treated ourselves to first class train where they provided afternoon tea a young couple and grandma were at the table opposite. When our food arrived mum changed baby's nappy on the table and it was not just a wet one the toilet was less than 5 ft away we gave several withering looks but she was totally unconcerned!

I was horrified to see a young woman openly inject herself on a train. She may have been diabetic, but even so....

The same happened to us in Morrison's cafe. Just about to start lunch when a mum decided to change her babies poo nappy on the table oposite. Not nice.?

Annually we open our garden for the local hospice and provide cream teas.
Last year a party of around 12 young couples with babies arrived and sat with the odd cup of tea and tap waters!
We were angry at them taking so many places when people prepared to spend couldn’t sit down!
However when one Mum laid her baby across a table and changed a soiled nappy in front of everyone on a hot day my patience waned!
It is extreme arrogance!

As someone who has to use an electric wheelchair when Out and about (disabled, not too fat to walk!) I have problems with pedestrians who stop suddenly in front of me or push past me or who won't move when I try to get passed them even though they can see me quite clearly and don't get me started on people who use the disabled changing rooms, or disabled toilets, or disabled parking spaces.

Is it something to do with the 'third space' idea (Starbucks) - that 'your' coffee shop is a home from home? Whatever I'm humbugging with you all. A coffee shop is not the place for this. But then 'my dear old Ma' brought me up to always give way at doors, never eat or drink on the move [not that we had the money to anyway] - and I thought we females were the self conscious ones .

Hear, hear!

And 'too fat to walk'

Very judgemental.

Chinesecrested,I am also a mobility scooter user and take exception to your remarks.Yes,I have seen the odd scooter user whizzing along regardless but the majority of us are considerate and careful.We do not choose to have mobility problems and would much rather be striding along beside you if only it were possible!

Having an ankle scraped along by a trolley suitcase whixxing past was as painful as having a tooth drawn...

Our M&S here is overlooking the city's main shopping street, much to look at and comment upon.

I think women get dressed up to have lunch or a cuppa here in M&S...its got a glam vibe....

Having to wait to get in my car where a woman had stood her bags of shopping while allowing her toddler son , to ' pee'. up against a refuse bin in the supermarket car park. No excuse as toilets were barely fifty yards away and the mother must have passed them on her way out of the store.

Wouldn't it be fun if someone monitored the CCTV footage and posted pictures of the offenders doing their offending, somewhere prominent?

They couldn't object as a breach of privacy, could they? They were doing whatever it was in public anyway.

Would they feel ashamed?

I use a backpack and I can’t see the problem. My biggest bug bear is kids on scooters, especially in shops. Also in defence of cyclists on pavements many of them are shared walkers/cyclists but I do agree about kids going to fast on a pavement.

Some years ago hubby and I stopped for lunch in a nice cafe. An elderly male customer removed his dentures and set them on the table while he ate. Talk about off-putting!

Our M&S store has closed, for good, ? so no more people watching there. Will have to find somewhere else.

I was at my local supermarket which has a cramped area outside the main door. A man on a bike with a child in a trailer (wider than his bike) rode through all the people outside and was totally oblivious to the fact that the trailer had run over my foot!

So awful for you, Teetime. How repulsive in an eating establishment.

Wonder how she behaves in the privacy of her own home - but perhaps we shouldn't go there.

I loathe seeing people walking along the street stuffing pies, sausage rolls, pasties, fish and chips into their faces (always eating with their mouths open) and then finishing off by wiping their fingers on their jackets, sweaters or t-shirts.

Slobs!

I was amazed one Christmas in church to see a woman who was sitting directly in front of me take down her chignon and proceed to rearrange it - all while the clergyman was preaching. I've just had a hip replacement and have been made very nervous by people, and their dogs, brushing past and bashing the wound site. We have developed a "me first" society, where other people are largely irrelevant to our own concerns. I feel particularly for the elderly, who unless they are rich, with a commanding demeanour, seem to count for nothing to younger folk. Sorry to be a misery.

Yes, I was once run into by a woman on a mobility scooter who was busy texting. No apology of course! I'm not sure if texting whilst on a mobility scooter is illegal as it would be if she was driving a car.

Quite frankly Jaxie I would not call you a misery at all........you sadly speak the truth just as it is ..........I think from all we are learning via this thread alone,we all need to watch our "p`s and q`s............because we too are in danger of being guilty to some of these unpleasant and down right dangerous acts.
"Fings are not what they used to be!!!"

As a mobility scooter user my pet hate is people who walk in three's or more, usually young people, who totally ignore you and don't step aside for you to go through. And don't get me started on people who park half on the pavement and half on the road, so that I have to go on the road....which many scooters are not licensed for....and very often there is no dropped curb. Not to mention the young mims with huge buggies that expect me to give way to them by getting off the pavement. One of these days the buggy will go over and I shall be left sprawling in the road.
And neither am I too fat to walk, just have osteosposis in my spine, with constant pain!

Thanks Panache, Recently a Gransnetter accused me of a nasty post ( I had layer off about all this fuss in the media about the new Prince Louis - I'm a republican) and I felt really hurt and brooded that I was a nasty person, when in fact, as a " half believer" I try to apply Christian principles to my thoughts & deeds. I teach a memoir writing course and all participants, including me are learning that it's ok to say and write what you feel, as long as you are willing to accept that you might be wrong. We can challenge one another's social stance without accusing people of nastiness.