Just got congratulated for being able to use my debit card!

Keep laughing and smiling Lathyrus.
Have a happy Christmas 😀🎄

FriedGreenTomatoes2

Lathyrus3

What a miserable thread.

All these grumpy old people with their rude reactions to someone who is trying to be pleasant and kind.

I used to be quite puzzled by comments on how much I laugh and smile. Now I see why🤣🤣

Me too Lathyrus.
2 wrongs (if there was even one) don’t make a right. 🤷‍♀️

Chill people.

I'm with you, too. I'm in my late 70's; still with most of my wits about me, and completely comfortable with most aspects of the age of electronics and e-commerce. Yet I feel nothing but pleasure and gratitude whenever anyone offers me any help, or congratulates me on managing (for example) to make a purchase at the till using my iphone. Perhaps one of the REAL signs of getting old is an increasing tendency to take offence where none is intended.

When I let my hair grow grey, I was being treated as old and infirm so went back to dyeing my hair. No longer offered a seat in the bus etc. just shows how people go on looks.

I live in a town where cars stop to let me across the road, where mums with a full shopping trolley usher me to go first with my few bits, where teenagers take my heavy shopping bag as I climb the hill and men carry my suitcase up the railway steps.

Where people just smile as I fumble in my purse and get up off the park bench they are sitting on as I pause for breath and, although I haven’t yet fallen down n the street, I know that strangers would rush to my help if I did and someone would stay with me till medical help arrived.

I think it is a really nice place to live🤔

Hardly anyone of any age uses cash anymore. Some of our banks don’t even carry it now! Time moves on. Maybe it’s just Australia ?

But...there may come a day when you do need that help - maybe on balance it's better there are thoughtful/kind drivers?

fancyflowers

I am yet a spring chicken at 72, but I have some mobility issues and I find that when I walk with my stick, drivers often stop and wave me across the road.

I was standing at the side of the road (with my stick) waiting for the last car in a goup to pass. Behind it there was nothing, and I was in no hurry, just waiting patiently for the road to clear, and gazing at the large gap that was approaching, when I would cross at leisure. However the final car in the group stopped and waved me over - so I was hurried into crossing before I wanted to and looking grateful to the driver into the bargain.

Helping old ladies across the road when they don't want to be helped isn't always appreciated.

I'm usually bad about thinking about the best words to say at the time, but I think I would have been puzzled, this seems so bizarre, and said so

"I'm not sure what you mean - debit cards have been around for 30 years - I was using one at your age?"

Debit cards were brought in in 1987 and initially were used mostly for phone or till shopping as opposed to cash at ATM's which came later.

I can recall my then elderly friend (87 years) delighted to phone shop and just have to read numbers out.

Now what I was impressed by (as I don't do it yet) was a Lady clearly a great deal more elderly than me whipping out her mobile phone to pay.....

Lathyrus3

What a miserable thread.

All these grumpy old people with their rude reactions to someone who is trying to be pleasant and kind.

I used to be quite puzzled by comments on how much I laugh and smile. Now I see why🤣🤣

Me too Lathyrus.
2 wrongs (if there was even one) don’t make a right. 🤷‍♀️

Chill people.

Grammaretto

You don't tell us your own age Lathyrus but this is the Ageism thread in case you haven't noticed.

My DMIL died a couple of years ago aged 98. She made us laugh with her insistence on never giving in to old age she wore makeup and dressed prettily till the end.
She did have to give up on her unsuitable shoes, much to her annoyance.
She had a mobile phone and used her laptop to write emails to her cousins in America.

Well, no I hadn’t noticed it was the ageism thread, it’s true.

I’ll exit it in that case.

I do think 80 is old and I’d be more inclined to laugh or say thank you to almost everything posted here.

Perhaps I take life lightly.

Lathyrus3

What a miserable thread.

All these grumpy old people with their rude reactions to someone who is trying to be pleasant and kind.

I used to be quite puzzled by comments on how much I laugh and smile. Now I see why🤣🤣

I am afraid that being treated like a half wit just because I am old and female may appeal to your sense of humour but it certainly doesn't appeal to mine.

Although I probably didn't grin from ear to ear, I was not rude to anybody at the time of my particular incident and I thanked the assistants for their help.

CabbageWars13

Maybe you should be grateful she didn't pat you on the head and gush "good girl!"

(She didn't pat you on the head, did she?)

Not to mention, ‘Aw, bless!’

I wonder, has anyone ever been fined/prosecuted for thumping a person guilty of such patronising remarks?

Yes maybe the change to the Highway Code rules is my answer.

The osteopath I used to visit 10 years ago for a painful neck and shoulders kept saying get a shopping trolley seeing that I walked to the local supermarket and carried 4 pinters of milk, bags of potatoes etc. But I said I wasnt old enough at 65. Well how ridiculous of me.
Once I bought a trolley the painful bits of me improved and the osteopath bills finished. I expect she wished she hadnt told me to buy one!

You don't tell us your own age Lathyrus but this is the Ageism thread in case you haven't noticed.

My DMIL died a couple of years ago aged 98. She made us laugh with her insistence on never giving in to old age she wore makeup and dressed prettily till the end.
She did have to give up on her unsuitable shoes, much to her annoyance.
She had a mobile phone and used her laptop to write emails to her cousins in America.

I am yet a spring chicken at 72, but I have some mobility issues and I find that when I walk with my stick, drivers often stop and wave me across the road.

Also I think I'm on the defensive a lot of the time.
I was in Sainsburys in the city buying a meal deal and ofcourse you have to pay at the Self Service, cards only.
I took a while to find where to scan the things and in the flash of an eye the bored attendant came over to help me.
I guess they have to do their job but I can't help feeling they see grey hair and are over eager to rush to the rescue.

I have a slightly younger friend who is too proud to use a shopping bag on wheels. If you don't want to use the car it makes such sense IMO.
I've been using one for years to take my pottery to craft fairs.

I regularly use the self service tills and I don't usually have any problems.

I very rarely set foot in a supermarket as I do all my shopping online. My husband loves going so he picks up any odds and ends.
Recently I had to go to Morrisons for a couple of things, but luckily the 11 year old boy I look after talked me through the self check-out till 😁
He goes every week with his mum and dad.

What a miserable thread.

All these grumpy old people with their rude reactions to someone who is trying to be pleasant and kind.

I used to be quite puzzled by comments on how much I laugh and smile. Now I see why🤣🤣

Yesterday, in Lidl, I was struggling to lift my heavy rucksack onto my back in preparation for walking home in the rain, I apologised for holding up the queue at the only non self-service checkout. I had a full bags in each hand too and muttered about not having a car.

Grammaretto my Dad was 87 when he moved from the south coast to our Midlands town in 2018. It was a couple of weeks before we could bring his car up, so he walked to his local Morrisons with his rucksack.

Twice complete strangers insisted on giving him a lift home with his shopping.
He was tickled pink at how friendly and helpful people were to him 😊

Lathyrus 🤗

Lathyrus3

80 is old.

Sorry if that upsets anyone, but it is😬

It might be but it doesn't mean we're decrepit and confused.
I'd be thinking "I was using computers before your parents were born, dear!"

Now, if only I could find my debit card I could finish the Christmas shopping .....

I regularly use the self service tills and I don't usually have any problems.

The other day a male assistant, who must have been close in age to me, popped up and said "I saw you struggling."(I wasn't) "Let me help you." He then proceeded to completely muck up my transaction so that my loyalty card was not registered and he had to ask another assistant to sort it out before I could complete payment.

Charleygirl5

Lathyrus I may be in my dotage, being 82, but my brain remains sharp. Perhaps I should be ga-ga, but I am not. As others have said, your time will come.

Well, actually it won’t.

I too would like to congratulate you on your great achievement!

Lathyrus I may be in my dotage, being 82, but my brain remains sharp. Perhaps I should be ga-ga, but I am not. As others have said, your time will come.