Inquiry Demanded into Islamaphobia in the Conservative Party.

Joelsnan you ask the question about bad manners being mistaken for prejudice. That is an interesting view. I suppose that if the action or comment refers to your ethnicity, religion or culture in a derogatory way then it is prejudice. If it's bad language without reference to any of the other personal things above then it is probably bad manners.
I recall experienceing ageism for the first time some years ago, when I felt quite young actually. A man of about 30 with a female companion parked in a four x four both doors open, the woman reading and the man stood outside with a cigar, very "respectable" looking, how wrong can one be.

They were on a supermarket car park that was full, so the two doors blocked two spaces. I was asked to get out to ask if they could close the door whilst we got the car into the space beside their vehicle.

Not only did I get a mouth full, with expletives but added onto that was "you old bag". That infuriated me more than any of the other foul mouthed abuse. That made it ageist and probably denoted his attitude to older people, or was it just to me...These things, as your post points out Joelsnan, are difficult to pin down, unless we know it is a repetitive attitude to all in a particular group, then I suppose it is not prejudice, it is bad manners. I suppose we know prejudice when we see it. It is more than the odd comment out of place.

I think some people who have any one of a range of prejudices have the nous to avoid saying eg ‘you old bag’ but treat you as an ‘old bag’ anyway. There are many subtle non verbal forms that racism/ sexism/ ageism can take.

As was the case with my very lovely friend, who just happened to be of Indian origin. In reality she was as British/English as any one of us.

How right you both are Maryeliza and Iam.