I drive around 600-700 miles per week mostly on the motorway. I have noticed that no one says thank you anymore for courteous driving i.e. letting someone out into your lane, moving over a lane to let someone out etc etc. Even lorry drivers dont say thank you anymore (I assume they are fed up with all the idiots)
Even in shops if you hold the door open if you are lucky you might get a grunt but most of the time they look at you like your a piece of crap on their shoe. This extends to older people as well who were probably (sweeping generalisation) brought up with better manners that most youngsters today.
Is everyone in the UK really annoyed with everything that is going on? Have we turned into a nation of unsatisfied grumpy people?
More of an observation than a rant btw
Thanks for posting 🙂
Thank you for pointing this out robbo.
[edit]Grunt to allthepies.[/edit]
Beaten to it purist but thanks for the thanks! 😀
No, no. Thank YOU.
No THANK YOU.
We <heart> you 🙂
Do you drive an Audi / BMW?
Do you drive an Audi / BMW?
No a Ford Mondeo - proper rep-tastic but didn't really fancy the extra cost of the BMW/Audi with a lower spec for the badge.
I do but you probably can' hear me as I'm in a different car.
I do, and plenty of people still thank me. Do you live in a horrible thankless town?
One thing amuses me (and I do it too)
When someone gives way to you for example and you decide to thank them, why do you mouth 'thankyou' [i]almost[/i] silently (barely above a whisper) when the sound has to overcome the sound of two engines, two radios, and usually two panes of toughened glass.
You should really be bellowing [b]THANKYOU![/b] at the top of your voice.....
Dragged up rather than brought up I would guess
Have we turned into a nation of unsatisfied grumpy people?
What do you mean "turned into"? We have a strong and proud tradition of being utterly miserable bastards, and spent most of the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries imposing our virulently joyless outlook on the rest of the world through a combination of military and economic might and religious intolerance. Did a pretty good job of it too, just look at the place. We didn't say thank you when we built the empire, we didn't say thank you when we took it apart, so I see no reason why we should start saying it now!
I'm sorry, don't know what came over me there. I was woken up a bit early, and my son is inflicting Thomas The Tank Engine on me again. I'll try another cup of coffee...
I have noticed that no one says thank you anymore ......
It's in direct relation to getting old, going deaf, getting arthritic, becoming daft.
Soon you'll be pointing out how in your day you could understand every single word a singer sung, but now they just make noises and scream.
HTH but no need to thank me.
I find most people say thank you if I make way, even some audi/bmw drivers - although usually they just pull out without signalling 🙁
why do you mouth 'thankyou' almost silently (barely above a whisper) when the sound has to overcome the sound of two engines, two radios, and usually two panes of toughened glass.
I find that mouthing the word "bollox" gets a more interesting response.
This is another thing Americans tend to do better than us...not New Yorkers though, they're more like us. Probably Thatcher's fault.
still relatively polite here... make an effort to help another driver and most say thank you.
exceptions are the majority of bmw/audi/repmobiles and frustratingly an increasing number of motorbikes.
bikes i will always move over as far as safely possible to let them feed through the traffic, gone are the days when most of them would indicate their thanks with a small hand movement or wave, now its less than 1-2 out of ten 🙁
we've got 2 different bmw headquarters type places nearby which means there's a HUGE amount of brand new spanky bmws with drivers who dont pay for their own insurance on the roads... they appear to have been told by bmw that its illegal to use indicators and that bullying your way through traffic and endangering other road users is a great advertisement for the company.
its illegal to use indicators
They use their windscreen wipers Phil. You just have to understand their language, they're not wrong or bad, just different to you.
damn, i thought i had my racism under control!
if they want to drive on my roads they gotta drive my my rules, if they dont like it... i'll pack their bags, stealing our jobs mutter mutter
Probably the same reason for the lack of correct grammar.
I always say thank you when I am driving. When I ride my bike I wave a thank you if I think a car driver has been especially courteous in their consideration for me too.
Plenty of thanking going on here in France.
It's customary to move over and let motorbikes through. They thank you by taking their right foot off the footrest.
Even the police do it! ....and, when I was out on my Motorbike t'other day and came up behind a police car in traffic, he moved over to let me through. I thought it would be rude not to so I did, then gave the customary foot wave. No problem.
SB
On the moving over for motorbikes thing... Is it just me or does anyone else think that it is dangerous?
Example - car moves over, bike assumes it is safe to overtake, turns out it isn't and the driver just wasn't really concentrating and the bike ends up head on with a central reservation/pot hole/lorry etc.
I always make sure I keep clear road position when driving with a bike behind - let the rider decide when it is safe to overtake.
I have noticed that no one says thank you anymore for courteous driving
They do, all the time. Do you drive a BMW perhaps? 🙂 *d'oh too late!*
I tend to notice people not giving a quick nod/wave/indicate when on the road as much as they perhaps used to.
I've also noticed over the last few years that people seem to scythe down slip road paying no attention to who/what is on the main carriageway and try to join regardless. Woe betide you if there is a car overtaking you, while Mr Jonny Big Bollocks attempts to join the main carriageway from your left hand side and wants to use exactly the same space that you are occupying! I did wonder for a while whether the Highway Code had changed to give those joining priority.
As for people in shops, don't get me started! I did wonder if it was just me who thought that my primary job when shopping was to hold the door for ****less minions who then wander through as if it's your duty to allow them free passage, without so much as a glance.
I have also wondered whether I am getting grumpier in my (not particularly substantial) old age. 😀
Plenty of thanking still goes on round here. Let me guess, you live down south? 😉
The OP should spend some time in Germany. That'll make Southern England seem like a hippy commune.
I did wonder if it was just me who thought that my primary job when shopping was to hold the door for ****less minions who then wander through as if it's your duty to allow them free passage, without so much as a glance
+1
Kill them all.
I usually sing a happy 'no, thank you' at them. My wife hates it when I do that 🙂
i've dramatically given up holding doors open for people after some woman said "what do you think i am?! disabled?!!! i can work a door myself you rude prick!"
she wasnt disabled, she was carrying several bags of shopping and i was under the impression my actions would've been polite and thoughtful.
now whenever i see a woman coming i hold the door shut and shout "i dont want you to think i'm sexist!" through the door
A lot depends on where you are. Where I work many people are dyed-in-the-wool-salt-of-the-earth types who view outsiders with suspicion and distrust and you really have to work at it to get even the faintest flicker of recognition, never mind an audible acknowledgement.
Back home everyone kids themself they live in a quaint market town and it's all [i]after you[/i], [i]no you first[/i], [i]no i insist[/i], [i]oh thank you it's a lovely day isn't it?[/i] etc
When someone gives way to you for example and you decide to thank them, why do you mouth 'thankyou' almost silently (barely above a whisper) when the sound has to overcome the sound of two engines, two radios, and usually two panes of toughened glass
Saves effort.
i've dramatically given up holding doors open for people after some woman said "what do you think i am?! disabled?!!! i can work a door myself you rude prick!"
Really?! What a tool.
yeah people are dead ingnorant arent they.. 😈 i always let people out but ruddy no thanks you get 👿 thats it from now on im going to be evil 👿 😉 
yup, i had held the door open for a couple of people to come through and noticed her lagging behind so figured i'd hold the door open a while longer. its not like i saw her approaching a door and ran up to it, chest puffed out and swung it open whilst shouting "let me get that for you, your puny lady-arms cannot handle such things"
I still hold the door open for people, always will 'cos i was brought up like that... but that incident has made me think twice about holding it open for women who look angry with that fact men exist like her.
Don't let one grumpy [b]person[/b] put you off being nice Phil 🙂
shouldnt you have highlighted [u]'Grumpy[/u]' there mr molegrips.. 😉
I have to admit that I do like heading up North but I think it is just because the roads are quieter. Spend most of my driving time on the M1-M6 between London and Bham.
Dont get me wrong people do still say thank you but noticeably more so with lorry drivers it has decreased which prob means they are fed up with people accelerating past them when they have their indicator on.
EDIT: Strange double post never had that before
When I let somebody out, or let them turn right in front of me, I get a bit fed up if they then spend the next 3 seconds waving and smiling INSTEAD of getting a move on.
dont let them out anymore then... 😉
That would be mean.
spend the next 3 seconds waving and smiling INSTEAD of getting a move on
God... I know what you mean. At the end of your life, that could end up being a whole hour or so of your life wasted with being smiled at!
I'd prefer them to smile and drive.
Reminds me of Gerald Ford. The real quote was he couldn't chew gum and fart at the same time.
