The general decline in standards today

[mercuryfelt76]

Personally, I don't believe that (at least in US society) people care all that much about their rights or others'. Especially if it is about protecting the rights of others. As long as they are free to live their lives as they want, they really don't give a hoot about protecting people who are having their rights violated. In some cases, people don't care if they violate the rights of others, as long as they get what they want (entitlement).

I was raised that rights are things that you need to protect, not for your own sake, but for those that are around you. If you let one person have their rights taken away because you don't like them, what they do, or how they act; you have proven that you yourself don't deserve that right. Rights are fundamental, god-given, human things. While their are restrictions to our rights, those should be few.

There is an entitlement attitude that I have picked up on, but it has nothing to do with people having too many rights. In fact, it is counter to those basic human rights. I have the right not to be physically assaulted if I am not threatening others. I have a right to my property, both personal and business, and that property should not be destroyed. People seem to think that they are entitled to stomp all over other's rights for their wants (entitlements).

Smashing up someone's shop over a cupcake or attacking a server at Taco Bell are examples of people thinking they were entitled to something they wanted, and seeing that entitlement as superior to others' basic rights- in these cases- not having their property or physical being hurt. Entitlement is about thinking your wants are so necessary, that they are or can be superior to someone's basic rights.

I totally agree. Too many people think the world owes them a favour and they don't care whose rights they deny as long as they get what they're entitled to.

I was on a bus on the way to work on a Sunday morning. I'm self-employed so if I don't show up I lose my job - no tribunal, no unions, no support. The bus stopped outside a rave that was just emptying. A few kids got on and wouldn't pay, just went straight to their seat ignoring the driver. So the driver switched the engine off and refused to move until they got off. They just sat there refusing to pay and we all just had to sit there. I asked the driver why we weren't moving and we got into an altercation because I didn't think it was fair that all the majority of passenger, who had paid, were being totally inconvenienced for the sake of the small minority. The driver threw ME off the bus telling me when the police arrived he'd ask them to stop me getting on. Then after half an hour the next bus shows up and the kids jumped on that bus and exactly the same thing happens. The kids didn't care one bit that everyone around them is in a state of panic about losing their jobs, as long as they can get home for free. And how can a bus driver cancel the ONLY form of public transport running that early on a Sunday just because a few idiots didn't pay? I used to be a London bus driver and it's not what you're supposed to do. Is it a pride thing? "They think they're getting one over on me but I ain't gonna get em". When I was a kid this would never have happened because everyone on the bus would have shown a lot more solidarity and besides kids used to misbehave in a way which didn't directly affect hard working people. Have they no shame? Or just no fear and therefore no respect?!

 

[LizzieMaine]

You're entitled.

But no one else is.

 

[angeljenny]

You know, I think it's a kind of vicisious spiral we've gotten into. I know from my work that there are some people who simply do not respond to a polite and civilised approach. These people respond only to aggression. Its tough to judge how people are going to react when you arrest them but there's a growing number who only understand aggressive language and an aggressive posture. I seem the same thing with kids around our housing estate. If theyre misbehaving and you try to be polite to some of them you may as well be talking to the wall - it's seen as a sign of weakness. The only thing that works is an aggressive approach so that they're scared of you. Sad I know.

It is a little scary to see how fast some people get aggressive and that they don't respond to reason. I wonder how much is to do with drink or just looking good to your friends.

I sometimes get a little nervous walking home from work at that is at 5p.m. normally! I guess it is the unpredictability. Especially when there are groups of people standing around. Maybe it is me being paranoid and they are just minding their own business though.

I will have to work on being scary - I don't know anyone who is scared of me!

 

[djd]

I think it's probably a combination of how they were treated as kids (so many patents now seem to think it's ok to scream 4 letter words at their offspring) and not wanting to seem weak to their peers by backing down to someone 'weak'. Im not saying that everyone is like that but it does seem to be a growing number.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

My biggest gripe is that people let their children scream, roam freely, and pillage public places.

I call them Kamikaze Kids because when they're running around in the aisles and you're trying to sidestep them, no matter which way you zig or zag they're still right in your path as if they were in kamikaze mode. I was at Costco once and was almost knocked over by a little tyke when he rolled right into me like a human bowling ball.

 

[ScionPI2005]

I don't know if anybody from my generation (I'm 19) has posted in this thread yet, but I wanted to say that there are people my age -- though few -- who feel extremely frustrated about the direction our generation is going. I'm a guy who very much appreciates the early 20th century in matters of fashion and music as well as the civility of recreation from that time, and to see people my age enjoy themselves in such an uncivilized manner sickens me.

I have to agree with this. I'm 26, and I wonder fairly often what the future will be like. I have a small group of close friends, and we discuss our society from time to time. We all share a cautiousness about the future in regards to the economy and jobs, as well as how people will treat each other as time progresses. I don't lose sleep over my fears, but it does dampen my mood from time to time.

 

[MikePotts]

When I was a kid in junior high school, there was always a touring science guy who came by once or twice a year with film clips about "scientific experiments" in progress. The only one I really remember was the "rats in the box" experiment, which got shown at least once a year. The experiment was, as the deep scientific voice intoned, to keep adding rats to a box and see what happened as "population density" increased. What invariably happened was that as more rats were added, invariably one would go insane and attack the other rats, who then turned on the crazy rat and killed it. Researchers, the voice added, wanted to know how many rats was too many rats in a box. It's a question I'm afraid we have succssfully answered.

From "The Michael Bane Blog" - Host of DRTV's "Shooting Gallery" and other shows.

MP

 

[R.G. White]

I don't know if anybody from my generation (I'm 19) has posted in this thread yet, but I wanted to say that there are people my age -- though few -- who feel extremely frustrated about the direction our generation is going. I'm a guy who very much appreciates the early 20th century in matters of fashion and music as well as the civility of recreation from that time, and to see people my age enjoy themselves in such an uncivilized manner sickens me.

I'm with you on that, though unfortunately I have few friends I can discuss these things with. Most of my friends have a bad case of 'self-entitlement.'
My best-friend and her boyfriend have an interesting way of saving money:
After they've gone to a fast food place they'll save the receipt and go back or call the next day and complain that the food made them sick or they messed up the order, when in reality the food was fine, but this way they get free food... sometimes they'll completely lie and say they bought food from the place when they didn't at all. It irritates me horribly that they are, in fact, stealing. They don't care that people have to make money to live. I dubbed this, 'The Modern Generation's method of saving money.' Invariably, when I complain or say something they never take me seriously. Though I have hardly opened my mouth about this. They wanted me to do it once, but I couldn't. I will admit, however horrible it may sound, I was perfectly willing to eat the food. Which makes me as bad as them, I suppose.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Once again, the "Stick It To The Man" ethos runs rampant. One of these days The Man is going to stick them back.

 

[ScionPI2005]

I'm with you on that, though unfortunately I have few friends I can discuss these things with. Most of my friends have a bad case of 'self-entitlement.'
My best-friend and her boyfriend have an interesting way of saving money:
After they've gone to a fast food place they'll save the receipt and go back or call the next day and complain that the food made them sick or they messed up the order, when in reality the food was fine, but this way they get free food... sometimes they'll completely lie and say they bought food from the place when they didn't at all. It irritates me horribly that they are, in fact, stealing. They don't care that people have to make money to live. I dubbed this, 'The Modern Generation's method of saving money.' Invariably, when I complain or say something they never take me seriously. Though I have hardly opened my mouth about this. They wanted me to do it once, but I couldn't. I will admit, however horrible it may sound, I was perfectly willing to eat the food. Which makes me as bad as them, I suppose.

That's pretty sad that your friends do that. I have heard of people sometimes complaining about something just to get something for free, but I have never personally known someone who practiced this method. Do you know what your friends' parents are like? Did your friends lack the lessons of personal responsibility, good old fashioned choices and saving money? Or were those lessons that they have just decided at this point to dismiss?

 

[R.G. White]

That's pretty sad that your friends do that. I have heard of people sometimes complaining about something just to get something for free, but I have never personally known someone who practiced this method. Do you know what your friends' parents are like? Did your friends lack the lessons of personal responsibility, good old fashioned choices and saving money? Or were those lessons that they have just decided at this point to dismiss?

I really don't know where their attitudes come from honestly. My best-friends childhood wasn't the best, but it certainly wasn't the worst either. The other one, well I don't really know what his parents are like. I've met them and they seem perfectly fine, but who knows... I disagree with the way my friends act at times, but their isn't much I can do about it. Whenever I do say something to them, they hardly take me seriously and tell me "I'm getting excited," or "Crabby."
I think I should get some new friends. Haha. No, they aren't that bad...

 

[sheeplady]

Once again, the "Stick It To The Man" ethos runs rampant. One of these days The Man is going to stick them back.

He already is, at least to those that are honest- we pay for the stolen food, the stolen goods, etc each time we make a purchase.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Exactly. McDonald's Corporation isn't breaking a sweat over this kind of chiseling. Not a penny of it comes out of their pockets. Instead, it's the franchisee who's getting stuck, some hard-working soul trying to make a living. Real classy.

They might as well just crack the guy over the head with a blackjack out in the parking lot and roll him for his wallet, because it's basically the same thing.

 

[Tomasso]

Instead, it's the franchisee who's getting stuck, some hard-working soul trying to make a living. .

Last I heard (at least a decade ago) you needed a net worth of $10 million to qualify for a franchise. And while it's mandatory for a franchisee to attend Hamburger U, very few operators actually spend much time in their stores, instead employing hard working souls to mange their interest.

They might as well just crack the guy over the head with a blackjack out in the parking lot and roll him for his wallet.

I love it when you write rough!

 

[LizzieMaine]

McDonald's Franchise Requirements

$300,000 for starters. I know our local franchisee -- he served me my breakfast today. And I paid for it, too.

 

[Gregg Axley]

I stick to the Jimmy Dean D'Lites sandwiches, they actually have a McMuffin copy, but it's turkey sausage, and egg whites, a whole lot less fat with 18g protein. Although nobody makes hashbrowns like McDonalds, I'll give them that.
Oh yeah I see the "entitlements" galore in my town. "You may feel you are entitled to my lane, but if I'm in it, I'm not giving you that right!" Especially if it's my office car and not my own. "You are entitled to throw a fit because I'm not giving in to you, and you are also entitled to be ignored by me." See Lizzie, everyone DOES have entitlements. LOL
To cheer myself up on this 4th of July eve, and because of the decline... I'm going to have my own Laurel and Hardy marathon. I have 12hrs of it on the DVR.

 

[Tomasso]

McDonald's Franchise Requirements

$300,000 for starters.

That's one of those funny numbers that you see in a prospectus but when you balk at Ft. Apache the Bronx or Podunk locations the financials rise astronomically. Thinking back, the quote/info I got from a MickeyD exec (in a social setting) was for a specific area.

 

[sheeplady]

I knew a girl who in her first week of part-time serving (she was in high school) that had two separate groups "dine and dash." She didn't see a paycheck or a tip for almost a month. If you dine and dash, many places make it come right out of your servers' pay. She was making $3.00 an hour plus tips- that's the person you're shoving it to. Not necessarily the owner, not some rich fat guy in corporate, you're sticking it to the server who makes less than minimum wage.

I wonder how many people have been disciplined, lost their jobs, or suffered financially because these jerks are reporting that they have food poisioning. It's really disgusting to take advantage of working people like that.

 

[scottyrocks]

Oh yeah I see the "entitlements" galore in my town. "You may feel you are entitled to my lane, but if I'm in it, I'm not giving you that right!" Especially if it's my office car and not my own. "You are entitled to throw a fit because I'm not giving in to you, and you are also entitled to be ignored by me."

This is one situation that makes me wish I still had my '73 Olds Delta 88, the one with the rotted out quarter panels, faded paint, and literally shredded vinyl top. If some feceshead in a Mercedes (or BMW or other luxury car of choice) wanted to bully his way into the place I was occupying at any given moment, I didn't need to brake or swerve - let 'em come! It didn't happen all that often when I had that car because the other drivers could sense that it wasn't worth my while to get out of the way.

 

[Old Rogue]

This week at work we had a speaker give a safety presentation based on a terrible accident that he experienced in an industrial facility in which he still works. This individual gives this presentation around the world. I don't want to take anything away from what he and his family have gone through, it is truly moving and not something I would wish on my worst enemy. I believe he genuinely is trying to get people's attention and make them realize that complacency in hazardous environments can have devastating consequences. However, his presentation was literally littered with profanity and vulgarity. Given the subject matter I can understand that some profanity was a necessary part of his presentation. But he took it to the extreme. Frankly, I cannot believe companies, including mine, allow him to present such a program. It quickly reached the point where most of us were no longer thinking about his message, we were wondering what foul language was going to come out of his mouth next. I'm not a prude, I've heard, and even used on occasion I'm sad to admit, my share of profanity. But this was beyond the pale and I was embarrassed to even be sitting there listening. From the looks of my coworkers and conversations with several folks afterwards I was definitely not alone. Is this what our society has come to? Where sitting in an auditorium for two hours being cursed at is considered not only acceptable, but professional?