Free

With yesterday's neighbour debacle still raw in my mind.  it made me think about people's perceptions, in today's society, of what is considered right and wrong.

I was really angry yesterday when my neighbour decided to light a bonfire at 1o'clock in the afternoon.  It was beautiful sunshiny day  and  both me and another neighbour had all our washing out and all our windows open.   I wouldn't have been over the moon but if he had asked me if it was ok for him to do this I would have at least been aware and shut my windows and brought my washing in.   It amazed me how someone would think that this was acceptable behaviour.  How someone could have so little regard of anyone else astounds me but I am finding it more and more frequent.

I had problems with the same neighbour recently continuously parking outside my garage making it impossible for me to drive my car in, let alone out.  At the time I wasn't aware who it was that was parking there so had to leave notes on the car asking them, politely, not to block access to my garage.  I also put a sign on the garage asking for 24 hour access, all to no avail  This car continued to park there.  So, in the end I left a slightly more nasty note which she promptly took to the police and I had to explain why I felt the need to behave in this manner.   The police could "understand my frustrations"but couldn't quite see what made me so annoyed.  When I confronted her about the parking situation she cockily told me she could park where she liked as it was a public highway.  I explained that she was making it impossible for me to use my garage with which she shrugged and said she couldn't care less.  I was astounded.

I am very conscious of manners and its something that I instill in my children but it concerns me that society as a whole is no longer concerned with basic manners so as time goes on it will become a thing of the past.

On the school run, the access gate to the school does not stay open and needs to be held open for the next person to go through.  Many a time, my son has been caught holding the gate open and often its the adults who saunter past without saying "thanks".  It makes my blood boil.  

I loathe people who don't indicate at mini roundabouts.  Its thoughtless.  I loathe people who don't say thanks when you hold a door open for them.  Its thoughtless.  I loathe people who park over two parking spaces at a car park.  Its thoughtless.   I loathe people who park in front of garages.  Its thoughtless.  I loathe people who light bonfires on sunny afternoons. Its thoughtless.

There are a lot of people who's expectations of manners are lower than mine.  I understand that.  I won't give my children food or drink without a "please" and "thank you" and it's very rare that they ask now without saying it.  I have taught them to say "sorry" so that if they bump into  someone of hurt someone its an automatic reaction to apologise and it works.  They say it naturally.

When we travel, I see people physically roll their eyes when they realise they are sitting next to the huge family of young children presuming their journey is going to be a nightmare.  But, I usually get thanked at the end of the journey when it turns out my children are quite quiet, polite and well behaved.  I'm not bragging but I want my children to treat others the way that I want to be treated and I have massively high expectations.....

I genuinley think the world would be a better place if more people were considerate of others.  My job mainly consists of tackling noise nuisance complaints and yet again, I am astounded at how massive this problem is and how insconsiderate people are.   It is now necessary to employ people in social housing to deal with this issue alone.  Wow, can you believe that?

I think road rage would be a thing of the past if people put their hand up by way of apology when you pull out in front of someone, or similar.  We are all guilty of it at times but it's when you do it and you apologise maybe the person won't tailgate you for the next mile, flashing their lights and generally having a coronary and wanting to rip your throat out.  Just a thought.....

Like my late dad said.  Manners are free.   I am always aware of this.  It starts with your children.  Teach them the art of manners and we are half way there to a nicer society.