Don't even start me on the lack of common courtesy that seems to be becoming the norm nowadays. It's even worse online. People seems to think that if you don't know or can't see the other guy then it's okay to be rude.

Oh, that's for sure!

The other time people think it's OK to be rude is when they're dealing with someone they perceive to be "beneath" them (like a cashier in a store). I've worked in customer service and cashier jobs. Most folks are pretty decent, and a few are downright sweet. But it's that minority that are nasty and overly demanding that can really ruin a job for the person doing it.

I was in a line in a market and the woman in front of me gave the cashier a raft of poo.

When I got up there, I let her know, it was the customer.. not her. "I think she had a dead bug up her butt." She laughed and seemed relieved, or momentarily distracted from the woman's boorishness.

They say that people who act like that do it because someone does it to them and/or they feel powerless so they give it to people they don't think can afford to fight back.

I agree completely. I was watching something on U-tube the other day, and you know the part where you can leave comments on what you just saw? Well apparently everyone hated this guys video, and they were leaving racial slurs, telling this guy to just go end his life, etc. It was just some weird artsy type home movie and people were like screaming "I want 48 seconds of my life back!" and stuff.

The vitriol seemed out of proportion to the crime kind of. People were especially upset because he titled it like "The Best Video Ever" or something along those lines, and it wasn't, so people were mad, but OK get over it. At the very least, slurs are unnacceptable. I wondered if people went especially gonzo because they could be anonymous. It made me feel really cold and sad and I didn't want to use my computer for 2 days.

Yes people need to be just as courteous to customer service workers than they would want to be treated. I so dislike when people think they're "better than." But on the flip, I hate when I come up to the cash register with my purchases and say "Hi how are you?" And the clerk says nothing. And then I'll say "Thanks have a nice day!" and again the clerk says nothing. I guess some people are just tired in their jobs. I honestly don't blame them that much.

I always tell people that they should work in at least one service-oriented position so that they will know how to treat those kinds of workers with respect. I've worked in those kinds of positions before myself, and most people are decent, but it can really ruin your day when someone's abusing you and screaming at you over something that isn't your fault.

I'm always nice to waitresses, cashiers, maids, etc. because I've had their experience and I want them to know that I appreciate them, that I'm not some jerk that's going to yell at them. I think that gives them a lot of comfort to be treated fairly, especially if they've just been treated harshly by someone else.

Also, having a service job at least once in your life teaches you to be nice to customers, too. But, it is challenging and those jobs are boring, so I agree that it accounts for the rude behavior you see from cashiers occasionally.

I completely agree. Even if I get an occaisional gruff clerk I don't let it affect my friendliness and courtesy to other employees, because I remember a few nightmares from some customer service days I endured myself in high school and young adulthood working at a country club bar among other portals to hell...

Rich old men + copious amounts of alcohol =

Actually I think I'm still in customer service. Oh well...isn't service the noblest of all professions or something?

Surely we're not talking about RD being plain "old" are we?
Cause if we were, I'd better not put up this pic....

That's our boy in his element! *is thrilled*

which one is he?

I think he's the one wearing white... it's hard to tell!

Yup Rd is the one in white

Well the one in the black is Ben Browder, the one in the red with the BLOND hair sticking all over the place is Amanda Tapping. So yea I think that's Rick in the white snow suite.

Sheepy were did you fine that pic?