Random questions: Part two

A while ago, I posted about some of those questions that cause frustration in life. Parking in supermarkets, littering, driving in the middle lane, that sort of thing. I mentioned that there might be more questions to come, and here they are.

Why don’t some dog owners clean up after their dog?

As a responsible dog owner myself, I always clean up after Ollie. I make sure to take out a reasonable supply of poo bags, and keep a good eye out for when he has done whatever he is going to do. The bags are cheap, picking up the stuff is easy and hygienic, and there are lots of bins placed around to deposit the bags into. Yet a huge percentage of other dog owners never bother. They don’t even carry the bags in the first place, and have adopted an attitude of complete indifference to the dog poo that they leave in their wake. They make it bad for everyone, as all dog owners get the blame, even the conscientious ones. It is most annoying.

Why do people who didn’t vote complain so much about the result?

This is a long-term problem, but is also very topical, given the recent results in our Referendum, and the US election. You must have met them yourself. Bleating on about this or that result, whether or not we should have stayed in or out of the EU, or what the local Council is doing with the rates they collect. I always ask them, “So how did you vote?” I often get the reply, “Oh I didn’t bother to vote. They are all the same, these politicians.” Then why do they whine? Get off of the sofa, and cast your vote. You still may not win, but you just might make a difference.

Why are people rude to shop staff?

Most people who work in shops and supermarkets these days would sooner not have to do that job. The hours are awful, the pay is very low, and the working conditions are often poor. Gone are the days of owners running their own businesses, in most cases. Shop staff these days are little more than corporate cannon fodder, treated as disposable as the carrier bags that they used to give away.
So why do people moan at these unfortunates? Why do they complain to some harassed housewife on £7 an hour about the waiting times at a checkout, or because their size 18 top was too tight? Just leave them alone, and direct your spite at the people really in charge.
Be nice, for once in your life.

Why do fit and well people park in spaces for the Disabled?

(This has a sub-question too. Why do people use disabled permits when they do not have the disabled person with them?) I know that driving around looking for a space can seem to be a pain at times. But in the grand scheme of things, it is hardly comparable to trying to survive in Aleppo is it? So why do you just swoop into a parking spot clearly marked for disabled users? What level of selfishness and disregard for decency is required to make you behave in this way? What makes you so important that you cannot bear to walk an extra ten yards to make your purchase? Disabled permits are not that easy to get, believe me. If they get one, you can be sure that they almost certainly need it. So have some respect for that, and while you are at it, have some self-respect too. Just stop doing it!

What happened to good manners?

At what stage did it become acceptable to not offer a seat on public transport to someone elderly, a pregnant woman, or someone carrying a baby? When was it ever OK to barge onto a bus before people who had been patiently queuing for ages? Why do you shout into your mobile phones in public places, and tell everyone around you what you are talking about? And when was it ever acceptable to scoff down some repulsive take-away food whilst sitting next to me on a bus? Did you never hear about holding open doors for the person following behind you either? How about saying ‘Please’ and ‘Thank You’ in shops? Where did that go? Perhaps lessons in manners and general good behaviour should be taught in schools these days. We used to just ‘know’. Maybe because our parents brought us up properly.

More random questions will undoubtedly follow.