When did we stop caring about other people?

Let me tell you a story.

A couple of weeks ago I went to a restaurant with some friends. It was nice. Kind of cool, but in the area where I live. I go there quite often. There is a routine. You walk in, you are seated and some nice person comes and explains the menu, takes your order and then when you have completed your meal your go up to the counter and you pay your bill. Easy right?



Well on this day I went with my friends, we had coffee, all put in the money and I went up to pay the bill. I am a nice person because I understand working in hospitality can be a very hard job and the public can be not very nice. So up to the counter I go. There are 6 people in front of me, and that is ok. It would seem they were from a large table and they were all paying for themselves. A bit annoying but what ever. The line moved swiftly until the girls one in front of me got served. The line stalled. BECAUSE THEY HAD NOT EVEN LOOKED AT THE MENU. No idea what they wanted. There was now 8 people behind me. The girl were still deciding. Not even close. After 5 minutes. I said to the girl serving. ' Excuse me (told you I was polite) Could I just pay for my coffee please. I have the right money.' She told me no because they were paying customers. 

Mmmm. Now this may have made me a little bit cross, and I may have unknowingly made a face. I think this because the girl started getting flustered. I said nothing. The girls stilled poured over the menu not caring that the queue was getting longer. The girl serving got more flustered. I got angrier. Two other people behind the bar kept talking to each other and laughing. Finally after another 3 minutes I said " Can I please just pay for my coffee." By now I may have had tone and I was begging a bit. I know this because the two girls finally clicked and went and sat down to order. 

I payed for my coffee and said to the girl serving " I was not angry with you- I was angry because the behaviour of the two girls was very rude and inconsiderate." And I wasn't angry with her. Although she could have been more assertive and the two behind the bar could have stepped in, but thats ok. I will just not go back.

So yesterday the same thing happened at another coffee shop. The lady in front pushed to get in front of me and then took 4 minutes to order 7 cakes. I know it was 7 because she made 7 separate walks back and forwards to look at the cakes. Meanwhile the queue of people to get the Skinny long mac's topped up ( I was in a fancy part of town)was out the door. But cake lady didn't care. Not even when the lady behind me said to her " For god's sake just get the peanut butter slice. They are all full of fat and sugar." 

No one says it better than Kim

               

But here is my point. Every day I go to work and I teach young kids to be considerate. Be polite, care about other people. Why are adults not doing it?  Is it that hard to give a courtesy wave? To merge properly? To say thank you? To move slightly when you are about to have a head on collision with someone on the footpath? To smile? To be nice? To maybe care about other people? How did we all get so absorbed in our own sense of importance that we stopped giving a shit and started being arseholes?

For the record the lady then told me that the peanut butter slice was the yuckiest slice- she just said that to her because she was being so rude.