Five Lessons About How To Treat People

A friend of mine posted this to her Facebook notes today. When I was done with it I was afraid I was going to have to ask my doctor to whack me upside the melon to get my eyes to roll back down out of my head.

Five Lessons On How To Treat People

My response:

1. If a college professor pulled this fuckery on me, I'd report him to the dean AFTER I told him that he was lucky I remembered *his* name. I'm here to learn X subject and it is not my responsibility to be on a first goddamn name basis with everyone who works at the school or stocks my grocery shelves or does my drycleaning. What a fuckhead.
2. Oh yes, by all means, let me, a single woman travelling alone and unarmed, start picking up strangers on the side of the road expecting a free TV.
3. Maybe I've been reading way too much Bratfree and Bitchy Waiter, but the idea of an unsupervised brat holding up production at my job and leaving me a few coins as a tip certainly inspires tears - of fucking frustration.
4. "The peasant learned what many of us never understand - 'Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition.''' That's funny, because the lesson I took from that is that that particular King was a certifiable with too much time and money on his hands and who apparently just enjoyed fucking with people.:crz
5. I dun tol you all 5 year olds didn't understand death.

I thought the ice cream boy was kind of sweet. 15 cent tip on a 35 cent order, that isn't so bad. I'd even say it makes me have a LITTLE hope for the future.

But the cleaning lady question? Puhfuckinglease. Where are my eyes?

Quote
the noodler
I thought the ice cream boy was kind of sweet. 15 cent tip on a 35 cent order, that isn't so bad. I'd even say it makes me have a LITTLE hope for the future.

Except that it isn't talking about today's children--this anecdote, if it ever happened, must date back to at least the 80s, because I remember reading the story about the cleaning lady in the 90s.

Are we supposed to blame the waitress because the kid didn't have enough money for a sundae and a tip? I've worked retail and I would have been fired if I'd given a discount, even on such a low price item.


And just why should the merchants risk a slipped disc or hernia and ruin their good clothes to move a rock?

Quote
law1204

2. Oh yes, by all means, let me, a single woman travelling alone and unarmed, start picking up strangers on the side of the road expecting a free TV.

Not only that but....

Quote

She seemed to be in a big hurry, but wrote down his address and thanked him. Seven days went by and a knock came on the man's door. To his surprise, a giant console color TV was delivered to his home.

Be sure to give the stranger your full address. Brains, who haz them.


These "lessons" are right up there with the "blah blah blah back in my day we ate paste and walked uphill to school both ways in the snow naked and WE WERE FINE" type crap that often pops up on FB.

re: the cleaning lady question, just because you don't know someone's name doesn't mean you don't care about them. During the holidays, the cleaning lady at work has a different schedule which means she'd come by right before I left (normally I'm gone for the day). I could tell you where she was from and that her mom was visiting for Christmas & New Years and that she had a sore throat that week, but I don't know her name. Another cleaning lady who stocks the bathroom with fresh paper towels and soap got bad news about her mom's health. Her mom was in her home country, so she couldn't get there right away. I came in to use the bathroom and she was sitting in a chair crying. I got her some tissues and a glass of water and asked her if I could call anyone for her. I stayed with her for awhile until she regained composure. I didn't know her name either.

But I'm bad with names in general. There are people I commute on a daily basis with and have known by sight for several years. We've exchanged pleasantries, but not names. I don't know the names of the people I get my daily coffee fix from either and they don't know mine. But we do acknowledge each other and say good morning.

Half of these sound like very unexciting urban myths to me.

Quote
nokids4me
But I'm bad with names in general. There are people I commute on a daily basis with and have known by sight for several years. We've exchanged pleasantries, but not names. I don't know the names of the people I get my daily coffee fix from either and they don't know mine. But we do acknowledge each other and say good morning.

I'm the same way. I'm also kind of reserved, but just because I don't gab it up with someone doesn't mean I don't like or respect them. I've found that being too friendly with certain people is not a good idea either.

As for the kid giving a tip, I don't see how that is particularly special in any way. I knew since I was little that you always tip the waitstaff (with some exceptions of course). If that means getting a cheaper item so you can add 15-20% to the bill, so be it. The kid is just doing what he should be doing.

Kits, I agree about these sounding like urban legends.