Dear Editor,
I sat beside a very nice gentleman at the tax office recently and found him quite willing to listen to my sad tale about a young man who, minutes earlier, had caused the tax office door to swing into my face.
I no longer expect these ruffians to hold the door for ladies, the elderly, or anyone, but I was caught off-guard when he virtually caused the door to slam into my person as he squashed me into the door jamb. As did several onlookers, I stood frozen for a minute as I recovered from my hurting wrist which I had used to block the 'doorslap'.
Seated beside me, the nice gentleman's response was very reflective of the apathy and despair to which we have grown accustomed. "Why are you surprised?" he asked me. "We are a nation of coarseness and hooligans!" I think that there is too much coarse behaviour and too many antisocial hoodlums around, but I have to believe that they are outnumbered by nice people.
Two weeks before this incident, I had a nice boy hold the door at the pharmacy. I was surprised at his chivalry and he was equally surprised at my civility in thanking him. I also recall the young man who made the news by helping an elderly lady with her bags as she crossed the road. Unfortunately, the incidence of coarse behaviour is the growing norm, and when good things happen they seem to be extraordinary and dazzling.
Coarseness and irreverence are now the norm at high-profile funerals, as is harassment at stoplights by in-your-face beggars, one of whom used his tongue to lick on my car window a while back. I've heard of them even spraying drivers with water if you no not receive their 'services'.
There is a street sign across from the governor general's residence that clearly states, 'No Vending', but that has been interpreted to read 'Please do hawk, sell, flog, and deal in anything here'. Unkempt young men, downtown, physically use their bodies or objects to prevent you from parking unless you are willing to pay them. When the light changes to green, nowadays, it means don't go yet; wait until drivers are through breaking the red light then proceed. Uncivilised and crass behaviour is not restricted to any particular stratum of our Jamaican society, either.
If ever we needed a serious campaign to eradicate crassness, it is now! Will we ever emerge from the uncivilised society we have become?
Sandra M Taylor Wiggan
sandra_wiggan@yahoo.co.uk
Of coarseness and hooliganism
-->
I sat beside a very nice gentleman at the tax office recently and found him quite willing to listen to my sad tale about a young man who, minutes earlier, had caused the tax office door to swing into my face.
I no longer expect these ruffians to hold the door for ladies, the elderly, or anyone, but I was caught off-guard when he virtually caused the door to slam into my person as he squashed me into the door jamb. As did several onlookers, I stood frozen for a minute as I recovered from my hurting wrist which I had used to block the 'doorslap'.
Seated beside me, the nice gentleman's response was very reflective of the apathy and despair to which we have grown accustomed. "Why are you surprised?" he asked me. "We are a nation of coarseness and hooligans!" I think that there is too much coarse behaviour and too many antisocial hoodlums around, but I have to believe that they are outnumbered by nice people.
Two weeks before this incident, I had a nice boy hold the door at the pharmacy. I was surprised at his chivalry and he was equally surprised at my civility in thanking him. I also recall the young man who made the news by helping an elderly lady with her bags as she crossed the road. Unfortunately, the incidence of coarse behaviour is the growing norm, and when good things happen they seem to be extraordinary and dazzling.
Coarseness and irreverence are now the norm at high-profile funerals, as is harassment at stoplights by in-your-face beggars, one of whom used his tongue to lick on my car window a while back. I've heard of them even spraying drivers with water if you no not receive their 'services'.
There is a street sign across from the governor general's residence that clearly states, 'No Vending', but that has been interpreted to read 'Please do hawk, sell, flog, and deal in anything here'. Unkempt young men, downtown, physically use their bodies or objects to prevent you from parking unless you are willing to pay them. When the light changes to green, nowadays, it means don't go yet; wait until drivers are through breaking the red light then proceed. Uncivilised and crass behaviour is not restricted to any particular stratum of our Jamaican society, either.
If ever we needed a serious campaign to eradicate crassness, it is now! Will we ever emerge from the uncivilised society we have become?
Sandra M Taylor Wiggan
sandra_wiggan@yahoo.co.uk
Of coarseness and hooliganism
-->