People of my age group (I am 60 next month) were, as a rule, brought up to be polite. Not to complain out loud. To think of others. To be considerate. Not to be rude to people, especially those you know (I can think of an exception to this rule, but she was my m-in-law - does that count?)
Anyway, all this crossed my mind today when I went back to collect my prescription at a certain supermarket (see, I'm so well-brought-up I don't like to be rude about them on-line by naming them and I don't want to get the member of staff into trouble! . . .) I'm sure the woman who was supposed to be serving was just busy. She did appear to be doing something as she talked with the Pharmacist. So I waited patiently to collect my prescription. After a couple of minutes, another couple came to join me in the queue, and together we waited calmly. The lady caught my eye and we both raised our eyebrows at being ignored. Then she said, "I can't believe we do this - just wait like this." I agreed, but STILL I didn't say anything to the woman behind the counter who was still being "busy". The other customer and I exchanged pleasantries and both agreed that really, only the English (although, living in Wales, perhaps I ought to say British) would put up with this. In any Mediterranean country there would be raised voices and gesticulations and crossness! At about this point the gist of our conversation must have been overheard by the member of staff and she finally came through and served us, and I thanked her for my prescription and walked off without a single word of complaint. Then I got back to my husband and promptly complained at being kept waiting . . . Perhaps I should have vented my spleen, but I was brought up to be polite . . . Is it just me or would you do the same?
