Manners

[Guest eager6]

I'm so annoyed .Have just come from Glenelg and have had a vicious row in public with a middle aged Aussie Man.We only moved here September and still learning the rules etc...but today stupid me (l did not realise but by God l will not forget)parked in wrong direction!!!This Man (certainly not a gentleman)shouted through my window What the hell are u doing?I said parking,where the hell do you think you are America!I said What,you obviously do not have a licence!I could not understand his anger and why he was being so rude.Anyhow after a few minutes he shouted at me again and told me l was parked in the wrong direction.Ok l was wrong but why could he not of been polite about it.I also had my young 4year old in the back listening to this ANIMAL shouting at his mother.So l shouted back - l have only moved here recently did not know and where are your manners,he walked away and said nothing and l shouted at the top of my voice in the middle of Jetty road you obviously have no manners mate!So l will never park in the wrong direction again and secondly l think l might avoid Jetty road for a while.I have never in my life been spoken to so disrespectful like that in public and l do not intend to except rudness like that!Has anyone else experienced rudness like this??Or was l just unlucky!

Siobhan

[HEAPS GOOD !!!]

No doubt there will be alot of replies to this post all having a go at Aussies i have never had any rudeness from anyone, have seen them being rude to each other but none aimed at me maybe i am just lucky.......

 

Treat it as a life experience they can be a funny bunch at times.....

 

HG

[Guest eager6]

Thanks for that.Hope it may be an isolated case!I might of been just unlucky.Proud of myself that l had guts to answer him back,even though l was shaking!

[Guest Guest5035]

he was being polite in an australian way

 

stevo

[Guest eager6]

he was being polite in an australian way

 

stevo

 

HA HA,like your sense of humour!!

[Guest Guest5035]

he was actually being polite in telling you that you were wrong and exposing yourself to a rather big$$$$ fine, you'll get used to it after a year or two

 

stevo

 

ps he could have called you a pommy bast#rd, you would have taken that the wrong way, but again he would have been polite in a jovial way

[spanners]

My wife has had it when our dog was off the lead and sniffing around an Aussie's yappy little thing. I'd have smacked him one if he'd spoken to me like that - and infact still keep an eye out looking for him. Manners aren't great here especially whilst driving. God knows what they get angry about as theres no traffic on the road and it was they (via their government) that allowed themselves to be so over governed that they can't even park on the other side of the road. My fall back position in car situations if just to key the other person's car - childish I know but very very enjoyable!

[Guest Guest75]

I'd say unlucky.

[Guest eager6]

I'd say unlucky.

Going to have a few glasses of vino to destress and all will be fine then!!!No Worries

[Misplaced]

Actually its not just the Aussies that have no manners last year as I was going to one of my hospital appointments we were driving down the road and this guy pulls out on us but we then realise that he is going the wrong way up a one way system so we try to tell him by pointing at signs and all that and mouthing slowly 'one way'. Anyway he turns round and comes flashing his lights so we stop to explain that we were telling him it was one way and well he let rip all sorts of language (me as an Aussie was right proud of him...lol).

 

Guess what i'm trying to say is that just because you are in Australia and have 'never been spoken to in such a way' isn't necessarily an Aussie thing. As this guy was a Geordie I could say that all Geordies are clueless, vulgar and foul mouthed b******* but I know they are not.

 

As for parking with the flow of the traffic i actually think it is a very good idea and safe but thats just my opinion.

[Guest Deborah5]

Oh for goodnes sake.

 

He sounds like a human being. There are rude people EVERYWHERE. There are definitely rude people in the UK.

 

What's all this intensity about trying to pigoenhole people.

[Guest eager6]

Not trying to pigeonhole people!Sorry if it comes across like that.Not here very long and was very surprised to experience rudeness like that!New to country and did not feel good today after this experience.Have had alot of stress in past few months with move and 4 kids.And having this MAN approach me today surprised me.Don't mean to offend anyone!

[Guest guest1255]

Going to have a few glasses of vino to destress and all will be fine then!!!No Worries

 

this is what i do after my 45 mins commute home from work every night.....usually feel like im about to burst with exasberation by the time i get home with the mad drivers here:realmad:

[Guest eager6]

HA HA!!!Maybe we should share a bottle or two!

[snifter]

My fall back position in car situations if just to key the other person's car - childish I know but very very enjoyable!

 

That is not childish but plain mean and wrong. A different form of bad behaviour. And criminal damage.

[Guest Deborah5]

Absolutely no offense taken. It's hard when you are new and so sensitve to everything. I just think all this Aussis Vs POMS (or anyone) doesn't help. It's all completely pointless. Throw it all away and concentrate on living and enjoying Adelaide.

 

Have a glass of wine and ponder how you're going to survive the 37 degree heat on Friday.

[snifter]

FWIW I've had a few humdingers of arguments with people in the UK. It happens everywhere now and again. Just because it hasn't happened to some posting here before doesn't mean it won't in the future. Nothing to do with the nation of people, its an individual thing and crops up wherever you live.

 

Road rage and all that, lots of it in the UK and some very bad driving and verbal abuse from people directed toward other drivers or pedestrians and from pedestrians also.

 

I'd suggest investing in the road rules book and brushing up on local bylaws and so on with regard to driving. An hour or two reading now might save you a fine in future. I did so when I moved to both Germany and the Netherlands (that was fun I can tell you, at least they drive on the same side as UK in Aus). Meant I was familiar with the laws and so on.

[Lazy Cow]

That is not childish but plain mean and wrong. A different form of bad behaviour. And criminal damage.

 

You put that very well Snifter.

 

I think that sort of childish, wilfully destructive behaviour is disgusting and how anyone thinks it's something we are going to laugh about or congratulate is beyond me (and I work with teenagers!).

 

LC

[True Blue Aussie]

It appears that you learnt a lesson today! I don't quite understand what you did. Did you drive onto the other side of the road and then park in the opposite direction? (Parallel parking?) Or did you just reverse into an angled parking spot and face the traffic? If it was the first, then I can see why it would be dangerous, and wonder why the rest of the parked traffic wasn't a clue for you.

 

As others have said, rudeness does not belong to any particular nationality, although some can tend to be ruder than others, especially those that are used to fighting their way through many many more people, and think that they still need to push and shove even when there aren't as many people.

 

I visited the UK about five years ago, and remember being shocked at the rudeness of a check-out girl in a supermarket, when we had unknowingly omitted to weigh our goods before arriving at the checkout. (It is not a requirement here, and we obviously didn't see any sign saying that is what we should do.) Then she just stood there and watched as we flustered around trying to pack all our goods and pay at the same time! I had never experienced any rudeness like that at a checkout in Australia.

 

So, do I label all Brits as being rude? Far from it. I remembered fondly an earlier visit about twenty years beforehand, where every Brit I came across extended the hand of friendship and helpfulness and extreme kindness. Maybe times have changed somewhat since that first visit, and I do think people these days, are more impatient and stand-offish, but I certainly don't see it as belonging to a particular nationality.

 

Driving does tend to bring out the worst in people, and I have found myself being annoyed at people when I'm either in a hurry or not in a good mood, and at other times I will be very polite and helpful towards other drivers. (But I would NEVER, EVER key another person's car, no matter what happened!)

 

Maybe you were stressed and feeling vulnerable at the time, and it seemed harsher than it actually was, although I do not doubt your story. Whatever, I am sure it could just as easily have been someone of any nationality. (Are you sure it wasn't a Kiwi? I do hear some of you say you can't tell the difference in the accent, even though it's very clear to an Aussie!)

 

I hope this doesn't muddy your view of Aussies. If you look for rudeness you will surely find it.

[sueoc]

Sorry to hear of your bad experience Siobhan.Don't worry,and as the saying goes'Dont let the Barstewards get you down'.I've come across a couple since arriving here,and many in the UK.Most regular Aussies are really friendly.Just a little hiccup in the grand scheme of things.Best of Luck.

[Anne B]

I would definately echo Snifters idea of getting hold of a copy of the road rules, as there are several differences between here and the UK, which are worth knowing. When I first moved here in 1994 I had to take the driving test to get my SA licence, which did at least make sure that I knew the road rules. As for the d***h**d who had a go at you, well they exist the world over and it's nothing to do with nationality. It's not a pleasant experience though, hopefully it will be your first and last in Australia.