Rude is Cool?
So, I don't take public transportation as often as I used to, but occasionally, I do hop on a bus in order to go do something. The other day I was riding one. I was sitting across from a girl and I noticed that her runners were not done up and she had headphones in her ears. When she got up to exit the bus, the bus driver was no where near the stop and she was jostled. Poor girl. But she told the bus driver that he needed to learn how to drive quite rudely. I was sitting there thinking, "Tie your shoes up and you won't lose your footing". Then she started yelling at him to open the doors when he wasn't even pulled up to the curb. He was trying to explain, but the poor girl had her music turned up and I guess she couldn't hear him because she kept on complaining. It was when she told him that he needed to learn how to drive again that I lost it. It's not like he could tell her she was going too far - he probably has customer service regulations that he has to follow. So, I told her she was being rude.
I also get quite a few phone calls a week from different charitable organizations asking for money. I don't mind the survey callers as much. That usually only takes a second and there's no money involved. Telemarketers with products and services don't bug me near as much as these non-profit organizations. The problem is that their causes are all so good, but I have a very good line that I use when I don't or can't donate. It's when my 'magic public relations' line doesn't work that I get annoyed and bothered. And some of them have lines that they drop on me that are so intense and accusing that I am totally blown away. I have had these call center guys accuse me of practically being the cause of a two year olds' death because I couldn't donate. I'm sensitive and that's going too far when I honestly CAN'T. But, I don't want to be rude.
Today, I was sitting on my deck talking on the phone when someone approached my fence and wanted to talk to me. It looked like they were either selling insurance or they were canvasing for a cause. I went out on the deck because I was giving priority to the person on the phone. I couldn't believe that I was getting solicited just because I happened to step outside for a second.
The list goes on.
I'm just starting to wonder if it's possible to be assertive when being barraged for money, information and support without being a little rude. Naturally, I hope I never lose my temper like that girl on the bus, but maybe I'm being too hard on her. Maybe she's been pushed to her limit one time too many.
I also get quite a few phone calls a week from different charitable organizations asking for money. I don't mind the survey callers as much. That usually only takes a second and there's no money involved. Telemarketers with products and services don't bug me near as much as these non-profit organizations. The problem is that their causes are all so good, but I have a very good line that I use when I don't or can't donate. It's when my 'magic public relations' line doesn't work that I get annoyed and bothered. And some of them have lines that they drop on me that are so intense and accusing that I am totally blown away. I have had these call center guys accuse me of practically being the cause of a two year olds' death because I couldn't donate. I'm sensitive and that's going too far when I honestly CAN'T. But, I don't want to be rude.
Today, I was sitting on my deck talking on the phone when someone approached my fence and wanted to talk to me. It looked like they were either selling insurance or they were canvasing for a cause. I went out on the deck because I was giving priority to the person on the phone. I couldn't believe that I was getting solicited just because I happened to step outside for a second.
The list goes on.
I'm just starting to wonder if it's possible to be assertive when being barraged for money, information and support without being a little rude. Naturally, I hope I never lose my temper like that girl on the bus, but maybe I'm being too hard on her. Maybe she's been pushed to her limit one time too many.
posted by Sapphirefly at
7:33 p.m.
1 Comments:
I don't like it when people approach me either in the street or on the phone to try and convince me to do/donate something. If it's on the street, I'm very calm and can gently tell them 'no', but I suck at talking on the phone... so I usually hung up without saying a word. It's not that I want to be rude like that, but lately each time I pick up the phone it's like my brain disconects and everything I say doesn't make sense at all.
And what you did on the bus, telling that girl that she was being rude, I've done it quite a few times too. Riding the bus everyday makes me meet a LOT of rude people.
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Anonymous, at 5:07 a.m.
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