Bring on the Night

I like old people. Hell, my folks ARE old people now, so why shouldn’t I?

Most of them are polite and smiling, and their hard work is the basis of the good life the younger generation now benefits from. I’m all pro old people.

There is one thing that really bugs me, though. Much as I respect old-timers, this seems to be a one-way street in a few situations. For example it is an unwritten law here in Denmark that you are always extra polite and more understanding when you interact with an older citizen. I get that, and I usually am. There are cases where I really want to say some nasty things.

Supermarket cash lines and paying for the bus fare can be hazard to my mental health if I am behind one of the I-have-all-the-time-in-the-world old ladies. It’s not all of them, but there are more than a few.

I understand that oldies may be slower, and can’t always tell the different coins from each other and so on. Ok – ok. But so many times I have witnessed the following situation:

Old lady in the supermarket check-out line. Do I have to say more? Well, you can’t stop me.

Why is it a almost a rule that some old woman stand in a supermarket line for 3 minutes, and not even consider that soon their purse may be necessary? Of course they are easy targets for pickpockets, so it’s understandable that they don’t hold the purse in their hands when they wait. But its not first time I have witnessed an old woman get to the cashier and seem completely surprised when the employee asks to get paid for the coffee creamer they just picked from the shelves. Having survived the chock, she will most probable start looking for her purse in her bag (in panicky motions), which eventually always is where she looks last. After talking to herself (or the bag or who knows?) for what seems like a decade, she proudly finds it. The entire store is ready to either clap their hands or strangle her.

Now it is time to find the money.

So the purse opened and not a bill to see. This is a classic. Old women just don’t have bills, but always carry loads of coins. Bad eyesight and all, it’s a wonder that she actually get around to paying. The smallest valued coins are first to go, as these are nice to get rid off. That’s basic knowledge. But why does she have to use these when she have a check-out line the length of the Great Wall behind her?

Argh!

Woe is the person who dares to let a polite word fall about a long queue forming behind her, or the fool who rolls his eyes. It’s just not polite here in Denmark. Apparently it IS polite to waste all other people’s time just because you can. Make sure you are old, and then you are set to go. Old equals immunity.

I get that old people should be treated with respect, and I totally agree. I get that they act slower due to bad legs and old age. Accepted. But sometimes someone takes advantage to this, and there is nothing we can do about it.

The question from me is: Is it ok to be an asshole because you are old?

If you are an asshole when you are young, chances are that you will be an asshole when you are old too. And these people do exist. Trust me.

My patience level has decreased as I have grown older myself. Now have a more busy schedule and time saved, is time gained. So it bugs me when someone don’t try to make a queue move fluently because they aren’t’ in a hurry themselves. I’m not saying, throw all you have in your hands, and let others go by, but why not try to make room for more people to put their purchases on the desk, AND have cash ready when you pay?

Bonus question: Why do old ladies always have to take the bus or go shopping in the rush hour, when they don’t work anymore? Maybe it just feels that way, but I sure think it’s often.