Etiquette Schmetiquette

There have been rules for socially acceptable behavior recorded as far back as the 5th century. Those rules have changed in many many ways...but I have always believed that the basic ones have stayed remained relatively unchanged. Like, addressing people older than you with respect. Calling them Ms. or Mr. not John and Jane. That you don't say "Hey You" when trying to get someones attention. Instead say "Excuse me Ma'am, or Sir" You don't call people unflattering names when you don't get your way. You don't interrupt others conversations. You wait your turn patiently and never break line. You say please when asking for something and thank you when it is received. I was these lessons from a young age and still put them into practice but its taken me most of my life to realize I must have been raised on another planet. Very few people in society today use these rules. They must be extremely archaic. I'm very behind the times. What made me finally become aware that I am living in the dark ages? Two very enlightened customers.

I was bopping along doing my job, working the oh so important drive-thru. I had the telephone receiver to my ear speaking with the patient in the lane. When I hear over the sound of my own voice, "HEY! Where're the Hydroxycut?" Now, point number one, there is a phone in my hand and to my ear. Point two, I am very clearly speaking to the person through the glass. Point 3 my back was to this man and until I heard him I had no idea he was anywhere around. Now I must say the rudeness of this man thouroughly pissed me off. I made the decision to ignore him until I was finished. He continued to talk to my back the entire time I finished the transaction. I of course continued to pretend he wasn't there. When I was finished I turned and pretended I had just noticed him. "Can I help you sir?" He wasn't very happy by this time and demanded again to know where the Hydroxycut was. My drive-thru buzzer was going off again at this point and it was petty of me I know but I couldn't stop myself so I said, " Its in the diet section, to your right on the wall." Then I turned and picked up the phone to wait on the drive-thru. I felt him staring a hole through me but I didn't let it bother me. I know I solved nothing with my attitude, but lecturing him on manners wouldn't have gotten me anything but a customer complaint.

The second person with more modern manners was a drive thru customer on you guessed it...a CELL PHONE. This woman refused to hang up. Not only had we not filled the script she had dropped off over an hour earlier we couldn't even explain why because she would NOT get off the phone. I managed to tell her it required a PA in between her talking to her friend about some meeting. She finally stops the person shes talking to long enough to tell me she'd had 3 weeks of samples and couldn't just stop the drug. Coming up with a solution was tough, cuz basically i was talking to myself. Finally I just walked away and let the Pharmacist deal with her. Get this, her call ended and in the middle of getting counseling from him it rings again, she holds up her hand to stop him and and answers the call. I think at that point had I still been over there I would have lost it. He just let her finish her call and continued on.

This is getting a little ridiculous. SURELY something can be done. I know you can't FORCE people to behave in a civilized manner but we shouldn't be forced to pander to people with no couth.