Dear Mannerless,
When I say, "Good morning", I expect a response, not a grunt. What are you, 13?

When I ask how you are, I expect a response somewhere around "Good thanks", "Been better" and "Not great" etc etc, followed by the same back. If you have problems and are not ok, or have done something exciting, please feel free to mention this also - I don't consider it bad form to not be properly English about this. Well, yes, since you asked, I'm great thanks.

When you ask a question, I will respond. If your question was one born of confusion and I enlighten you, some kind of expression of gratitude would be welcome. "Cheers" or "Ah, cool, thanks for that" would be acceptable. When I need something similar, I don't expect to have to ask the room at large three times and then / or address it to a specific person and then cajole them into answering. Eye contact here would be a useful indication that you heard me, and an appropriate response to this cajoling is not "Yeahyeahyeah".

When I ask you to do something and you agree, I do not expect to ask you several times if you have done it, and on the third time be disagreed with about whether it is the right thing to do, followed by a game of tennis whereby you attempt to get me to agree to do it without actually outright asking me. If you don't have time to do it, tell me and ask me to do it. I'll probably do it. Keep going with the first way and it wont get done.

These are called manners and social graces, and as the phrase goes: They cost nothing.

Doing or not doing these things strongly implies, to me at least, that you either have the social skills of a diarrhetic baboon, or you hold me in complete contempt. Given that you very occasionally surprise me with some manners when you've had enough coffee or when you need something, I suspect it is the former.

But either way, don't be so fucking miffed when I can't be arsed to talk to you any more.

Thanks.
(MrOli is ugly, but in the morning you will be sober, Wed 10 Mar 2010, 13:43, 3 replies)

Have you met my brother?

( idonthaveafunnynickname Drink-Aware? Sure. I'm aware I want another drink., Wed 10 Mar 2010, 18:42, closed)

clicky for
understanding how you feel. I have just been made redundant and replaced with a gaggle of part time lads. Most have next to no experience, but one of them is almost incoherent due to mumbling, refusing to make eye contact and will often just stand looking pitiful when he gets stuck adding three to five! He is not stupid, just ignorant or painfully shy and introverted, however being a bitter old bitch, replaced by teenagers, I will go with ignorant. Saying that, if my Mother negotiated my holiday with my boss, I would probably be afraid to make eye contact with them too...

Anyway, clicky.
( Rev. Jayneflakes Buy my book, I need the cash for drugs and hookers, Wed 10 Mar 2010, 19:15, closed)

Cheers :-)
They sound awful, those boys...
(MrOli is ugly, but in the morning you will be sober, Wed 10 Mar 2010, 20:12, closed)