[theYman]

Lately I have noticed many senior citizens upset in public. Yesterday my wife and I are in line at a small grocery store. Our line was moving very slow and we only had 2 items so we moved to another line with only 1 "sweet little old lady" probably in her 70's.
The lady was upset because she went through the line previously and bought a large package of hamburger and after paying for it realized it was too large for just her. So the clerk let her go back and get a smaller one. She was just returning as we got in line behind her. The clerk told her it would be just a minute because the manager needed to use his key for the refund.
She threw a fit like a 3 yr old wanting a toy. She stomped her feet and yelled at the girl " just give my money,NOW! The manager can fix his problem after I'm gone!" She was the "star" of the store at this moment, and the poor girl was in tears.
The crying girl gave the mean lady her $.87. The lady left grumbling and said she would never shop here again.
Lately I have seen this same attitude alot, Usually in a store.
Is getting mean a part of growing old?
Trent

[hurryinhoosier62]

No, it's not! I've got an aunt that turned 79 this yr, has problems with hers knees and back and is NEVER mean to ANYONE. Neither are any of my other elderly aunts and uncles. On the other hand, my mother-in-law would shoot people that anger her IF I hadn't taken her pistols away from her.

[sleepy]

Just like any other age group, Some are self centered A-holes and some are not.

[PRC]

Angry outbursts are a common symptom of early-stage Alzheimer's. It is not uncommon for a previously nice person to become mean in their old age. I saw it happen with my grandmother.

[Philo]

I can tell you that if a person is a meanie when they are young, they will be a meanie when they are old. Some oldsters are in pain (I have been VERY lucky) but even that should not take them beyond grumpy. I will hit the big 70 late this summer, and I would only get upset if the person was trying to get me when they did not have to (rules are rules). And even then I would ask to see the manager, not start yelling.

[cambirdracing]

My Mother-in-law will be 90 later this year, she is the sweetest old lady I know of that's still alive.

[Dick Boneske]

Being mean and nasty, in my experience the past 10 years or so, is a specialty of young people (12-40 years old). Kids on bikes are very quick to give you the middle finger if your car is in their way--stopped at a stop sign, a red light, or similar situations. My stepdaughter was assaulted last week when turning right into a shopping center at a green light when a cyclist was ready to cross the street in the pedestrian lane to her right. The cyclist hit her in the face, knocking her glasses to the ground. Luckily, a parking lot attendant witnessed this and called the police. They did not indicate whether the cyclist would be charged, but told my stepdaughter to go do her shopping and waited outside to ensure her safety from the cyclist.

Young female drivers give the middle finger the most frequently of anyone, whether they're right or wrong in their traffic maneuvers. It seems like they just don't want you to be on the road with them. Not only do you get in their way, you interrupt their cellphone conversations or texting.

[Silver Judge]

The old gal in the supermarket sounds crotchety

You want mean?

Check this old gal out from the movie Every Which Way But Loose
LOL

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azxFvvUtu40

[PonchoV8]

Originally Posted by Dick Boneske

Being mean and nasty, in my experience the past 10 years or so, is a specialty of young people (12-40 years old). Kids on bikes are very quick to give you the middle finger if your car is in their way--stopped at a stop sign, a red light, or similar situations. My stepdaughter was assaulted last week when turning right into a shopping center at a green light when a cyclist was ready to cross the street in the pedestrian lane to her right. The cyclist hit her in the face, knocking her glasses to the ground. Luckily, a parking lot attendant witnessed this and called the police. They did not indicate whether the cyclist would be charged, but told my stepdaughter to go do her shopping and waited outside to ensure her safety from the cyclist.

Young female drivers give the middle finger the most frequently of anyone, whether they're right or wrong in their traffic maneuvers. It seems like they just don't want you to be on the road with them. Not only do you get in their way, you interrupt their cellphone conversations or texting.

Cyclists are the worst. Just run 'em down and play dumb, or at least pepper spray them. They're bad reputations are world wide and that's what 'they' want to bring to America.

[Bob Dillon]

Originally Posted by Dick Boneske

Young female drivers give the middle finger the most frequently of anyone, whether they're right or wrong in their traffic maneuvers. It seems like they just don't want you to be on the road with them. Not only do you get in their way, you interrupt their cellphone conversations or texting.

True, and I've noticed the smaller in stature the female and the bigger the vehicle, the worse they are.

[facn8me]

Back on topic. Heck yes we are allowed to be mean...

[bird72]

They are sort of allowed to be crochety.... it is not condoned, but nobody with any sense messes with it.....

[bird72]

Years ago in a cafe in Arizona, we sat by four sweet looking elderly people. Two couples, and they sat and talked and ate, and seemed to be having an OK time. When they left the waitress came over to clear their table. She burst into tears, sobbing. She came over to our table, just beside herself crying. Asked if they had said anything to us. All four of these geriatric people left one penny by their plates. She said they never asked for anything or complained at all. It was one of the meanest things I have seen! She was my waitress and she was great! That was thirty years ago and it still amazes me!

[zeebo]

Originally Posted by PRC

Angry outbursts are a common symptom of early-stage Alzheimer's. It is not uncommon for a previously nice person to become mean in their old age. I saw it happen with my grandmother.

exactly! i have seen the same behavior in my parents as they have gotten older..people say "my aunt is 92 and she is as sharp as a tack" WRONG! she just thinks so! as you age, your brain is no exception..all of your body ages and deteriorates--just some at a more rapid pace than other parts....my folks are in their mid 70s and they can be the rudest and crabbiest people---when dining out, or shopping, or driving, i am embarassed sometimes to be around them how rude they can be to waitstaff, or others! they are loud, and pushy and short with people...even sweet old mom! ugh! i hope i dont become a crabby old fart! lol

"stay away from them pontiacs, you damn kids!!!"

[gto_ron]

I'm 63 so I'm quickly approaching senior status, or maybe already have. It depends on the age of the person you're asking.

There is no excuse for rude behavior from any age group. I expect our seniors to be models for younger generations with respect to manners and courtesy. I want my grandkids to see seniors as polite, courteous and friendly to all.

That said, I understand that most seniors have physical ills that make it difficult to be patient and courteous.

[61-63]

It depends I think on who or what we are dealing with. I've bit my tongue all my life and in certain situations I just don't feel like doing it any more. I no longer am willing to suffer fools gladly. The old lady in the store was out of line though. And then we don't know what else was going in her life that day.

[poncho-mike]

I think there are a number of factors at play here.

My dad developed dementia over the last three or four years of his life. At first, it was mild to moderate, but it turned severe after major surgery about a year before he passed away. Dad was obsessed with how much things cost, and felt everybody was out to rip him off. I think in his mind he thought he was living in the 70s again, because he talked about $1 McDonalds meals and his big red truck (a 74 model he later sold around 1979).

Dad got very cranky and would say mean things to family, but I think it was a defense mechanism. My mom would try to talk to him about something that needed to be dealt with, and that often ended with him being very mean to her. I don't think he had the mental capacity to reason it out, but he knew if he made her mad she would go in the bedroom and cry, leaving him alone. I tried to talk to him about some repairs he needed to make on the house, and he replied "I never should have sent you to college". It became very hard to have a conversation with him, all he wanted to do was sit and watch TV.

Dad obsessed with saving things over his last years. He wouldn't throw away the boxes his medicine came in, nor the medicine bottles. He pinched pennies in the extreme.

I also think the economic climate of today is to blame. Many elderly people are approaching the point where they will retire, and they don't have adequate resources to retire on. Social Security cost of living increases are tied to the way the government measures inflation, which neglects the costs of food and energy. Social Security income has been fairly stagnant, while the main expenditures that affect the retired population has increased (energy costs, food, and medical expenses). They are being squeezed.

So with mental and physical condition deteriorating, seniors are getting squeezed in the wallet at a time when the political and economic environment is the gloomiest it's been in years. It will be a tough time for many.

[theYman]

I have noticed most of the time there is money involved and usually it's just pocket change.
Instead of weighing the value to the argument, they stand firm in their fight.
I know it's not just elderly people. I think people are just under more stress now a days.

[PonchoV8]

Not sure if mentioned, but old people are on a LOT of medication. Medication is another word for drugs. All drugs have side effects.

[TempestFugit]

I've noticed some people loose the ability to keep things in perspective when they get older. They fixate on something that would be a non-issue when they were younger.