College English listening comprehension course

1 Rudeness is a commonelement of modern life.  "If you don't like it, lump it." Or "Mind your own business." Or "Get out of the way." This kind of talk and attitude is cropping up more often in public experiences — on the highways, in theater lines, on public transport. Whether it is people smoking in public, or people cutting in line, the examples are almost endless. 

 

2 It is generally thought around the world that theinhabitants of large cities are ruder than their fellow citizens from smaller towns or the countryside. Walk down streets of any major capital around the world and you willencounter taxi drivers who believe a "Walk" sign at a walkway is an automaticinvitation to bump their cars against pedestrians' knees.  Recently, an angry pedestrian reacted by kicking a cab, promptingthe driver to get out and give chase.  And hardly a day goes by without areluctant office worker riding an elevator with someone talking loudly on the cell phone, despite the obvious disturbance to fellow passengers.  "If you don't like it, get out andswitch to another elevator," one cell phone user recently told another passenger who objected to his loud voice.  In New York and other cities, quiet walks are a thing of the past.  Who is to blame? The cell phone users talking loudly as well as the annoying drivers behind beeping car horns. In some big cities, subwayterminals are bulging withherds of commuters,elbowing their way to grab seats, intimidating the old, the young, the disabled and the pregnant.  It's common to hear people on the bus or subway talking on their cell phones very loudly, being a nuisance to those around them. 

 

3 What can we detect about such incidents? Some experts say thetrend began decades ago when people became resistant to traditionalvalues and manners. Others blame fast-paced modern lifestyles for contributing to a society that has little time to be polite.  This is particularly true in big cities, where people are surrounded by strangers.  As a noted psychologist has observed, "In a small town, the person to whom you are rude is more likely to be someone you are going to see again tomorrow."  In the city, if you have aminor conflict, it's very unlikely you will ever encounter that person again. 

 

4 Stress also plays a role in incidents of ignorantbehavior.  Cindy Kludt, acounselor who works with overworked nurses, says rudeness in hospitals corresponds with the stress of people constantly working under life-and-death circumstances.  "If people at the top are rude or uncaring, rudeness moves on downward, affecting everyone's behavior." 

 

5 Rudeness comes with stress and this is becoming strikingly common.  Motorists regularly force bicyclists off the road, and large trucks intimidate autos moving too slowly in front of them.  Disgracefulinsults are shouted and even bottles and trash are thrown at road crews by upset drivers because lanes are restricted. 

 

6 Public officials are often the target of people's frustration.  Staffassistants in public institutions tell of rude,hostile, and sometimesthreatening words from people who feel government agencies are rude or mistreating them. As rudeness in public dealings cuts both ways, citizens perceive that public servants habitually ignore them, and they in turn treat the public servants in an offensivefashion. 

 

7 Sometimes, such behavior goes beyondverbal abuse.  A worker in a restaurant was slappedand cursed by a customer after she told him no table would be available for two hours.  A man in the United States recently won damages for injuries suffered when he made acomplaint about a woman for using bad language in her loud conversation. After being told to "get lost", he was beaten with an umbrella by the woman and punched by her companion.  Utility crews in big cities report increasing violence from people who have complaints against the power company.  "Our repair crews have a rough time in some apartment houses where a lot of people live with relatively little space," says a utility company executive."That makes short tempers, and angry, rude behavior shows up." 

 

8 There is disagreement as to whether the situation is improving or not.  Many see little hope for a decline in today's rude behavior. In fact, some see a new pattern emerging in big cities — the "norm of non-involvement" as one psychologist calls it. Others are feeling more hopeful.  For example, one international organization, the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation, inspires people to practice kindness and to pass it on to others!  The organization points to a variety of indicators showing kinder and morecompassionate citizens. More people arevolunteering their time for community projects; also, donations of goods and money to charities have increased.  These acts of kindness would have a positive effect on others and would help to reduce the stress in society.  Let's hope this optimistic viewprevails and brings a better, brighter world for us all.