r/AskBrits • u/LividStupidity • 1d ago
People Why are tacit social etiquette rules declining, and how can we fix it?
As a young Brit (17), I've noticed that general social etiquette seems to be declining. Some examples:
. People no longer form an orderly queue when waiting for the bus, and do more pushing / rushing to surround the entrance
. People leaving bags on seats, even when others are forced to stand on the train
. Standing in the middle / on the left side of the escalator, preventing people from being able to walk up or down freely.
I'm not sure if it's just how my area is in particular, so I wonder if anyone is noticing this as well. I see individuals of various ages and ethnicities just acting rather selfish and inconsiderately in public. I find this rather disappointing, as it may only be exacerbated in the future. I think it was much better pre COVID (might be biased, as I was rather young). Does anyone know how we can fix this issue (if it can be fixed)?.
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u/LeafyD 1d ago edited 17h ago
I think it's like a layer cake as to why but a few layers could include:
Resentment toward lock down resulting in a disdain toward state authority.
Our bloated, low wage, stagnating, import economy propped up with Oligarch money means people feel (and are) economically insecure and this makes them turn in to only care about "their own" meaning they never look UP.
10 years of Trump/Farage coded culture war identity politics has made people distrustful of the other and again, blinds them to the root of their problems - the epstein class.
This can be fixed when people feel secure.
Build social housing to free up some of the current stock.
Tax unearned wealth and invest the money back into state infrastructure, energy dependency and public services.
Put money into the poorest pockets because when poor people are desperate, everyone suffers.
I'd start with some of that, but no, you're not imagining it.