This is my 4th retail holiday season so I'm used to the stress.  I think the problem is that I live in a retirement community so an abundance of bitter old people comes with the territory.  I've actually developed somewhat of a prejudice against old people.  Frankly, I tend to severely dislike them.  There are exceptions of course but I really resent the mindset that just getting old entitles you to things.

For example, a couple of weeks ago an old lady brings in a cell phone battery (a brand which we don't even carry) and demands a refund.  No reciept, no package, which isn't surprising because she didn't even buy it here.  I explain to her the circumstances and her reply is, "Well I'm not leaving empty handed, it's hard work for me to get bundled up and come into town.  I live 35 miles away from here!"  As if her being old means I should go and grab a 40-60 dollar cell phone battery off the shelf and give it to her in exchange for the one she has clutched in her claws.  This is an extreme case but we see stuff like this all the time.

I should clarify that I hate the bitter old people who do nothing to deserve my respect but assume they'll get it anyway on the mere fact that they're older than me.  Respect isn't given, it's earned and being old is not enough.

Anyway, I just need to get out of this retirement community.  I know I won't ever escape bitter people but this is definitely not the place for a guy like me.

Older people trend towards the sorts of conservative mindsets that are actively hostile to the thought of charity.

The irony of course being that many of them are themselves on charitable social programs such as Social Security and Medicare.

I think having to stoop to such programs makes them extra bitter and defensive or something.

Quote from: J Arcane;267674Older people trend towards the sorts of conservative mindsets that are actively hostile to the thought of charity.

The irony of course being that many of them are themselves on charitable social programs such as Social Security and Medicare.

Setting aside whether Social Security and the like are good ideas....

Something you pay into to with a promise of a certain payout is really not charity.  Now they may be bitter because when they were paying into said system they were told they would be getting more than they are now, but it still isn't charity.

Quote from: Idinsinuation;267670This is my 4th retail holiday season so I'm used to the stress.  I think the problem is that I live in a retirement community so an abundance of bitter old people comes with the territory.  I've actually developed somewhat of a prejudice against old people.  Frankly, I tend to severely dislike them.  There are exceptions of course but I really resent the mindset that just getting old entitles you to things.

For example, a couple of weeks ago an old lady brings in a cell phone battery (a brand which we don't even carry) and demands a refund.  No reciept, no package, which isn't surprising because she didn't even buy it here.  I explain to her the circumstances and her reply is, "Well I'm not leaving empty handed, it's hard work for me to get bundled up and come into town.  I live 35 miles away from here!"  As if her being old means I should go and grab a 40-60 dollar cell phone battery off the shelf and give it to her in exchange for the one she has clutched in her claws.  This is an extreme case but we see stuff like this all the time.

I should clarify that I hate the bitter old people who do nothing to deserve my respect but assume they'll get it anyway on the mere fact that they're older than me.  Respect isn't given, it's earned and being old is not enough.

Anyway, I just need to get out of this retirement community.  I know I won't ever escape bitter people but this is definitely not the place for a guy like me.

If one doesn't like the elderly then working somewhere where you will be interacting with them consistently seems to be a really, really bad idea.

Quote from: CavScout;267679If one doesn't like the elderly then living somewhere where you will be interacting with them consistently seems to be a really, really bad idea.

Fixed it.  

Ironically I developed my prejudice from working at a place where I have to deal with them consistently.  I didn't have any problems with old people until I had two years in at this job.  They've created the monster I've become.

Anyway, change is in my future so I've acknowledged this conflict and am taking proper steps to fix it.

Quote from: Idinsinuation;267691Fixed it.  

Ironically I developed my prejudice from working at a place where I have to deal with them consistently.  I didn't have any problems with old people until I had two years in at this job.  They've created the monster I've become.

Anyway, change is in my future so I've acknowledged this conflict and am taking proper steps to fix it.

For what it's worth, in my experience most people in service industry seem to dislike the people they are servicing.

Quote from: Spinachcat;2666412.  Old people are constant targets for upsale tactics, scams and charities to the point that even the nicest grandma is going to get pissed off by all the begging for their cash.

Well, funny you should bring this up.  Over the weekend, I discovered that my mother got suckered in by a "charitable" for-profit organisation that has been making unauthorised charges to her credit card, threatening collections over shipments that probably were never made, and making harassing phone calls, and has probably shared her personal and financial information with other companies that are all doing the same things.  I'm threading my way through all of this mess for her and my dad now, but I can tell you that their attitude toward charitable organisations is less than charitable right now.

!i!

Quote from: Ian Absentia;270366Well, funny you should bring this up.  Over the weekend, I discovered that my mother got suckered in by a "charitable" for-profit organisation that has been making unauthorised charges to her credit card, threatening collections over shipments that probably were never made, and making harassing phone calls, and has probably shared her personal and financial information with other companies that are all doing the same things.  I'm threading my way through all of this mess for her and my dad now, but I can tell you that their attitude toward charitable organisations is less than charitable right now.

!i!

This is one of the tactics I've noticed to be common. Get the personal information and then sell it to every charitable organization that will pay for that info so that one charitable act opens up a flood of requests for money.

It's kind of funny -- in a very sad sort of way -- I discussed this very thread with my dad when we were trying to sort out what's been going on.  The experience has definitely soured my parents to solicitations for charity, but not to the notion of charity as a whole.  They're just more suspicious of whom they'll contribute to and how.

By the way, let me just add that the Better Business Bureau and the State's Attorney General's office rock.  They aren't all-powerful, but they're a lot of help if you find yourself in a situation like this.

!i!