Disclaimer: If you don’t enjoy rants or reading people’s personal opinions please skip over this blog. I’m not normally one to voice my negative opinions on social media but given many of the incidents I witnesses on our family vacation I am really feeling like speaking up.
I was raised in a home with parents that held high expectations for my sister and me, especially when it came to our manners. Maybe that is why when people are being above and beyond the normal amount of rudeness I usually see on a day to day basis it really sticks out to me.
The biggest problem area I noticed while on our vacation was on the shuttle buses. I was taught that it is polite to give your seat on a crowded bus or train to elderly, women, and children. Unfortunately, on just about every bus ride my family took we had to stand because there were not enough buses so they packed each one too full. I cannot even count how many times I would see me and young adults sitting while the watched my sister struggle to hold her two year old daughter and try to hold a handle to balance their weight on a moving bus. My sister’s body began showing the effects of these difficult bus rides so we tried taking turns standing on a moving bus and holding my niece. This had to be one of the most physically difficult things I’ve ever had to do and after the first few times this happened I couldn’t help but be angry at and recent these selfish and rude people. That being said, I understand that we are all tired from walking around the Disney Parks all day but I feel it is absolutely outrageous that no one would give up their seat while they are watching my sister and niece falling over.
Besides that specific situation that happened so many times the rest of my trip was just filled with people that clearly only thought about themselves and had left me terrified for our humanity’s future. I understand that everyone paid a lot of money to be there and that it was their vacation too but since when does that make it okay to be rude?!
The week we were there is was the UCA cheerleading competition. Personally, I love it when people break stereotypes that society makes but in this case every squared foot of Disney property was crawling with loud giggling girls with huge bows in their hair. This was a realistic and rude awakening for me just how rude some young people are today. For example, we were waiting in a long line for a shuttle bus one night and right as a bus pulled up this group of cheer leaders came pushing up a wheelchair. The way the bus system works when a persons with a physical handicap is in the line they get to board with their group first, so this group of cheerleaders got on the bus before the line of people who had been waiting. Once they were on the bus they were joking and laughing about how well their plan had worked. See, this group of teenagers had stolen someone’s wheelchair at the Disney Park so they could cut everyone in line. Once the bus began to move they continued to act very rowdy and then one of the girls was trying to throw a quarter at her friend and misses. She hit me square on the shoulder and I assertively stated that it hurt. I am going to stop there and say even if I was acting wild and made the wrong choice of throwing a coin on a moving bus that hit someone I would have immediately apologized. Instead this girl glared at me then started typing on her cell phone. The rest of the ride was terrible as my sister dad and I were surrounded by cheerleaders gossiping and talking bad about my family; a couple even started making bullying comments toward my sister. I could go on and on at the horrible things they continued to do but my main argument is never once did that girl apologize to me. I went back to the hotel furious that evening but later when I took time to reflect my heart hurt knowing this is our future.
It’s not just these teens’ faults, some of them may not have ever been taught manners, or how to act in public, and some are just acting the way they have seen their parents act. One night while we were waiting in yet another long Disney bus line a mother with her daughter, from the Royalty Athletics Cheer Team, cut my family in line (Now, I specifically name their organization because when you wear your team name you are representing that group and your actions reflect that organization). I was saddened to see this mother teacher her daughter to cheat in life but knew it wasn’t my place to say anything.
After witnessing so many rude and disrespectful people this past week I have up with a challenge for our nation, especially our young people- Always be kinder than necessary. This explains that we should always be kind to everyone but when given the chance we should choose to be extra kind to people. If we all practiced this, especially at a place that is supposed to be the happiest place on Earth, imagine how good our world can become.
Until next time,
Samantha Phillippi
I was raised in a home with parents that held high expectations for my sister and me, especially when it came to our manners. Maybe that is why when people are being above and beyond the normal amount of rudeness I usually see on a day to day basis it really sticks out to me.
The biggest problem area I noticed while on our vacation was on the shuttle buses. I was taught that it is polite to give your seat on a crowded bus or train to elderly, women, and children. Unfortunately, on just about every bus ride my family took we had to stand because there were not enough buses so they packed each one too full. I cannot even count how many times I would see me and young adults sitting while the watched my sister struggle to hold her two year old daughter and try to hold a handle to balance their weight on a moving bus. My sister’s body began showing the effects of these difficult bus rides so we tried taking turns standing on a moving bus and holding my niece. This had to be one of the most physically difficult things I’ve ever had to do and after the first few times this happened I couldn’t help but be angry at and recent these selfish and rude people. That being said, I understand that we are all tired from walking around the Disney Parks all day but I feel it is absolutely outrageous that no one would give up their seat while they are watching my sister and niece falling over.
Besides that specific situation that happened so many times the rest of my trip was just filled with people that clearly only thought about themselves and had left me terrified for our humanity’s future. I understand that everyone paid a lot of money to be there and that it was their vacation too but since when does that make it okay to be rude?!
The week we were there is was the UCA cheerleading competition. Personally, I love it when people break stereotypes that society makes but in this case every squared foot of Disney property was crawling with loud giggling girls with huge bows in their hair. This was a realistic and rude awakening for me just how rude some young people are today. For example, we were waiting in a long line for a shuttle bus one night and right as a bus pulled up this group of cheer leaders came pushing up a wheelchair. The way the bus system works when a persons with a physical handicap is in the line they get to board with their group first, so this group of cheerleaders got on the bus before the line of people who had been waiting. Once they were on the bus they were joking and laughing about how well their plan had worked. See, this group of teenagers had stolen someone’s wheelchair at the Disney Park so they could cut everyone in line. Once the bus began to move they continued to act very rowdy and then one of the girls was trying to throw a quarter at her friend and misses. She hit me square on the shoulder and I assertively stated that it hurt. I am going to stop there and say even if I was acting wild and made the wrong choice of throwing a coin on a moving bus that hit someone I would have immediately apologized. Instead this girl glared at me then started typing on her cell phone. The rest of the ride was terrible as my sister dad and I were surrounded by cheerleaders gossiping and talking bad about my family; a couple even started making bullying comments toward my sister. I could go on and on at the horrible things they continued to do but my main argument is never once did that girl apologize to me. I went back to the hotel furious that evening but later when I took time to reflect my heart hurt knowing this is our future.
It’s not just these teens’ faults, some of them may not have ever been taught manners, or how to act in public, and some are just acting the way they have seen their parents act. One night while we were waiting in yet another long Disney bus line a mother with her daughter, from the Royalty Athletics Cheer Team, cut my family in line (Now, I specifically name their organization because when you wear your team name you are representing that group and your actions reflect that organization). I was saddened to see this mother teacher her daughter to cheat in life but knew it wasn’t my place to say anything.
After witnessing so many rude and disrespectful people this past week I have up with a challenge for our nation, especially our young people- Always be kinder than necessary. This explains that we should always be kind to everyone but when given the chance we should choose to be extra kind to people. If we all practiced this, especially at a place that is supposed to be the happiest place on Earth, imagine how good our world can become.
Until next time,
Samantha Phillippi