Take Two

I had a meeting in Toledo today and, as is our custom, took my wife and (little) kids along.  We spent a few hours at the Toledo Zoo (still not sold on it) and were hoping since it was mid-week we’d escape a lot of the madness.  Apparently, every school district between Detroit and Dayton decided a field trip to the Toledo Zoo was what was needed.  It was literally overrun with (somewhat) little kids and their teachers and chaperons.  Here’s the lesson from today’s trip.  Common courtesy is no longer common.

I feel like I’m dating myself writing this but I was amazed at the total lack of manners of the vast majority of the children there.  I can’t count the number of times I was run over trying to get in a ramp accessible doorway as I had a wagon with two kids in it.  Not once did I hear an excuse me, please or thank you.  There were kids climbing over rails and into restricted areas of exhibits and the chaperons seemed completely oblivious to it.

Allow me to again wax old for a minute.  If I had 1) behaved like this or 2) treated an adult in this fashion my mother would have worn out my backside.  It simply would not have been permitted.  Additionally, if my kids were acting like this I would have felt compelled to apply the board of education to the seat of knowledge (as my superintendent likes to say).  Was today’s observation an isolated incident caused by a large influx of urban youngsters or, does it point to a growing problem of a breakdown of societal values and accepted norms.  Or, do these kids just need the seat of their pants warmed.  Whatever the case, common courtesy is definitely uncommon (or at least it was today).