Sunday, June 19, 2011

Well-Educated but Obnoxious Cell Phone User Ejected from Train

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High five to the New York Metro North train employee who asked the loud, offensive cell phone user to tone it down. Thumbs down to the cell phone user who informed the train employee that she was "too well educated" to be asked to quiet down and stop using the F-bomb. Methinks the lady doth protest too much.

The NY train passenger was caught on cell phone ranting to the train employee who had asked her to quiet down. Numerous times, the rider repeated that she was not "some little hoodlum". That's a bizarre and slanderous comment to make about kids. Kids aren't the only people who inappropriately use cell phones. Clearly, from her use of the f-bomb, kids aren't the only ones to use foul language. Kids learn bad habits from adults.

Several times, the woman refers to herself as a well-educated woman. She rudely asks if the train employee is aware of how many schools she's been to. Vulgar cursing and an ivy league education make strange bedfellows. Even in plebeian high schools, cursing is verboten. It's unfair expect to have better behavior than adults. My grandfather always said that you could tell how cultured a person was by the amount or lack of cursing in their vocabulary.

Regardless of how well-educated she is, the woman seems to have missed the lectures on common sense and common courtesy. She's basically saying, "I am educated, therefore the rules don't apply to me; actually, the reverse is true. The rules apply to you, even more so because you have learned how to communicate properly.

You can watch in the video how rude and obnoxious the woman is even when confronting the train attendant. Did she learn nothing about problem-solving at her many schools? Children are taught in preschool not to scream and abuse each other when settling minor playground differences. Sounds like "well-educated woman" needs to go back to the basics.

It's good to see public transportation employees cracking down on loud cell phone users. Another woman was escorted off a train when she talked for 16 hours in a loud, carrying voice. I screamed with laughter at the description of riding with 16-hour-talker Lakeysha Beard: like being in "the fifth circle of hell". No wonder everyone cheered when authorities decided to "throw mama from the train." Danny Devito and Billy Crystal would have loved it.

Some of us parents are scrupulous about behavior expectations for our children in public. We don't allow our children to be loud, disruptive or disrespectful. We expect them to speak in a reasonable tone. Then along comes some adult who talks like a sailor and babbles loudly and incessantly. The only good thing that can be said is that it provides a good negative example. I always tell my kids: "See that? That's how I don't want you to act."

People who talk loudly on cell phones or in public are generally exhibitionists. They want everyone to hear their conversations. They crave attention. I like people well enough, but I'm not that interested in my fellow man that I want to hear every detail of their conversation. I'm one of those people who get annoyed with public displays of private issues. It makes me want to smash the cell phone and plug the yap-hole with an apple.

"Well-educated woman" was fortunate in that she chose a patient, professional train attendant to rant to. I'm sure the rest of the passengers wanted to launch her bodily from the train on her well-educated rear end.

Marilisa Kinney Sachteleben writes from 22 years parenting four children and 25 years teaching K-8, special needs, communication, adult education and homeschool.

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