I worry about Soph. Or, more accurately, I worry about how The Great British Public treat Soph in her workplace.
To me it seems wrong that people can (and do) go in to a library and treat the staff in a manner which, if the treatment were reversed upon them, would cause them to complain and (rightly) say such things are unacceptable.
To me it is wrong that teenagers can verbally abuse librarians, call them names like ‘Fucking slut’, can swear at and be disrespectful to the staff and yet, just get away with it.
To me it is wrong that my wife has to endure this on an almost daily basis.
To me it is also wrong that the staff in the library have no sanction – or are not permitted to take any sanction – against people who behave in this manner.
To me the county council (the employer) is being negligent; is certainly not protecting staff from abuse and harassment.
To me it is strange that if a member of the public should abuse or harass a member of railway staff, the abuser is automatically ejected from the premises, automatically charged with a public order offence, automatically sent to court and, if found guilty, automatically banned from using that service as well as gaining a conviction and a fine.
To me there is no difference between a member of railway staff or a member of staff in a library; they are both public servants and therefore of equal value.
To me, if an employer (either via a combination of weak, ineffective management and a blinkered attitude) fails to protect and support their staff, that employer is being (there is no other description that fits) grossly negligent.
It seems to me that a grossly negligent employer is open to all manner of legal action.
Does it seem that way to you?
B,
I strongly agree.
I have found that, general anatomical balance notwithstanding, there are indeed more arseholes in the world than people. One would think, barring the occasional unfortunate surgical necessity, the ratio would be 1:1. One would be wrong.
Unfortunately, those in the service professions (public, particularly) seem to be forced to put up with it much more than they should.
Staff should be allowed to ban these luddites from the premises without recourse.
Wow. That was the wrong word, and I’m not sure where it came from.
Substitute “Neanderthals” for “Luddites,” please.
Agree 100%. In New Zealand, teachers fall into this category in a big way. Our society has gone so far to protect the kids that it has swung right around and we’re now not protecting the teachers. In many cases when an altercation breaks out, teachers are simply leaving the scene and calling the police because no member of staff is allowed to lay a finger on the little bastards.
If all this ‘for the kids’ bullshit is so wonderful, why are our schools turning out large numbers of arseholes and useless idiots? When our Prime Minister recently announced a renewed focus on the three ‘R’s, there was outcry from the usual quarters that ‘art would suffer’. Bollocks! If you’re arty, you’re arty. There will be outlets. If you’re illiterate and/or innumerate you’re in for a hard life.
I think it’s time to mask up, and hide in the toilets with a cosh. That’s what I’d do.
Yep, I agree totally.
It sounds like a cliched, middleclass, reactionary response but there is something is wrong with modern society. In fact I suspect that there are many things wrong with modern society and this is just one example.
It seems to me that in the UK (and by the sound of it in the US) we have somehow allowed a strata or type to develop where everything revolves around the ‘uman rights’ of the most selfishly inclined and anti social elements in our society – and these retards get away with it all the time.
Obviously those people who have to work with ‘Joe public’ feel the brunt of it, as in the case of Sophie. But as Allister mentions I suspect teachers come across this the most. In fact coincidentally there was an article on this very issue in yesterday’s Times – http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/education/article6891078.ece
Is it perhaps time to reassess the way our welfare system throws money and support so liberally around? Don’t we think that it is just possible that this may create amongst the opportunistic and idle sections of society an attitude that they can pretty much demand what they want from society whilst giving as little as possible in return. And that this in turn can bring out the baser, selfish and boorish traits that we appear to see more and more.
that’s appalling – she shouldn’t have to put up with that. Her employer must be on thin ice for this, surely?
This is quite normal. My impotence is the most frustrating factor. If I were able to do anything about it, that might ease the ‘name-calling’ thing.
My problem is I take it all personally. I want to treat people in the same way that I am treated by them, not in the way that I would wish to be treated by them.
Most of the time I can turn a blind eye to it. But with jumped up little shits who wouldn’t know an ounce of respect if it crawled out of their arse (which, let’s face it, is fairly unlikely), I have the need to try and teach them that, actually, you can’t talk to people like that.
But I’m beginning to wonder if it’s worth the effort? If I go too far, I get into trouble. If I say anything back to them it makes them worse. If I try and kick the shit out of them, I got to jail, I guess (not tried it…yet).
Let society destroy itself – little ole me aint gonna fix it, and it’s doing a pretty good job of self-destructing across the board, isn’t it?
To Me. To You. A-ha.
Now, I work in das Pooblik Sektor, and some of my best friends are librarians. That’s a lie. But I am mates with the library bosses. Whilst I have my own personal gripes with library staff in this borough (mostly unengaging, dull people) I would never be rude to them. It’s sad that Soph has to go what she has to go through, there are too many dickheads in the world. But in a library? Why go to a library and act like a prick? It could be cos there’s, like, free books, internet access and cheap DVDs innit?
Praps.
It’s inexplicable, inexcusable, but all public servants under the caaahncil come under the same law. I had an official complaint put against me because of my ‘tone on the phone’ whilst I defended myself. It almost went on my record. Since then, I just let em say whatever before going home and living my real life surrounded by nice people and cats.
Like Bill Hicks said: “Fuck them. You’re right.”
See that last comment from Ash? That’s why I think the world of the guy. He’s learned to let the crap sweep by and not stick to him. It’s an admirable quality.
Unfortunately it isn’t in Soph’s psychological make-up to let go because every single thing that’s said to her, she takes to heart. Such is her connection with ‘people’, that if someone says she’s lovely (true) and someone else said she’s not (false) she would treat both comments with equal value. Rationalising, as Ash (and indeed as I) do, that so-and-so’s comment is of less value than a budgerigar’s seven-day-old newspaper dropping works for us, but it doesn’t work for her. Because, fundamentally, she treats all people equally and views all people equally.
So when a ring-piece opens up and says horrid things to her Soph is shocked, takes it to heart and beats *herself* up about it.
So apart from you (dear reader), me and Soph and of course, Ash, where have all the nice people gone?
How awful! We have policies here at our library and can kick people out or call the police if there is a problem.
Poor Soph!
Oh poor Soph. Fully empathise because I take it personally too. I take it personally when a plonker driver carves me up at a roundabout even. Probly Soph can identify with that.
It is a damn disgrace the way some sections of the public behave towards public servants, the people who are serving them and the nation. Damn them. And damn the cooncil! I like the railway worker analogy. In Embra, on the buses, if you’re abusive to the drivers they can get you arrested by the Polis, and prosecuted by the courts. Why is the mental and physical well-being of a librarian of less value than that of a bus driver?
You’re right to be annoyed for your wife, Bren. I know I’d be livid if someone said anything hurtful and malicious to my wife, Kate.
Whatever you do, don’t kill the good people. =D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SapsXoIcKP8
Surely you go into a library to borrow some books, why on earth do these people go in to abuse the library staff? I agree that the council should be taking action, the library staff shouldn’t have to tolerate this and should have sanctions that they can use. There really are some ill mannered little scrotes in the world aren’t there? Personally I think that if someone calls Sophie a ‘fucking slut’ in her workplace, she should have the right to take the baseball bat out from under the desk and smack them in the head with it, that’ll learn ’em. Although I do accept that in today’s PC local authority culture she’s unlikely to be given that right anytime soon….