What Happened to Manners and Common Sense?

[Eeyores Butterfly]

I was working at Worlds of Fun tonight when I was asked the most unbelievable question by a teenager. I was working at unload, and part of my job there is helping guests into the car and then checking their lapbars and seatbelts.

I had just finished checking a seatbelt on a girl who could have been no older than 14 when she looked at me and asked, "Are you sexually active?" Once I restarted my brain and picked my jaw off the floor, I told her, "Excuse me, that is not an appropriate question." She answered in a completely nonchalant way, "Oh, I know."

I have never met or seen this girl before. At what point did she think it could possibly be okay to ask a complete stranger a question like that. I remember being 14, we were not exactly the most logical creatures on the planet, but we never would have dreamed of asking a perfect stranger a question like that. Whatever happened to manners or good old fashioned common sense?

 

[omghidanielle]

a girl I went to highschool with did this one day in the cafeteria. She went up to each person at each table and asked if they were virgins. We were in the 9th grade. I called her a wh***, she laughed and walked away. Apparently this was amusing and also, apparently a compliment ???

 

[GRUMPY PIRATE]

you should have told her that she was not your type!

hehehehehe

that is a bit crass..

but then again, maybe she was looking for some advice from an older women?

most teens don't really have the social graces ability developed quite yet.

 

[spacemermaid]

I'm sure it was nothing personal. She was probably just trying to get a reaction from someone...saying something for shock value.

When I was in highschool (grade 9, so everyone was around 13-14 years old), in Foods class there was a kid I'll call Charlie. Well, Charlie wasn't a bad kid, he just never learned the difference between "good attention" and "bad attention". So, whenever our teacher, whom I'll call Mrs. Smith, would go to put on an educational filmstrip about things as non-sexual (or, at least, they wouldn't be to most people ) subjects as "Breads of the World" or "How to Use a Crock Pot", Charlie would louldly exclaim, "Mrs. Smith! Mrs. Smith! Are we gonna watch 'Sex Odyssey 2,000'?!?". Each and EVERY time we'd watch a film strip. And each and every time he'd say it, Mrs. Smith would loudly sigh and shake her head. If she was having a particularly rough day, she'd make Charlie go sit in the hall. Until, one day, he asked the same old question and Mrs. Smith replied: "WHY YES, CHARLIE, WE'RE GOING TO WATCH 'SEX ODYSSEY 2,000', BECAUSE I'VE DECIDED THAT I NO LONGER NEED A JOB!"

Charlie never mentioned 'Sex Odyssey 2,000' ever again.

 

[Imzadi]

Maybe she's being pressured by her BF and doesn't know what to do. She might be waiting for someone to ask, "Are you?" Then she could say, "Well my BF wants to... I don't know..." and hope to get some advice.

Or maybe your mom sent her to check up on you.

 

[DVC Sadie]

I've noticed that a lot of people just don't have filters anymore and will say just about anything no matter where they happen to be. It isn't just teenagers who are behaving this way, some adults seem to be missing their filters as well.

 

[clutter]

No, I'd say it was her age. Kids do things, thinking they're the funniest people on earth. She and her friends probably spent the evening asking that of a million people, then went back to someone's house to critique the reactions!

 

[aprilgail2]

No, I'd say it was her age. Kids do things, thinking they're the funniest people on earth. She and her friends probably spent the evening asking that of a million people, then went back to someone's house to critique the reactions!

LOL....yea I can see my group of friends at that age doing that and thinking it was funny....

 

[OceanAnnie]

I've noticed that a lot of people just don't have filters anymore and will say just about anything no matter where they happen to be. It isn't just teenagers who are behaving this way, some adults seem to be missing their filters as well.

I agree. I used to think their filters were broken. But more and more I think some people never had one.

 

[Micca]

I agree that she did it to elicit a response from you. Good job staying cool.

 

[AKL_Megs]

Was she with a group of friends?

If so, she was probably trying to be seen as funny to them, only at your expense.

I know that I used to hang out in groups... guys and girls... at that age, and the funnier you were or appeared to your friends, the better.

I can't believe some of the stuff we used to ask teachers!

Don't take it personal, it's what kids do.

 

[mjkacmom]

No, I'd say it was her age. Kids do things, thinking they're the funniest people on earth. She and her friends probably spent the evening asking that of a million people, then went back to someone's house to critique the reactions!

I agree - I'm sure it was a group effort!

 

[Jennasis]

She was either trying to get a rise out of you to impress her moron friends or was likely DARED by her friends to say it. Either way, I would have just ignored the kid and moved on (like you did).

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

I remember seeing the group come up the line. She had obviously been talking to the guy in front of her, because as he sat down he was saying he was going to give her a makeover, do her hair, etc. (joking.) She then yelled across the station "I'm going to marry you." I remember kind of laughing and thinking, "Oh honey, good luck with that. He's probably gay." (And I'm really bad about picking up on those signals, so if I can pick up on it, then it's pretty obvious.) The guy was also a stranger to her.

Then she sat down and very loudly said, "Oh wait, I have to text my boyfriend." Pretty much yelled it in my ear. So she had already made an impression. I just remember wondering why she was fixating so much on these things at 14. It seemed like she either had no filter to begin with, or just had a severe case of the stupids last night.

 

[MushyMushy]

Oh yeah! When I was subbing I would get boys asking me the most inappropriate questions in the world or make vulgar comments. Now, I'm an overweight, matronly looking middle aged woman, so what on earth would make them think that was okay? Since I have two teens of my own (who hopefully would know I'd kill them if they ever did that), I knew to just brush it off and not give a reaction. My response was always a deadpan, "Not funny" or "Not appropriate, now go sit down."

 

[tomthebarncat]

I had the pleasure over my lunch today, of listening to a young group of american female soldiers recant their evening last night. It included alot of vulgar language and a detailed account of how one of the group was asked to leave as she was mistaken for a hooker because of the way she was dressed and behaving. Evidently, she thought it was funny to flash her ****s to the drunken crowd. I was on the opposite side of the room and could very clearly hear every word as could every one else in the restaurant. It was all I could do not to puke right then and there. As I left, I walked by them I politely told her that I could understand the confusion as not only do you look like a hooker but once you open up your mouth it is pretty evident that you are working girl. Her friends thought it was funny, and all I can think is that her parents must be so proud! Clearly, a poor reflection of the US military, also!

 

[MinnieMe87]

No, I'd say it was her age. Kids do things, thinking they're the funniest people on earth. She and her friends probably spent the evening asking that of a million people, then went back to someone's house to critique the reactions!

That's exactly what I was thinking. My circle of friends did A LOT of stupid stuff like that when we were younger. We thought it was hilarious back then..though looking back on it now we all realize we were the ones who looked like heels!

 

[bgirldeb]

Sounds like a dare to me

 

[paintnolish]

Teenagers do all sorts of things to get a rise of people and a laugh from their friends. This question is the perfect example. Pretty much any answer you give can be laughed about. They are at that age where they think they are the funniest, most important people in the world.

 

[bicker]

And anyone who thinks that teenagers didn't do something comparable 25 years ago, 35 years ago, 45 years ago, etc., is deluding themselves! Only the contexts and tactics have changed ... the strategy has been consistent as long as any of us have been alive.