OAPs as a demographic group

[Royboy39]

Originally Posted by Neil

Are they in their mid teens? If so what do they do for entertainment if they are not out with their friends?

I still think there is something to be said for a belt behind the ear.....never did me any harm.
No they are not teenagers but my daughters were once and we managed to bring them up to respect what they had.....and before you jump on my belt behind the ear statement never have I had to check my children in this way.

[West Ender]

Originally Posted by yerself

Shut up. You whingeing old biddy.

Watch it, you little gobsh!te.

[cashman]

don't matter a rats wether yer 18 or 80 as others have said respect is earned.n theres always been scumbag parents only a fool would think owt else, OAPS in the main i regard as no different from any other section of society, good n bad in all sections.

[garinda]

Wisdom doesn't necessarily come with age.

We only have to look at Accy Web for that.

Wisdom comes through having worked hard for it, just as respect is similarly earned.

[Caz]

Originally Posted by garinda

Wisdom doesn't necessarily come with age.

We only have to look at Accy Web for that.

Wisdom comes through having worked hard for it, just as respect is similarly earned.

Hear hear, Garinda.

[lancsdave]

Respect is earned not issued with a bus pass.

Having said that I always respect my elders, when I see Mick, Less and Cashy down town I'm always polite with them

[Caz]

:d:d:d:d

erm, why aren't my smilies showing!

[garinda]

I think it's a fact that people are if not getting younger, are certainly a younger acting generation than we've ever had before.

People who are now of pensionable age were the first generation to have a 'teen age'. The first generation to have their own youth culture, and not be just younger versions of their parents.

Hell, I know someone who's just qualified for their pension who was a hippy. Smoked dope, popped happy pills, wore a kaftan, rioted against the war in Vietnam in Grosvenor Square, the lot.

They were the first generation who weren't conscripted to go to war. Many now drawing their pension were too young to do National Service.

Today's pensioners are more likely to be at the gym, than sat in the hairdressers, having their grey hair set in rollers.

When you look back at old photographs, and work out how old the people in them are, some of them 'old' people are younger than me, and I'm still going clubbing and dancing on podiums, given the opportunity.

[jaysay]

To be quite honest I bet most people over the age of sixty don't think as themselves as being old, I certainly don't, that is until I look in the mirror every morning and see this old git looking back at me

[Less]

Originally Posted by lancsdave

Respect is earned not issued with a bus pass.

Having said that I always respect my elders, when I see Mick, Less and Cashy down town I'm always polite with them

Yes, and it's so refreshing having one so young who was obviously dragged up rather than brought up being able to act in this manner.

[jambutty]

Originally Posted by Caz

Prompted by Accymans "old Dear" comment in the ciggy thread.

I'm not young, I'm 55 and in a few years time, will be an "OAP" myself. So this is not me being ageist in anyway. My question is about how we see this group of people, and why we lump them together in a certain way

It just seems to me that once people hit the mark, they become part of a supposed cozy, cuddly group in society, as if all older people suddenly become worthy, and we dare not say a word against them for fear of giving offence.

For instance, a lot of OAPs, feckless in their own time, gave birth to the slack parents we have today, who's immoral offspring are making life hell for many people.

Lots of pensioners have committed crimes in the past, and some still do in their older years.

I will not give respect to a person, simply because of their age. As I said in a previous post, I respect my elders if they warrant it

I come from the other side of the coin.

The older generation deserves automatic respect until shown that it is not deserved.

The youth problems of today are caused by a minority and that means that only a minority of pensioners could possibly be held responsible – if at all, especially for the way their grand children turned out.

What you are doing is tarring all pensioners with the same brush and that is grossly unfair. In the same way that in general people tar all the teenagers with the same disruptive brush.

[Caz]

No I am not "tarring all pensioners with the same brush".

Merely pointing out that they are often grouped together as a cozy bunch, that the mention of the word pensioner inspires in some people the vision of a sweet siver haired granny, when in fact, some people are the same as they have always been, be it criminal, abuser or whatever, and don't become any different with a coming of age, and therefore don't deserve the respect.
I would give a pensioner the same respect I would any other human being, regardless of age, if I think they deserve it. They won't get it purely on showing me a buspass. If I think someone is more infirm than I am I would give up my seat or my place in a queue. Not necessarily just because they might be older...and sometimes quite honestly you can't always tell anyway..there is that flip side to the coin too! Also some people feel patronised to be bundled together in a group just because of their age. I know that will certainly apply with me.

[yerself]

Originally Posted by Caz

"tarring all pensioners with the same brush"

Some of them should be tarred and feathered.