Cringe & Facepalm

I’m Gen-X. For nearly 25 years I’ve led Sunday morning birdwatching walks that were co-sponsored by the local park district and a birdwatching club. They were mostly fun but then a change started.

These type of walks always draw an older crowd. It’s the nature of the hobby. The original “old timers” were always very polite, curious, willing to learn, and respectful. Over the last 10 years or so the nice old timers have been slowly being replaced by boomers. Now I regularly deal with loud, opinionated, selfish, obnoxious, clueless, and rude people. Climate and science denial is available in droves. It’s gotten crazy.

“Please don’t block the trail for other park users.” “Please don’t throw stones at the owl so it will look at us.” “Yes the joggers are allowed on this trail. Please stand to the right.” “No I can’t call the bird back because you want a better photo.” “Don’t yell at the birds. That’s not going to make them come back.” “I’m OK with the hawk eating the squirrel. I’m not going to make it stop. Everything needs to live.” “Seriously, make way for other trail users. Stand in the right. As in to the right side of the trail in the direction we’ve been going.” “Can you take that phone call away from the group?” “No I don’t want to hear about Trump.” “No, I don’t agree that evolution is a lie. I accept science.”
“STOP THROWING THINGS AT THE ANIMALS!!!” “Please stay on the trail. Those are sensitive plants you’re trampling.” “No, I don’t agree that climate change is a hoax. Just look at the changes in bird ranges.” “Yes it is possible to stay on the trail, make room for other users, and not trample the wildflowers. The trail is 8 feet wide.” “No I don’t believe in Noah’s Ark. Or is it possible we don’t have unicorns today because the tigers got hungry?”

Every walk suddenly had one or more people ruining the experience for everyone including the wildlife.

I finally had it. What was once fun is no longer fun. I turned in my resignation. I’ll go birdwatching on my own from now on. The employee at the park district was very nice about it. They’ve been losing volunteers in other areas for the same reason. It’s just sad.

EDIT: adding this to address some of the comments about the park rules, breaking the law, and banning participants. The parks want to be very inclusive. They don’t want to kick people out. They don’t want to ban people. They don’t want to be confrontational. If someone on the walk is breaking the law, including throwing things at animals, I’m supposed to report it to the rangers. The problem is that brings the entire walk to a grinding halt. We have to go to the closest parking area to discuss it with the ranger who was dispatched. Most of the time, unless an animal was actually injured or killed, or there was some kind of serious crime against another person, the rangers are just going to talk to the person, sternly warn them, and tell them to go home. Nothing more happens. So it’s not worth reporting. It’s what the parks want. I don’t make the rules, I just show people birds, attempt to educate them, and try to be entertaining and informative.

The parks do have a sheet with banned people on it. There’s a copy hanging in the volunteer office space at the nature center. The photos are small and grainy. One guy was caught selling drugs at an activity. A couple of others physically attacked somebody. And there’s about a half dozen creeps who can’t keep their hands to themselves. I couldn’t recognize any of the people based on those tiny photos. If any of those actions happened on my walk, I would definitely call the rangers.

I’ve posted here before about Boomers coming into the lab I work at, but this just happened the other day.

A Boomer walks in, of course doesn’t sign himself in at the kiosk like he’s supposed to and walks straight up to my desk. This was our interaction:

Me: “Hi, are you here for lab work?”

Boomer: “Yes.”

Me: “Do you have the order, or do we?”

Boomer: “I don’t have anything.”

Me: “Okay, do you know what physician ordered the lab work?”

Boomer: “Not a clue.”

So I proceed to look him up in our system and find an order that was written recently, and ask him if that’s the doctor. He says it probably is. I get him all registered and he goes and has a seat. A few minutes later, he’s taken back to the draw station by a phlebotomist. At this point, I have to go to the bathroom, so I get up and make my way there. On the way, I’m stopped by the phlebotomist.

Phlebotomist: “Hey sick_mama, did you register Boomer?”

Me: “Yeah, what’s up?”

Phlebotomist: “He’s saying he’s here for a CT scan, not lab work.”

I turn and look at the Boomer and say: “Sir, I asked you if you were here for lab work, and you said yes.”

Boomer: “I don’t know! You people should know!”

Me: “No, WE should not know what YOU are here for. YOU are in the wrong department. If you’re having a CT scan, you need to be in the Imaging Department, which is on the other side of the building.”

And then I walked away.

This is a constant issue with Boomers in this facility. None of them know why they’re here or what their doctors name is. It’s ridiculous.

I was sitting outside a cafe at one of their tables waiting for a takeaway coffee and on a work Zoom call. I had wireless earbuds in, and was holding my phone in front of me looking at the screen.

Boomer Karen walks past and SCREECHES at me 'EXCUSE ME ARE YOU FILMING ME?!?!'

I don't immediately react as I'm you know, on a phone call, but after a couple of seconds notice she's standing there glaring at me. I take an earbud out and look at her and she immediately realises she's made a huge mistake. I start saying 'what?' but she's already scurrying away with her tail between her legs.

God forbid anyone be doing anything in a public place that isn't about or impacting on a Boomer's existence.

I work for a little bistro/coffee house kind of place that is primarily staffed by college students. We're not strangers to unpleasant assholes who want to make service workers squirm, but I'd like to tell you about The Old Timers in particular.

Now, I haven't been with my job for all that long, but knowing your regulars comes quickly. The Boomer Breakfast Club was nobody's favorite, but they were mostly quiet except for one. Mr Problem Boomer has been a jackass for a while now. You know the type, the kind to make comments about how we should consider becoming a bikini barista place and then sputters when one of our lads says he'd prefer if he could have booty shorts instead. The kind that bitches about the music being too loud and demands that it be turned off during their visits. The kind that barely buys anything and tips even less while taking up prime real estate for hours. You know, classic. The others had the decency to look embarrassed or annoyed about him, but never really shut him down.

About a month ago, he finally crossed the line for the last time. He made a frankly gross remark about one of our gals and how she looked in her (work appropriate) outfit while she dropped off their coffees. It made the poor girl's skin crawl and she stayed in the back for as long as possible that day. When she scooted to the back and told the Main Manager MM what had happened, the manager just asked which one it was.

MM sidles up with a smile and tells him that she doesn't expect him to apologize, but that he will Not be speaking to any of her workers like that again. He was left actually shaking and looking confused. Im guessing no one had ever told him to shut the fuck up in a customer service accent before.

I'm told that they whispered among themselves for a while, and Problem Boomer's brother hissed at him to be decent and apologize, but he refused and then slunk out the door. We've seen no trace of them since, and honestly? Good. Shame is a wonderful thing sometimes.

I’ve told my mum repeatedly that I need to give a minimum month of notice to my work if I’m to go on holiday, but she’s just told me that she’s booked a holiday for us in two weeks with zero notice.

My work is refusing to let me go because it’s “too short notice” even though I haven’t used any of my holiday time yet and I’ve been working double my contracted hours to cover other peoples holidays for the last month

My mum says she doesn’t wanna cancel it because it’ll upset my sister so they’re going to go without me if I can’t get time off work

So I was at a conference this week. The breakdowns this week have been insane. Here are a few

• You had to scan a QR code for this one workshop and that sent everyone into a fit. Because none of them could make it work. And they refused to download software

*The head of our group was dealing with the international delegation and they asked her to download a specific communication for secure communication. Again, breakdown. Had a fit when they just downloaded for her.

*Tattoos. And the hatred of them. These young women are 20-23. But you would not believe the comments being said about them because they had tattoos. They were covered with bandaids but that wasn't good enough. They asked the girl to wear her hair down to cover the bandaids covering the bandaids covering the tattoos. Then they still complained about it.

*The refusal to change anything. I get change is hard. But they want everything to stay exactly the same and not change ever.