When did everyone get so selfish and entitled?

Did I miss the memo that gave carte blanche to do whatever you want, whether it bothers people around you or not?

Or have I reached an age where the sense of polite civility drummed into me by mum and dad is out of fashion?

You know, of course, of what I speak. People who think they can use their mobile phone whenever and wherever.

The case for the prosecution presents the lady sitting two seats down from me in the stalls at His Majesty’s for Inspector Morse last week.

There’s no place for texting during show at HMT

The curtain was up, and the phone was still out. House lights were down, and the phone was still out.

Actors were on the stage and into the first scene and still the phone was out.  It was lighting up the stalls like the Girdle Ness Lighthouse.

Now, I gave the benefit of the doubt to begin with. We’ve all been a bit latchy turning things to silent in the theatre and fumbling to do it quickly.

But I glanced across and this lady was oblivious to the action on stage because she was texting. Not closing things down, not turning to silent. Texting. And no sign of stopping.

Which is when I had to lean across and hiss “will you put that away, please?” I swear I heard a sigh of relief from the stage as I did it. Because they would have seen the Blackpool Illuminations in the stalls, too.

The said phone was tucked away, but she clearly wasn’t happy at being interrupted in her messaging. And the lady next to her indulged in a bit of heavy sighing during the first act, which I assumed was at my temerity for wanting to watch the play without the aurora borealis beside me. Tough.

I wasn’t alone in being irked. At the interval, someone actually thanked me for intervening with our texting friend. She could see it from her seat, and she was across the aisle.

Why on earth would you sit in a theatre, messaging and texting with your phone at full brightness when the show is on, actors are working on stage, and people are trying to watch it? Or did you forget you weren’t on your couch at home?

Rude Aberdonians are not just found at the theatre

But it’s not just the theatre is it? This selfishness manifests itself most on buses and trains, where people seem clueless that the wondrous technology of a mobile phone comes with a silent mode or headphones.

Which I pointed out to the lady on the train from Edinburgh to Aberdeen after she flooded the entire carriage with the opening salvo of some film she was watching at full volume.

I swear it was as full-on as the cinematic surround sound of Cineworld in Union Square.

She at least looked chagrined and mumbled about having left her headphones before turning it off.

What surprised me about both encounters is that we are not talking about youths, who know no better. These were both grown-ups who should be savvy as to what polite society expects of them.

I have no idea why Aberdonians have become so self-centred, but can we all please take a step back to the old-fashioned idea of politely considering others?

Scott Begbie is a journalist and editor, as well as PR and comms manager for Aberdeen Inspired.

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