I'm sure middle and upper classes have their faults, but they tend to be less in your face and offensive. When buying a house location is everything. I bought the cheapest house in a good area...nothing would make me buy a good house in a rough area. Saw several nice houses with much more space, but one sighting of overgrown gardens o,r worse, bits of car in the drive and I was off. All i require of neighbours is a nod in the street, perhaps a hello, and then leave me alone.
Years ago when I worked for myself, I did business with some very well to do, well brought up women from Hampstead and Highgate, two of North London's wealthiest and most genteel suburbs. They were without exception the most ruthless, cut throat people I ever had the pleasure of dealing with. They'd fight anyone for 50p, but guess what? They had absolutely impeccable manners, so much so that you almost ended up thanking them for mugging you off. Give me the more honest, rough and ready English yeoman and woman any day.
Nobody is perfect by any stretch, but using social standing as an excuse to behave badly, be that upper or lower, is unacceptable. Just call me old-fashioned!
The Kennedy space centre remains one of the coolest places on the planet - and I would even have seen a shuttle landing if it wasn't for the clouds. Skip the theme parks though.
You're missing the point. To the OP, and presumably to you, though I stand corrected if that's not the case, behaving badly seems to mean being overweight, badly dressed, and eating breakfast bare-chested. That sounds like good old fashioned snobbery to me.
Since when have the upper classes not been able to be overweight and badly dressed; they're notorious for it. And eating breakfast bare-chested could be british eccentricity pesonified. Doing these things *and* behaving like an arse is the problem.
Ah okay, I wasn't necessarily firing into that, it was more a lack of manners and inconsiderate behaviour. To be honest though, I do count showing respect to fellow holiday-makers within 'manners' - I don't think it's too much to ask to put on a top when eating in a restaurant. It's pretty unsightly when eating, unless you're at a pool bar or something. That's not snobbery, just basic decency and giving a monkey's how other people may feel. Being overweight or perceived as badly dressed is a choice that you make - that's absolutely fine, your call. Being inconsiderate is my beef.
If you eat breakfast topless you're risking opprobrium no matter your social status. Nothing 'snobbish' about disapproving of boorish behaviour.
I don't particularly mind the sight of topless men when I'm eating on holiday, but I'm very aware that some people do, so for that reason I don't go to restaurants topless. It's not like it takes a lot of time and effort for me to put on a shirt.
Oh come on, there's a perceivable line, a median, call it what you will, where what's commonly regarded as decency sits at one side of. It's not something dictated by 'snobs', it's where you start to feel slightly awkward as a human being.
Of course. But where you place that line depends on your personal values. To me, overt displays of snobbery are more offensive than someone having breakfast with his shirt off when he's on holiday. Others obviously feel differently.
It's the old maxim of do unto others etc etc....when that's ignored, it falls (for me) into the realms of boorish behaviour or, indeed, overt snobbery.
Despite my happy go lucky, cheerful outgoing and friendly personality I am actually a very sensitive guy and am very easily offended especially by some big fat vulgar tattoo covered slob who can't be arsed to put a top on when he comes down for breakfast and show some respect to fellow guests in a holiday hotel. It is just bad manners and shows the utmost disregard to the feelings of others. I am no snob but as I wasn't dragged up either. This fat slug's behaviour is indefensible.
I think your argument falls down a little bit with the fat side Godders, though in principle I agree completely. Being overweight is a matter of self-respect (disregarding any medical issues etc etc) but sweating away in a restaurant with your bits n' bobs showing is a matter of communal respect, which should (in my opinion) be upheld. What I don't understand is the denigration of snobbishness as the marker by which a line is drawn in terms of acceptability - surely by this argument, by being topless in a restaurant, you're subjecting other people to your ideals and your perception of 'the line', ergo you then become the 'snob'. Perhaps I'm thinking too hard!
I once had to serve a topless, sweaty man in a shop...I wish I could have refused. Away from the beach it is plain disrespectul.
