Are people getting ruder? Doubtful. But one thing is for sure: handheld devices like cell phones and iPods give us the ability to foist our personal lives on one another in new and ever more maddening ways. Most of us are resigned to dealing with the obnoxious cell phone yapper on the train who thinks we all need to know how drunk he was last night, dude. But others are determined to teach the offenders a lesson, leading to escalation on both sides of the equation.
As the rude get ruder, the scolds get scoldier. (It’s a word because I say it is.)
My story in this week’s NYT Sunday Styles section: One Rude Turn Deserves a Swat
Douglas Quenqua 