[robski]

Originally Posted by Derekb

I'm sorry, but politeness is not something you should have to even think about. Maybe I'm a dying breed, but we were taught to respect our elders, the authorities and act accordingly. Army training further instilled 'values' in me.

This sort of programing worked well when we were mainly tribal communities. Everybody know who was who and worked for a common goal. Today we have faceless seats of power dictating what we can and cannot do. How much say do you really have in structuring the laws as an "Elder" ?.

Originally Posted by Derekb

If that is dismissed as being old fashioned, then so be it. I've been kicked in the head and hospitalised for asking someone not to swear in front of my wife.

This goes to prove that Planet Earth is a dangerous place and not everybody can be moulded into the model citizen.
In this case they were the "Authority" and you were contesting it. Being Streetwise and using the osmosis effect to blend in usually keeps most people out of trouble.