The other day I was enjoying a lovely meal with my husband at an outdoor café. Unfortunately, we were seated next to a table of college-aged friends and couldn’t help but overhear their loud conversation, which was very crude and littered with four-letter words. Funnily enough, the group looked nicely dressed, as though they’d just come from church or a semi-formal event, which made their vulgar language all the more shocking. Several times our own conversation was interrupted by their crass comments, and I noticed that another nearby table was occupied by a family with two young children. Every time someone in the group loudly burst out with an expletive, the parents winced and shot an angry look. In hindsight, I wish that I had gotten a manager to intervene or asked the group to kindly keep it down. Maybe then their chatter wouldn’t have ruined everyone else’s dining experience!
It’s rare these days to find someone who doesn’t use curse words, but I find it highly impolite to resort to foul language when you are out in public, especially when small children are nearby. You wouldn’t swear in a conversation with your boss or elderly relative, so why can’t you bite your tongue and have that same consideration when you’re sharing public space with those who probably have no interest in your foul-mouthed comments? Swearing so profusely only makes you seem classless and rude.
I once had a lunch date with an old acquaintance whom I hadn’t seen in a long time. For some reason he couldn’t resist peppering every sentence with an expletive, and I couldn’t help but notice that our fellow diners were making disapproving looks. I felt so embarrassed. Finally, I had to politely suggest that we tone down our language because we were drawing attention to ourselves. Thankfully, he understood, and we were able to continue our conversation in a classy manner.
Swearing may be commonplace, but it comes off as disrespectful, especially in the presence of children. To protect your image and practice good civility, think before you speak!
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