Thoughtless People

I was at a seaside resort over the weekend with la familia. It was a good stay: the facilities were good as a whole and the weather was kind as it didn’t rain that heavily and any showers were brief and were either in the late evening or early morning. However, there were instances of inconsiderate behaviour that made me wonder why Malaysians can’t just be more civilised.

The first instance was the racket coming from the neighbouring properties with what sounded like a drunken attempt at karaokeing that Friday evening. The noise continued until well past 11 pm and didn’t seem to abate when I retired. However, I was informed that the security guard patrolling the premises would ensure that any noise level will be brought down after midnight even if it comes from neighbouring premises.

The second instance was some people’s thoughtless consideration to others. Now, there are two pools on the premises: a miniature one for the kids and a larger pool for everyone else. I first overhead my brother-in-law telling my nephew on Saturday morning not to go to the kids’ pool as there was a faint smell of urine there. Can you just believe that? How disgusting, stupid and thoughtless is that? It is a good thing that my nieces and nephew could swim in the big pool or they’d be swimming in urine-and-chlorine water. Then Akak told me that she actually saw some parents letting their children enter the kids’ pool in their diapers that evening. Even if the intention was to stop the children from peeing uncontrollably because some young children cannot tell when their urge to pee will be, surely that is set off by the soiled diapers polluting the water? Euuwww, I can’t even bear to think of it. How do parents become parents exactly? Toddlers can always be excused for not being able to control themselves and their bladders but I don’t think any parents can be forgiven for this lack of logical thinking. I’m no parent - heck anyone can vouch that I behave like a kid sometimes - but I’m sure that to stop young children from ‘accidentally’ peeing in the pool, the parents should not let the kids drink a lot before swimming, insist they relieve themselves just before going to the pool and ask every now and then if they need to pee and telling them they shouldn’t do so in the pool.

The last instance of sheer inconsiderate behaviour was when a family checked in well after 11 pm on Saturday night. I doubt any one missed their arrival as they were loud, rowdy and noisy. Unfortunately too, they checked into the unit above us and we had to endure the sound of furniture being pulled across the floor and of the booming thump, thump, thump thundering sound of children running above. Not only did they inconvenience the check-in counter by arriving late, but they were also oblivious to the fact that the others may already be asleep. Again, how do parents become parents that way? Parents are supposed to set good example to their children and admonish them from making noise after a certain hour but no, I could hear the father’s voice calling out to his children loudly when I stepped out into the corridor. Finally I could not stand it any longer and reported the noise to the security guard. We were also lodgers and we also deserved the right to the premises (and the right to a peaceful stay). Any considerate human being can understand that.

*Sigh* How do we set good examples to our children and youth if we don’t behave well and act considerately as adults ourselves?