[BITList] A gull in distress, but going into pond too risky for 25 firemen - Telegraph

[HUGH]

Mike,

I fear there has been a sea change for the worse in society, and that 
^%$£$&* nonsense stems from it.  Is it something from outer space, or is it 
overuse of electronic gimmicks? At a different level I offer the following 
on buses.  Youths of both sexes, when they sit at all, will nowadays often 
sit facing sideways with their legs in the passageway.  On seeing a friend 
on the bus they will not sit beside them, but on the seat in front or behind 
and turn awkwardly sideways to converse. If 14 seats aren't empty and near 
at hand, people of all ages will stand in a dense crowd near the driver, 
clutching at any support they can find, and the driver doesn't give a %$&£. 
This starts when the first one stands. The next one glances up the bus in a 
perfunctory way and tries to work out why the bus is full (there's someone 
standing, what else?). He/she knows of no way to get an answer on any of the 
devices on their person, so it's grab something before one dies of 
embarrassment and stand.  And so it goes on.  Ladies of a certain age, even 
without 4 shopping bags, are all of a sudden unable to walk the length of 
the bus for a seat at the back without declaiming, "Here's me walking to the 
back of bus, Mary", to mutters of support from friends concerned lest they 
witness a tragedy.  Where will it end?

Hugh.