It is understandable that when older people suggest that behaviour has changed, that younger people are sceptical. Perhaps there is an element of 'them' and 'us'. A younger person might feel, "this is our time. If you say now is worse than before, you are saying that we, the young, are worse than you, the old." And nobody likes to hear criticism.

Yet the truth is, even if it is hard to accept, that British society has dramatically changed for the worse in the past half century. Of course we are richer and wealth brings a kind of freedom. But our behaviour - including the behaviour of many older people - has significantly changed.

Some evidence for this is in the book. But here is another little piece: funeral directors who have been in the business for years say that the respect shown to funerals has noticeably declined. Here is the coverage from the Daily Mail:

Drivers and youths are showing no respect for the dead or their grieving families, according to Britain's undertakers.

The past decade has seen public attitude towards funerals reach an "all-time low", they claim.

Similarly, firefighters are facing a torrent of abuse and mindless attacks from yobs as they attempt to save lives.

In a "sad reflection of today's society" motorists refuse to stop for funeral processions and regularly cut up hearses.

Horses pulling funeral carriages have even had stones thrown at them by schoolchildren.

Undertakers have revealed that members of the public now rarely stop when the cortege passes and policeman no longer salute.

The National Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors says members are reporting more such incidents, with the situation worse in big cities.

John Weir from the society, whose members organise 60 per cent of funerals in Britain, said: "Respect for the dead is at an alltime low.

"People used to stop as a funeral went past, those wearing hats would take them off, policemen would salute and traffic would give way.

"That doesn't happen any more and in the past ten years there has been a decline in behaviour.

"Funeral directors have noticed this change and, of course, it is the families who are affected.

"A funeral only happens once. If something happens, the relatives are scarred for ever. It is a sad reflection of today's society.

"Things are worse in the cities; in market towns and in the country it is not as bad."

John Harris, of T Cribb and Sons funeral directors in London's East End, organises 800 horsedrawn funerals each year. He believes carrying out a funeral has become more difficult because of the attitude of other road-users and a lack of respect from today's youngsters.

"In the past ten years respect for the dead has declined," he said. "And it is part of a wider breakdown of society.

"Road users are the biggest problem. Drivers will overtake and then cut in, which can spook the horses. And we have had an incident of schoolchildren throwing things at the horses.

"When I started 35 years ago, things like this would never have happened."

The full article is here.

Posted by James Bartholomew • Indexed in Behaviour & Crime

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