I’ve always wondered why many people just see the need to act out and show people how much power they have. It’s as if the moment they notice that someone is not as rich or influential as they are, they suddenly have the urge to enforce their superiority. And they do this in some of the worst ways possible.
They start going against the rules, acting out against laid-out protocols and policies. Many of them even go as far as being rude and arrogant, simply because they want to show everyone that they’ve got the power, and nothing can happen to them.
Sometimes, when people are just trying to do their jobs, they end up coming into contact with a customer who is rude and abusive. It’s as if they have that hate buried deep inside them, and they can’t help but let it out. We see this every time, we see it in banks, restaurants, bars… when the staff are simply trying to talk to them calmly, they’d go all out and give that annoying line, “Do you even know who I am?”
But then, I can’t really blame them, because in a country like mine, things like power and money are held sacrosanct and can be used to make the life of anyone miserable. And they believe that once they’ve got it, or at least some form of it, they would be free to go all out and show the world that they have arrived and are not to be messed with.
Over the weekend, I saw a viral video of a lady who was attacking an air hostess at the airport. It was so bad that she was slapping her, and when airport security tried to stop her, she attacked them as well. According to other passengers on the plane, she had been having an argument with a fellow passenger, the air hostess must have tried to intervene and quell it, but she then turned her full attention on the woman, who was only just trying to do her job. Like, how dare she tell her to calm down and stop being a nuisance in a plane full of civilized people?
And so it went! With the video going viral, it has gained the attention of just about everyone, and something would have to be done. I guess the lady has some sort of backing, which is why she can comfortably do such a thing even when cameras are rolling all around her. She believes she’s untouchable, and she won’t have to face the music.
Something similar happened not too long ago with a popular celebrity, earning him a six-month flight ban (according to what I heard). This thing is now so normalized, and it’s scary. Having money and influence doesn’t mean that every other person is beneath you and should be treated like garbage. Patronizing someone doesn’t make you their savior. The way some people treat their Uber drivers ehn, you’ll wonder if they’ve got beef before. Whereas they had only just met.
When you’re told the policies and guidelines in an organization, just follow them! Do it! So far they’re not infringing on your right or asking you to commit a crime, just do it! Stop flexing your power and showing everyone who you are. The only thing you’re doing is delaying the queue.
But then, this does not mean that sometimes the staff aren’t wrong also. We also have arrogant and rude staff who act like they’re doing you a favor, even though you’ve paid fully for the service you’re asking for. We have them on both sides of the divide. But all that is a story for another day.
