The Editor,
With technology come changes of behaviour.
New medical technology allows a major operation to be performed in under three hours and the patient comes through alert and focused.
But technology also comes with downsides. Almost everyone has a cellphone but not everyone uses their manners when using these devices.
My spouse, Edward, was admitted last fall to Eagle Ridge Hospital in Port Moody for major surgery.
When he arrived on the ward for recovery, he was extremely fatigued by the experience. We had requested a private room but, due to overcrowding, ended up in a semi-private with a chatty young gal who had come in the day before and was ready for discharge — but had no ride to get her home. We endured hours of loud telephone conversations and texting until a hospitalist came in and sent her packing.
She was quickly replaced by an older woman who spent hours on her cellular phone talking to anyone who would listen to her sorrows and complaints.
Nowadays, nobody lowers their voice or respects another person’s privacy or acknowledges the fact that the person may be in pain and suffering. Common courtesy seems to have gone out the window.
Here’s a tip: If you have cell phone and you need to make a call, do so without disturbing everyone around you. You may feel the need to talk to someone about your situation but not everyone wants or needs to listen to your endless conversations and self-deprecating misery. Be respectful of the person in the bed next to you. A little courtesy can go a long way.
Unfortunately manners seem to be a forgotten trait.
Sandra Steffan, Langley
