My friends can vouch for this: I am not known for tolerance and sweetness of spirit. Some people have even gone as far as to label me as "overly critical". But I have always believed in calling a spade a spade, and there's no denying that some tennagers are capable of doing things that drive me off the deep end. Surely you have witnessed at least one account of each of the following deadly sins. Maybe you are even guilty of having committed them!
Deadly Sin #1: Emulating Chimneys
It's filthy. It's addictive. And more and more teens are drawn to it. Ok, I admit that I just don't see what's so appealing about sucking black, poisonous smoke into your lungs and expelling it through your nostrils. Youngsters lounging lazily at alfresco cafes and puffing away on cigarettes is a common sight these days. And it's not just their lives they are wasting away. Wise people like yours truly who choose not to self-pollute the lungs suffer too. We may pinch our nostrils in a bid to stop the odious smoke from filtering in, but research has shown that non-snokers suffer more from side stream smoke than smokers themselves. This must be the greatest injustice on earth! The ill effects of smoking have been publicized widely enough, from television ads to good old nagging from well-meaning folks. But a lot of youngsters are still trapped in a haze (literally, with all that smoke) and choose to destroy the bodies in this slow, painful way. Perhaps they think smoking allows them to be accepted by their peers, or that smoking is a cool way to show that they have grown up. Let me just say that the sight of a young punk with a burning stick dangling from his mouth or fingertips is more guffaw-inducing than cool. If you're cool, you're cool. If you're not, you're not. A stick of toxins isn't going to change anything. Stop this self-delusion. Wise up and stub it out. Now!
Deadly Sin #2: Baring Lust For All To See
A leading cause of goose pimples, Public Displays of Affection (PDAs) are a classic case of too much, too public and too urrgghh. Some young teenagers are so crazed with lust that they cannot keep their hands off each other even for a trip on the train! I'm far from being a prude, if you think that's what bugging me. I am actually more open-minded than the average person. I accept that it is natural to want to lavish affection on your steady, but you should reserve your superb tonguing skills for the privacy of the bedroom. In short, PDAs are kind of cheap and vulgar. No one appreciates the free show these youngsters put up, other than perverted voyeurs who get their kicks in such ways. I mean, there's always an (R)A show screening if one wants to watch intimacy between two people. Public transport is built for travelling commuters, not canoodling lovers.
Deadly Sin #3: Stuffing The Gills
Ever been to one of those BBQ restaurants or any other buffet for that matter? Once, I had the opportunity to enjoy the "half-price offer for ladies" at Seoul Garden (Singapore) and I witnessed this bunch of schoolgirls piling their plates with a gargantuan amount of food. It was as if they were in some record-breaking "stack the plates" contest, for the amount of food they took certainly didn't match their appetites! As expected, they left the greater part of the food untouched. Wouldn't it have been better to take a smaller portion followed by second helpings if need be? It's not as if the marinated meat and fresh veggies are going to develop feet and run off in the next minute! So I strongly urge all restaurants serving buffets to impose charges on all unfinished food. That would teach greedy guys and gals not to waste food in future.
Deadl Sin #4: Disturbing Civilian Peace
Often heard is the ringing and beeping of pagers (if you're still using one) and mobile phones in theatres, cinemas and even lecture halls. And this is despite repeated reminders at the start of movie screenings. Perhaps some people do that out of the mistaken belief that it is oh-so-cool to let the entire theatre know they own a pager or mobile phone. Well, they are dead wrong. It's way more cool to demonstrate good manners by switching your electronic equipment to vibration mode for that hour or so.
Deadly Sin #5: Leaving More Than Footprints And Bum-prints
And I won't even start on the popcorn boxes, paper cups and tidbit packets left behind in the theatre after a show! I can imagine the poor cinema janitor shaking his head at all that trash conveniently "forgotten" by inconsiderate teenagers. Come on, carrying your personal trash (which weighs less than 1kg) and throwing it into the readily available bins outside the theatre can hardly be taxing those toned arms of yours, can it? I am getting more and more ashamed of my generation. While I am, of course, far from being the epitome of virtue and consideration. I know what constitutes basic courtesy and that if everyone can spare a little effort, the world will be a better place. After all, you know they say happens to inconsiderate people: what goes around comes around. So don't be surprised if you get to be on the receiving end of any of these deadly sins one fine day!
Labels: disturbing civilian peace, gorging on free food, leaving unwanted prints, PDAs, pulic display of affections, smoking, Top 5 Deadly Sins Of Teens
