Ignorant Civies

[Limpy]

I've been asked and have overheard some really ignorant questions regarding the Army or the CF. At
MacDonald's and once at Wendy's. So me and two others go to Mc Dicks after a parade night and one of the employees (female around 17 to 19yrs. old) asked if you could eat the buttons on combats because a friend said you could. Then at Wendy's an employee said something about liking to join the army but she said that I think they don't allow females. Well I told otherwise and that you should look into it.

I would however like to say I don't blame these people for the ignorance. I just graduated high school and can easily say that they don't inform squat to students about the Armed Forces. In fact I once had an argument with the principal about not allowing the army reserve to come and give a presentation to my CAPP 11/12 class. The other problem is these peoples parents. They are just as ignorant if not worse than the children they have brought up. In fact I ve known some people who's very parents, the people who should be most supportive in their children's career choices, saying no because of ignorance. Caused by what? Fear? Fear of letting go I think?

So has anyone had anything interesting said to them lately that sticks out? Maybe even a compliment?

 

[SHELLDRAKE!!]

The "ignorance" IMHO is the lack of knowledge that results from a society that has become too comfy being sheltered from war and terror.When getting a flu shot is your biggest priority and not hoping your children wontl be killed in an air strike, you tend to think differently.

  A few months after returning from Afghanistan I was standing in line at a Burger King in a small Alberta town and an elderly lady tapped me on the shoulder and after pointing to the crest on my t-shirt, she asked "were you really in Afghanistan?"I replied yes and she said "thank you very much, I want to buy your lunch, its the least I can do for you offering your life." This was a cicvie with obviously not a lot of military experiences who took the time out of her life to recognize the efforts of an Armed forces that we see as being forgotten.

  Its times like that, we feel that what we are doing is making a difference.

 

[Bob the builder]

one of the employees (female around 17 to 19yrs. old) asked if you could eat the buttons on combats because a friend said you could.

You should have asked if she wanted to come over to your house, cook some button stew and watch a movie.

 

[Limpy]

Probably not a bad idea she was good looking if memory serves. Anyway I like that MacDonalds because one night me and one other got free sundaes for being in uniform.

 

[pegged]

Let's see, where to begin with this one...

"Are you going to Iraq?" - serious question, multiple times.

I've been called a cadet, and a scout, while in uniform. (some chick with her boyfriend walked by two others and myself and said something along the lines of "What are they, scouts? Look they even have the matching bag") She was saying all this seriously, I had my CADPAT daypack on. That one pissed me off.

On halloween I was asked if it was a costume. (This could be excusable, but if civies can't even recognize their own Army's uniform, you know there is something wrong, that goes with the above thing too)

One of the things that really bugs me is "Ten-hut" from people in cars driving by, or teenagers.

 

[Limpy]

I really personally hate the middle of the fore head salute I get all the time.

 

[pegged]

Personally, I think the "Are you going to Iraq?" question is the worst.

That really shows how much people watch the ******* news (pardon my language). I've been asked it many times, not in jest either.

 

[dutchie]

The reaction I get these days is a whole lot better than it was 6 or 7 years ago. Here in Lotusland, the Army was viewed not much better than an roving band of Neanderthals 'back then'. I actually had a guy ask me, around '97, if i had "Beaten a Somali lately" and another (separate day) ask me "How does baby taste?"". Still another said nothing, just walked up to my buddy as we walked down the street and slugged him square in the mug.

I'll take an uninformed but neutral civie over those clowns anyday.

This change, IMHO, is one of the few positive spin offs of 9/11 and Afghanistan. Even in Vancouver, people are pretty appreciative of the Forces.

 

[Michael Dorosh]

Actually, the question about the buttons kind of indicates to me that the girl is not ignorant, but has taken an active interest in the Forces.

It is not true, however, it is an old urban legend in the Forces that the buttons are edible - one of those stories that gets passed on down from one generation to the next....so she obviously must have heard it from someone, somewhere, and remembered it.

Dufus, she was hitting on you!

 

[Limpy]

Dufus, she was hitting on you!



Happens alot.

 

[dutchie]

Re: the buttons.

I heard that on my basic..."If you get caught without rations, you can melt them. They have, like, 500 calories each!"

The Patricia Section Commanders nearly fell over when one particularly dense recruit asked one how they tasted.

 

[Tpr.Orange]

Ive heard the baby killer rant, ive heard the war monger lines, the iraq questions.

But the one that really gets me, what the hell are you supposed to be dressed up as. This was asked and it wasn't even halloween!!

But misinformation is deffinatley the reasoning behind the "ignorance."

Today however I did meet two very nice people here in Toronto who had informed me that they just signed up to join the army and had tons of questions for me. We had a great discussion and I was able to educate them and several of their friends about my experiences with the forces and what Ive gotten out of them.

So its good to see that there are interested and keen people roaming around and not everyone is as ignorant as it seems.

 

[bubba]

there's good flat faces,there's bad flat faces. :-\limpy bye i thinked you defintly missed out on a chance for some lovin. :-* :'(

 

[arctictern]

Last week at work a guy I went to highschool with walks up to me and asked me how I am doing with the army, I told him how I am waiting for a job offer that could come anyday. He said "that's good we need more idiots to go die in Iraq". Even during highschool he'd always be making negative commens on our military. Did I mention he's still in highschool?

 

[Inch]

I've always had mostly positive experiences with civvies. There's of course been a few idiots saying "ten-hut" as I walk by but for the most part I've gotten positive responses from people.

The two most recent experiences happened in Halifax. Halifax, I've noticed, tends to be a little more in tune with the military due to our large presence here. MARLANT as well as 12 Wing Shearwater plus the reserves, in total, I think there's 5 or 6 military establishments here. Anyway, a month or so ago there was a military equipment trade show downtown, we got bussed over from Shearwater. As my buddy and I were waiting for the bus to go back to Shearwater, an older gentleman came up to us and asked about our uniforms (we were both in flight suits, mine was green and my buddy's was still the old blue one), I explained to him what they were, then he asked about the badges. After I explained what the badges meant, he put out his hand and nearly shook my arm off. He said "well I just want to say thanks for what you're doing, it was a pleasure talking to you" and off he went.

The second occurrence was in Sobey's while I was getting some groceries. I stopped by on my way home, again in my flight suit and this lady followed me for a bit until she got a chance to stop me. She asked if I flew Sea Kings and I told her I did, she then proceeded to tell me about how she writes to the troops overseas and has been doing so for quite a few years. Most recently she had been writing to a Sea King crew that was over there. When they got back home, they invited her out to Shearwater for family day and took her for a ride in the Sea King. She must have said it half a dozen times but she kept telling me how proud she was of all of us and how thankful she was that we do what we do.

So they're not all bad, the important thing to remember is that most of the civvies don't know what we do, so take the time, be polite and answer their questions. It's the only way we're ever going to get them to understand what we do.

Cheers

 

[McG]

Personally, I think the "Are you going to Iraq?" question is the worst.

While we do not have any formed organization in Iraq, we do have Canadian soldiers serving in the country (my unit just sent one to do pre-deployment training in the UK).  That would make this a legitimate question.

 

[Alex252]

I've been called a cadet, and a scout, while in uniform. (some chick with her boyfriend walked by two others and myself and said something along the lines of "What are they, scouts? Look they even have the matching bag") She was saying all this seriously, I had my CADPAT daypack on. That one pissed me off.
Wow I think i would've dropped the gloves on their a** . I guess you just have to ignore people like that

 

[NorthernProtector]

Good grief...you guys need to get more sun to harden up your skin.

 

[Ex-Dragoon]

I've been called a cadet, and a scout, while in uniform. (some chick with her boyfriend walked by two others and myself and said something along the lines of "What are they, scouts? Look they even have the matching bag") She was saying all this seriously, I had my CADPAT daypack on. That one pissed me off.
Wow I think i would've dropped the gloves on their a** . I guess you just have to ignore people like that

Oh yes that would be great for public relations.  :

 

[pegged]

McG the thing is though is the civies that ask are those type that think our entire Army is over there. Not just a few soldiers here and there, with the Brits or whatever. That's why the question is really annoying. They just assume things like if a guy's in the Army, then he'll be going to Iraq. They assume that if it's Army, it's Iraq. I can't explain what I mean but yea lol.