Push Comes to Shove: Passengers and Travel Workers Call Rudeness a Real Problem

Publication Date: December 2003

Publisher: Public Agenda Foundation

Author(s):

Research Area: Transportation

Type: Report

Abstract:

An online poll of passengers conducted by Travelocity suggests that stressful travel conditions, a general decline in values and parents who don't control their children are sore spots for Americans on the move. Nearly two-thirds of Travelocity passengers polled say rudeness is a serious problem in travel these days, and half of travelers say rudeness is a major cause of stress. More than half of travel employees surveyed say passenger rudeness is a top cause of their on-the-job stress and tension. Nevertheless, six in 10 transportation employees say rude and disrespectful behavior is "mostly limited to a few people," and 45 percent say they are often treated with courtesy and respect. This is a follow up to our 2002 survey on civility in daily life, Aggravating Circumstances: A Status Report on Rudeness in America.