Los Angeles Times

Mary McNamara: Americans have forgotten how to behave. And it's time to stop blaming the pandemic

It started as an airborne virus. At the end of 2020, after COVID-19 shutdowns ended and restrictions loosened, many people began flying again and, in far too many cases, behaving badly while doing so. So badly that the Federal Aviation Administration was, for the first time, forced to keep track of the number of unruly passengers — many of whom were pushing back against masking requirements — ...
People walk through Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix on Dec. 18, 2021.

It started as an airborne virus.

At the end of 2020, after COVID-19 shutdowns ended and restrictions loosened, many people began flying again and, in far too many cases, behaving badly while doing so. So badly that the Federal Aviation Administration was, for the first time, forced to keep track of the number of unruly passengers — many of whom were pushing back against masking requirements — and issue a zero-tolerance policy. Rude and angry passengers began to be booted off flights.

The situation only got worse, even after masks were no longer required. Adult tantrums, rule-breaking, rudeness and general bratty behavior has not only become increasingly common on airplanes, it has spread. To concerts, movie theaters, restaurants and even the Happiest Places on Earth, Disney resorts.

To be sure, most people continue to behave as reasonable human beings who understand the basic expectations of communal behavior. But a growing number of people

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