Over the past half decade or so, you must have noticed the proliferation of "zero-tolerance" signs at businesses and government services. They quite rightly point out that abusive language; threats of violence; and actual violence will not be tolerated and will result in a cessation of services.

But why the recent proliferation? Are Australians becoming more abusive and aggressive? Are governments and corporations just becoming more protective and concerned about their staff?

I think not. I think there are other causes. In the case of government services, it is severe staff cut-backs resulting in staff not being able deal with people as quickly and as caringly as in the past. In the case of corporations, it is corporations trying to do consumers over and relying on their staff in call centres and over the counter to deliver their uncaring intransigence to those consumers.

We might rightly say that consumer abusiveness is unacceptable, but that does not mean we should not inquire as to why that abusiveness is increasing.

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about a few personal examples of businesses behaving badly. Everyone I talk to has examples.

I have had a lot more since. Qantas. I booked a ticket for a Christmas trip. There was an accidental mismatch of dates so I had to change the return date. Fee: $203. OK, you can cop a fee for changing a flight. But when you go on line to change the return flight, it will not let you do so unless you "change" the outgoing flights as well - to exactly the same flights as you originally booked and pay another $203 fee for "changing" flights you did not want to change.

It is a minor infuriating example. But it is happening all the time everywhere by nearly every big corporation - a little gouge here, a bigger gouge there, a rip-off here.........

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