Notices about verbal abuse and shouting are popping up everywhere. The reasons for it happening- I asked at a local hospital - was people being kept waiting or not given the immediate attention they expected. Long ago I noticed an increase in the way people quickly took verbal umbrage when TV soaps ' sagas of everyday folk', became many peoples main entertainment. I had a soap addicted employee who could not understand that when she verbally insulted someone with loud back chat etc it brought long lasting grievance. In soaps it all moves on in 2 weeks and such encounters forgotten. heckling has long been a social sport - but I can think of times and places where it might not have been such a good idea...... as in a Hitler-heckle, for instance.