Armistice Day and the 2 Minutes Silence?

Question

Hey Fans

As i have to work on weekends, i was meant to be working when the silence was called. However, my store decided to stop all transfers and ask our customers to join in for 2 minutes. Nearly everyone decided to participate in the event, except for several people who decided to make a scene and play up. They were whingign that the service had stopped, and started demanding they were served, they were in a rush etc. The question is guys, do you agree with shops stopping for 2 minutes to signify the silence, or should they carry on regardless?

NB
The people were a middle-aged, middle class family. Very prim and proper, in an arrogant, snide way

Answer 1

As this year the 11th fell on a Saturday, my children who are 12 and 8 and I observed the 2 minutes silence outside tescos whilst selling poppies. I could not believe people were still trying to buy poppies during that time. I had already told the children to ignore anyone who tried to speak to us. I was accused of being rude, when I explained what we were doing they still said I was rude. Tescos did announce the silence, but many customers did not join in, cars and buses still drove past.
I think the nation should stop. When my 83 year old mother was a child everything and everybody stopped, the country came to a complete stand still, but there again war was still very fresh in peoples minds. The silence is not just for veterans of the world wars but for all military killed or injured on active duty, as they still are today.

Answer 2

I was in WHSmith in Winchester and everything stopped. I am glad they did. It's very little to take two minutes out of a busy day to remember the sacrifice that others made for us. I also think it's right to put the two minutes' silence back onto 11th November. If they could make the "inconvenience" of going to war and some laying-down their lives so that we do not live under a Nazi jackboot, I think the least we could do is be inconvenienced for two minutes.
The people who were complaining should actually be thankful that our grandfathers and great grandfathers fought. Now we have the right to complain. Do they really think if the Second World War had not been fought that they would have the right to complain about anything?
This year, I'll find myself doing this three times. As a Primary School Teacher, we took our children to church yesterday (C of E school) for a Service of Remembrance with veterans from our area; today in town; and tomorrow, I will take my own children to the War Memorial in Winchester for the service. I believe in showing respect for the fallen and to show the survivors that their efforts in my behalf are appreciated and recognised.
Anyone who wishes to complain could go and spend Armistice Day in, say, Baghdad...

Do you know what else? I am so encouraged that I am the oldest to reply to this thread. So many things are said to the detriment of the "Younger Generation", yet you all have understood and shown respect. I do hope the Daily Mail reads this thread and realises that our country is not going to hell in a handbasket. You, our future, understand why we must remember our past. Thank you for the respect you have shown to people who were dear to me.

Answer 3

i think everyone should participate, i run a store with a constant stream of customer I turned all the phones off and all the music and we all went out the front of the shop and stood with everyone in the street and waited for the gun signal.......I am now up for a disciplinary but I really dont care!!! Idiots will realise how much I will be backed for what I did. I have more respect for all those people who have died for their country and their families than I do some big bods that sit in an office telling people what to do

Answer 4

It's not too much to stop for 2 minutes. Did you know that poppies grow best when the ground is disturbed? So when after 4 years of turbulence at Flanders and it suddenly went quiet, the poppies grew in wild abundance, which is why it is such a fitting symbol for all those who have made the supreme sacrifice for the freedom of us all. Shame on the white poppy brigade.

Answer 5

Why cannot people just wait for 2 minutes. I used to work for a call centre and we asked our customers if we could call them back during the silence on armistice day.
We never had any problems and the silence was brilliantly observed.

Answer 6

2 minutes isn't allot to ask for. And i thinks its good shops support the silence i was shopping in Liverpool and witnessed people in the same part of the shopping prescient as me stop and stand still and silent for 2Min's then just carry on with Christmas shopping.. Really Nice to see...

It all boils down to respect some have some don't...

Answer 7

Yes, I do agree with the two minutes silence!! Surely we can spare two minutes of our time for those who gave their lives for our freedom!
I wonder if those individuals,(who made a fuss) had they been in the war would have been in such a rush to go over the top of the trenches!

Answer 8

Of course every one should take time to remember those brave men and women who lost thier lives in wars to keep our country independent and the people free,What is 2 minutes a year out of thier sad lives,{those who think that things should not stop}

Answer 9

Is 2 minutes out of a year too much to ask, to show respect to those men and women who lost their lives to give us freedom.

Give those ignorant customers the boot.

Answer 10

I work in a large supermarket. We always do the 2mins silence, we ask the customers to join in, if however some dont want through there own ignorance, then we dont make them. But we do not resume service for them we make them wait.