To curse or not to curse, that is the question

A couple of days ago I was reading my book while aboard Metro. A couple of stops into the ride, a group of three guys got on and sat right next to me. For the next 30 minutes I was “treated” to a non-stop, curse-filled treatise on everything from how women dress to jobs to how living in the suburbs is for the birds (although that was not the way it was actually said). These guys were not speaking amongst themselves. They were loud and obnoxious and did not care who heard them. 

I felt uncomfortable, and I wondered, had I had a child with me, whether they would have moderated their behavior or whether they would have responded if I had asked them to watch their language.

I know, it seems old-fashioned to “watch your language.” But there is a public space and a private space, and when you are in public, you are sharing the air and space with other people. You should try to be considerate.

Instead, we see cursing all the time on Twitter, Facebook and every which way we turn. Some people are bring cursing to advertising, in order “to break through the clutter.” I just read this article on Talent Zoo about cursing in the ad industry, where the author feels the need to be graphic in demonstrating what he is referring to.

There is no need to curse in public. You can do whatever you want in private. You can smoke and drink and overindulge in ice cream. In the public space–in communications–you should put a lid on it.

What do you think? Do you curse or not in public? Do you care?