Expectations for the lowest denominator?

It occurred to me the other night, while I watched one male of a triplet shopping group. The rest, a man and a woman, were taking some care browsing the merchandise. Not the one guy however. Perhaps he had been dragged along on the errand and found himself at loose ends while the others were occupied. Perhaps his attention span had atrophied to a vestigial state. In any case, this guy set about exploring the toy section as if the products were designed for laughter rather than orgasms.

It is not a situation that endears one to my heart. They're much more likely to pick up some item and brandish it about to show their companions. They're much more likely to attempt to open packaging. They're frighteningly more prone to making comments or jokes inappropriate for a public setting. In my minds eye, it's like someone exploring a munitions dump by hitting all the ordinance with a hammer in passing. Probably, nothing will happen. But there's still a high chance for an explosion or something toxic being vented. Sadly the laws prohibit me from using an air rifle to administer a tranquilizer dart letting them unobtrusively rest someplace quiet until their companions are ready to leave.

Anyway, it struck me that by many perspectives; this young man was not conducting himself outside of the expected norm. In essence, he was not in the wrong in how he was comporting himself.

Shiva's sweaty toe-shoes! What is wrong with us?! Why do we automatically make allowances for other people's shoddy behavior? If this man had been a guest in someone's house, his actions would be the height of rudeness. The context doesn't even have to change by even that large of a degree, it would still be boorishness in an office or a few shops I can think of.

This is not a matter of personal amusement, whereupon someone is discovering something novel or sharing something with a companion that struck their funny bone. This is where someone is deliberately seeking to deride or demean. Not once during the time this guy was in my store did he ever hint he found interest in something beyond its utility as "sick shit."

When was it decided that being a dick was a default setting for men?

From my end, there was naught for me to do while he flirted with crossing the line except prepare for something to go wrong. I can hardly ask him to leave because he's being mildly disruptive. As far as he and his friends were concerned, he was a paragon of well-heeled consumer. For the same reason, anything I said to him regarding his behavior would probably float right past his attention unless I chose to insist which usually causes the entire group to feel annoyed to a greater or lesser extent.

Damn grey areas.