I think you really hit on a GREAT topic.
Most of the time, no matter what the level you are, Divers/Dive Shops are a warm and welcoming group/place; but I have been to a couple dive places were folks seem to think they are better than you. I don’t care if you have been diving for 1 day or before I was a thought in my parents mind, we all share the love of diving for some of the same reasons. Lets keep diving the fun group activity that it should be with a lot of GREAT people to be around. If you can’t do that, go dive in a tar pit.
Oh, and if you own a dive shop...these are though times, threat your customers with respect, we can go somewhere else. For many of us, this is still a leisure activity, everyone is watching their spending; we are trying to survive just like you.
Jamie