Basic etiquette

[merithyn]

As most of you know, I was raised in a very lower-class, poor environment. I was taught basic etiquette like to say please, thank you, excuse me, etc. But I didn't learn a good bit of the other kind of stuff. Like, I was 25 before I knew that it was considered polite to say excuse me when you walk in front of someone. (I believe that's pretty much been amended to "whenever you have to invade someone's personal bubble" now, whether it's in front of, behind, or next to.)

So I'm curious. What are some of the most basic etiquette gaffes that you see regularly? I'm interested to know how many I make on a daily basis. 

[MadImmortalMan]

Wearing flip-flops.

Leaving three carlengths of space in front of you at a stoplight when people behind you are waiting to enter your lane.

Making two 45 degree turns instead of one 90 degree one. Especially when you're cutting off the person in the inside lane.

When I'm having lunch in my office, people don't fucking respect that. They still come in and ask for shit. I don't get paid for my lunch hour, people. Go away.

People who park on the street corners.

People who ride bicycles on heavily trafficked commuter routes. Take the damn side streets.

Walking really slowly and aimlessly in the aisles of grocery stores and stopping abruptly when something shiny catches your ADD-addled eye.

[merithyn]

 

Those seem more like petty irritations, not etiquette. Though, the lunch thing does seem like a typical business etiquette thing. We hang signs up to let people know that we're on break/lunch, but it doesn't always help.

[Barrister]

If you're wt work, your working.  Just put down your sammich and answer my simple question.

[Barrister]

And I am sitting here, having finished my sammich, and eating some carrots, a colleague came by and asked me some questions.  I didn't mind a bit.

[katmai]

I'm wearing flip flops right now!!!!

[crazy canuck]

I had to learn how to eat at a "fancy" restaurant.  My first reaction - wtf are all these knifes, forkes and glasses doing here?

[MadImmortalMan]

I'm wearing flip flops right now!!!!

Barbarian!   

[MadImmortalMan]

Abusing the cc function. That one is terrible.

[crazy canuck]

I'm wearing flip flops right now!!!!

Barbarian!   

Wait until he tells you he wears socks with sandals.

[katmai]

Ewwwww god no CC

[merithyn]

I had to learn how to eat at a "fancy" restaurant.  My first reaction - wtf are all these knifes, forkes and glasses doing here?

I taught myself how to do this using a Miss Manners book when I was in high school, but I've never had the opportunity to use it.

[CountDeMoney]

Didn't any of you people take Home Economics?  It was all in there, dammit.

[garbon]

If you're wt work, your working.  Just put down your sammich and answer my simple question.

Yeah right, I'm like "I'm on my lunch break".

[merithyn]

Didn't any of you people take Home Economics?  It was all in there, dammit.

Our Home Economics class was all about how to wash ourselves, how to use deoderant, how to wash our clothes, how to iron, how to make pancakes, and how to sew a pillow. No etiquette to speak of.