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Facebook Giveth, And Facebook Taketh Away (II)
Facebook often seems like a double-edged sword, and a sharp one at that. There are some people you wish you hadn’t lost touch with, but — due to laziness or disorganization or the demands of your...
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The Penny Chronicles
My name is Penny. I like having Kasey around the house. She keeps things interesting, and she keeps the old boring guy on his toes. But, there’s something about her that is very embarrassing. It’s...
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When Can You Just Let Electronic Conversations End?
I wasn’t great with the traditional etiquette of the Emily Post and Miss Manners variety, but I’m hopelessly mystified by the challenge of the proper rules of etiquette for our digital age. Consider...
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Presumed Familiarity, Feigned Interest
One other point about the wedding we attended on Friday: weddings are an interesting opportunity to observe basic human social interactions. Consider wedding reception tables, for example. If you’re...
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Smartphone Etiquette
I’m guessing that the advent of the smartphone has created the most etiquette questions since the invention of the soup spoon and salad fork. If you are in a social gathering, when is it appropriate to...
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When Can You Politely Hang Up On A Telephone Solicitor?
I was raised to follow certain immutable rules of telephone etiquette. When you answered the phone, you identified yourself. If the caller wanted to speak to someone else, you used phrases like “May...
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A Poll On Politeness
Tonight Kish and I went to dinner with friends. We had a nice meal with great company, but the evening also involved an off-putting instance of what I considered to be incredibly rude behavior. The...
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Being On Time
Recently I had an appointment at a designated time. I was there early. The designated time came and went. About ten minutes late, things finally got underway. I tried not to let this bug me, but deep...
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Dogs In Hotel Rooms
Yesterday afteroon we checked into a hotel in North Adams, Massachusetts, where we’ll be getting our culture fix at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (Mass MoCa). Last night, when we...
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The Unforgivable Male Flip-Flopper
Tonight I was in a hospital in Columbus, Ohio, and a guy was there wearing flip-flops. As we walked down the hall he flapped loudly along, drawing our attention down to floor level, and we all got to...
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News Flash: People Who Talk On Cell Phones While Walking Aren’t Cool
Lately I’ve seen more pedestrians walking and talking on their cell phones at the same time. It bothers me. It’s not the lack of politeness, necessarily. Although it is impolite — imposing your side...
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Recline Decline
British Airways has announced that it is eliminating “reclining” seats on some of its economy flights this year. According to the airline, getting rid of those seats will allow it to offer more...
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Mouthers Versus Talkers
On this morning’s walk, I passed a couple walking in the opposite direction on Third Street. We made eye contact and I greeted them with a cheerful “Good morning!” In response, the female member of the...
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Video Etiquette 101
Video conferences have become such a big part of the work day during this coronavirus pandemic period. For me, at least, video calls emerged abruptly, and went from a once-in-a-while thing to a...
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Back To Kindergarten Rules
We’re all still getting used to video conferencing and Zoom and Teams calls, but I’ve decided there are things I like about them. In a way, they take us back to first principles, and the basic,...
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“I Hear You”
I’ve noticed there’s a new phrase that, seemingly overnight, has become a staple in virtually every conversation, from simple chit-chat to multi-party business videoconferences. The phrase is “I hear...
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Real People, Real Politeness
For the past month or so, I’ve been getting very persistent emails in the same person’s name. The emails say they desperately want to help me to be better at my job. “Please,” they implore, “can’t we...
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Shifting Civility In The Shared Spaces
Where has modern technology made the most unwelcome intrusion into daily life? You can argue that it is in the shared spaces, where people routinely gather together as they stand in line, or share a...
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Manners Can Be Fun
I ran across a news article recently that discussed the results of surveys of parents in 24 different countries about the qualities they prioritized in their children. The United States ranked dead...
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Plate Mechanics
We’re well into the holiday season, with all of the dinners and open houses and parties that make it such a festive time. Food is, of course, a huge part of the holidays, and we’ve all been to...
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