Doing telephone support doesn’t give me telepathic or clairvoyant superpowers. I cannot see what you are doing or see the computer screen in front of you.
It is honest to Og amazing how often I have to remind people that I’m not there in the room with them to see what they’re doing. And disturbing how many older folks just kinda shrug and say that they thought I could.
Perhaps it’s because the restaurants I go to seem to be very loud … or because I love hot food … but I don’t have a problem with nose-blowing in restaurants. In fact, I don’t think it has ever bothered me even once. If the tables are that close together perhaps a different venue would be in order.
I want to know what it is about some old men (in restaurants, to stay on-topic) who can’t cough without getting their vocal cords involved. Most people cough and it’s coff coff. These old men cough and it’s coaaaaaaaghaarfloffhermhakoff at about 120 decibels. The volume may come from the fact they’re not covering their mouths when they do this. When I cooked in a small diner we had a regular customer who would do that all the way through his meal. He also had to be reminded more than once that seated at a table in a busy restaurant is not the place to roll up his sleeve and shoot his insulin (at least I hope it was insulin).
On the other side of the coin, if your invitation is not addressed to “[person] and Guest”, then you don’t get to bring a guest. Especially if your boyfriend is already attending and received a separate invitation because: 1. he is in the wedding party; 2. you haven’t been together that long, and; 3. both you and your boyfriend are friends of ours.
So don’t bring your roommate to our wedding, please.
(We didn’t make an issue of it because we were below our expected number anyway. Plus, my wife’s friend who had left Catholic seminary two days before our wedding (and caught the garter) left the reception with said roommate’s number, which is an amusing story.)
If you ask a girl to Homecoming or Prom, you do not get to call her the day before and say you’re no longer going. No really. Unless your mother died or you’re in the hospital, there is no excuse for asking someone to a dance and then dumping them.
This happened to my daughter in HS. This, after the guy had asked her in school, complete with a single red rose. What an asshole.
And I shouldn’t have to tell you that you don’t make disparaging remarks about anyone’s newborn. Not my babies, mind you, but a friend’s baby. All brides and babies are beautiful by definition, no matter what they may actually resemble in reality.
Oh, and pet owners? I shouldn’t have to tell you that I don’t like Fido cramming his nose in my crotch and no, I don’t want him jumping on me or “trying to dance” with his paws on my shoulders. Control your pets, please and I will control my children.
From personal experience, also don’t tell the mother the baby looks like Yoda.
In my defense, I was 9 years old and had JUST seen Empire. And Yoda was COOL! It seriously wasn’t meant as an insult, but my mother did the Italian headslap anyway…
On the topic of weddings. . . if you receive a formal invitation-- formal wording, heavy card-stock, professionally printed (letterpressed, even), fancy envelope-- to an evening wedding at a fancy venue, there is nothing about it that says “It would be perfectly appropriate to show up in jeans, a t-shirt, and sneakers.” I’m not asking you to rent a tux, and I get some men don’t own suits, but Jesus H. Christ do you not at least have a pair of khakis and a button down shirt?
(Of course, I would also think people would know not to wear flipflops to the opera, but apparently not)
Thinking about some recent news events here in Troll Country…
“Freedom of speech” means you can say what you like and not be arrested or prosecuted for it. It does not mean other people must refrain from criticizing you. Those who criticize you are exercising their freedom of speech.
“Freedom of the press” does not mean the newspapers or TV news programs have a legal obligation to give you space or time to present your side of the story.
And when you’re arguing that democracy is incompatible with your religion, it looks really stupid to get your dad to claim that your democratic rights are being violated :rolleyes:
Airline travel and etiquette.
My goodness. if someone has not already written the book, then surely I could. But may I just point out one thing.
If you have a cold or even just the sniffles - for the love of all that is holy, PLEASE have some tissues with you. Or, if it is your child with the malady, may you have some tissues and/or wipes handy.
A recent flight from Newfoundland to Calgary, non-stop, had me next to a “snotter”. The flight was full so I had no escape. I offered him all of my kleenex, but it was not enough. Flight staff were busy so I had to suffer in hell for quite a while.
The time between the last of my tissues and the staff coming up with more was grim to say the least.
People, carry tissues if you are leaking from the nasal orifice. Is it really necessary to say this!
If you do not have a car, do not come to a social event and just assume someone will give you a ride home. Especially if it’s with a bunch of people you’ve never met until this week.
I may be the event organizer. That does not mean I’m morally obligated to give you a ride home.
And just because I gave you a ride this time - it doesn’t mean it will happen again.
MOST gatherings of humans for whatever purpose ARE NOT the appropriate place to get on your soapbox about your “favorite” topic or engage in heated and lengthy debates about politics, religion, morality, nuclear power, whatever.
It may take two, but it often only takes one to get the ball rolling.
Let me and everyone else eat, hike, or enjoy the pretty view without getting our blood pressure up.
Little background here?
My husband and I were going to go to an event with our local social group that had one member who was new asking all the other members (via email) if there was anyone who could drive her home because she doesn’t have a car. She lived fairly close to our neighbourhood, so it wouldn’t have been too far out of our way to drive her, but the request gave me pause; if you can get to an event, why can’t you get home again? You’re comfortable asking complete strangers for a favour? I felt a little selfish and un-generous for not wanting to drive this woman home, but the whole thing felt off to me. I had visions of someone who had problems respecting boundaries living close to me and asking us for rides to and from every event in the future (hell, to and from everything). This isn’t a social group of teenagers who just pile into the nearest car, either - in our early forties, we’re some of the youngest members. Everyone is completely self-sufficient.
Perhaps she didn’t know what time the event would end and could get a ride at a fixed time but not “between 5 and 8” or whatever.
I understand that not everyone has a car - but there are other options - you can ask when an event might end and arrange for a ride then. You can be prepared to cough up the dough for a taxi. You can prepare to take local transit and know when you have to catch the bus/train. I did it for years. If I had to leave before the fun was over, so be it. And if the bus/train was after - I always had a book in my bag. If someone chose to offer me a ride, that was great but I never assumed I would get one.
Showing up to an event and expecting a ride back without any prior arrangements or begging for a ride is not appropriate. We are not your friends yet - we may not even know you. We could be axe murderers for all you are aware. And so could you. Recognize that - you learned “stranger danger” in school for a reason.
And I agree, Cat Whisperer, I think that now that I’ve given him a ride, I’ve started this parasitic relationship where he might think I’m his ‘ride’ to everything.
Presumably in your city things are a bit different, but around here public transit is about as useful as a chocolate teapot. By way of example, the local bus service has an online route planner which in theory shows you how to get from Point A to Point B if it isn’t obvious from the route map.
Unfortunately, the planner can only figure out how to get you from Point A to Point B if the journey requires three or fewer route changes. In other words, it can only figure out the same stuff you could already figure out yourself by looking at the damn map.
There’s a lady in Spanish class who doesn’t know what screw can mean. I found this out discussing coger, and why “hey kid, go get your mother” might not literately translate so well in some places. Coger means to “to take” or “to get”, but it can also mean “to have sex with”, or fuck, but isn’t as obscene, like screw.
If you interview for a job as a receptionist, it is bad form to phone the company back the next day and ask* the receptionist* if the position has been filled yet. Ask to be put through to the HR department, or the person who interviewed you, for the love of Mike.
I have friends who used to do this; I’ll never understand why people would leave their house without knowing how they’re getting back. I would be the one who would ultimately give them a ride, because I’m a nice guy, until one day I just refused and left them at the bar.
If 3 people are in the conference room, obviously having a meeting, please do not knock on the door and ask if you can “come sit in here while you wait for your meeting to start.” (in 20 minutes)
And then, when they, out of sheer shock, don’t send you packing - don’t sit there and interrupt their meeting with your asides and comments.
Congratulations, you’ve now just informed 3 of your new co-workers that you have no couth or respect for their time or work. That’s going to serve you well in the future, you betcha.