Friday, July 18, 2008

Etiquette and Basic Manners

As some of you know, I went to a compliance seminar for corporate export shipping (sounds fun, doesn't it?) One thing I noticed is that everyone, for the most part, had a high amount of etiquette and basic manners:

* Not speaking when the instructors were speaking
* Table manners - chewing with mouth closed, not talking and chewing, napkins in lap, proper use of utensils, etc.
* Proper posture

You get the idea.

There were some things that bothered me about others. There was a woman I met from Mississippi who sat next to me. She and I would eye each other when we found something annoying:

* Instructor is teaching, and a man yawns. He doesn't just yawn, he feels the need to make noises as he does so "ahhh...ah...ah" (I know you know the sound). How rude. The instructor looked at him.
* Cell phones going off during class.
* Persons talking to one another (loudly) while the instructors spoke
* Piling food up on their plates during our "free" food times: snacks and meals

What the heck? I thought it was basic courtesy if you're going to yawn, cover your mouth, and do it silently. Turn your cell phone on vibrate - take a call OUT of the room. Don't speak while someone else is speaking. The food is "free." Go back for seconds. Leave round one for all.

This is a corporate upper eschelon-level seminar. There are people here that are compliance officers for Aerospace Corporations, etc.

I'm no priss nor am I prim and proper, but c'mon. I was taught formal etiquette when I was in what? 9th grade? *shakes head*

People no longer shock me.

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