Etiquette [Part 3] - Just Help Out!

So, I love people. And messing with people. And socialising in general. You will see that in this post. With that, it's anecdote time.

I was walking home yesterday, probably at about 11:30 in the AM and I walked past an old woman trying to lug a big bag of what appeared to be cement up her garden path. She gave me a smile that was actually more like a grimace and I returned it. As I walked on, I thought: 'That's a pretty huge path...' and it was. It was probably 20 feet long and at a 55 or 60 degree angle. I instantly asked myself how the hell she was going to get up there with that bag and felt kind of bad. So I backtracked a little and offered her my help to carry it up the path. She accepted, thanked me and I got on with it. I lugged it up the path with an iota of the effort that it seemed to be taking her and she thanked me. We chatted for a second then I took off, waved goodbye and felt good about myself.

All I am saying in this small post is just help out. If you see somebody struggling with something, just help them out. They're not going to kill you (I hope...) and they'll probably thank you for it.

Why You Should Just... Wait [Pt. 1] - Ending A Lesson

    Basic etiquette is not particularly difficult. Unfortunately, I know way too many people who would disagree with that statement, perhaps only subconsciously, but they disagree nonetheless. They are the kind of people who tend to say 'So, what?' whenever somebody tells them that kicking children is wrong, for example. These people can also be amusing to be around because they tend to start a lot of trouble, which you, as the innocent bystander, can simply walk away from, pretending to not know said person. If, however, you enjoy the odd bit of unprovoked violence, they are the perfect friends.

    So, on to the specifics of this post. Ending a lesson. The thing is, on a bunch of TV shows (namely American-made ones), the characters all rush out of the room before the teacher has finished speaking when the bell signals the end of the lesson. This might seem cool in a 'Yeah, you can't tell me when to leave!' kind of way but it's really not. As much as I'm not for the whole 'do as you're told, slave!' thing, if you are already in a school/college then you are, by virtue of your presence, doing what you're told. The only people who have the right to insubordination at that point in time aren't even in the classroom. They're out the back, smoking behind the bins. Now, that poses a problem concerning the way that you demonstrate your rebellion but that's an issue for another time.

    Therefore, when you're in a lesson, wait until the teacher has finished speaking. They might not want to be their either but they have to be if they want to eat every day. So, show them some courtesy and just wait.