Category: Difficult Situations

Summer Vacation Etiquette – Part 2: The Queue

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Lining Up With Etiquette

Historical sites, natural wonders and theme parks are popular vacation destinations.  Such vacations often include standing in long lines – or queues as they’re called in some regions – or waiting along crowded parade routes.  Few people enjoy them, but lines are a reality of the vacation experience, whether you’re waiting for admission to an attraction, ride, exhibit or restaurant table.  Depending on where you are while waiting in line, you could strike up some interesting conversations and learn something about the place you’re visiting, or have some visiting time with your friends and family members. 

Following are some guidelines to make standing in line – or lining up -- more tolerable and pleasant for everyone:  

Introductions Deconstructed (Rules and Exceptions) – Part 3: Awkward and Special Situations

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The Rules
(And their Exceptions)
Part Three of Three Entries


This three-part series winds up by focusing on those awkward, unusual, new and special situations.

Who’s that lady?

You’re on vacation with your parents and you see your basketball coach and his wife in your hotel courtyard.  Oh, how cute, they’re holding hands!  Your parents want to meet them, so you walk over only to discover that the woman with your coach is not his wife, to whom you were introduced at your school’s sports banquet last year. 

You say:

The Age of Chivalry, Etiquette & Valentine’s Day

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Etiquette in the Western world is popularly believed to have its roots in The Age of Chivalry during the European Middle Ages (circa 1100 -1500 A.D.). Throughout this age, kings, queens and knights in shining armor created a code of behavior and ethics that has lasted in some form to modern times.

During this era, the modern concept of St. Valentine’s Day emerged. Although the day harbors a shadowy past stretching back many centuries--its roots buried deep in both paganism and Christianity--there is no doubt about the romance and chivalry that materialized around 1400 A.D., including the heart-shape as a symbol of romantic love and Chaucer's Parlement of Foules, connecting St. Valentine’s Day to romance.

Generations at Work

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Much has been written and discussed regarding the generational differences in the workplace, so I thought it might be helpful to identify what have become the names and birth-year spans of the generations of the 20th- 21st Centuries.  Please keep in mind that those born close to the generations before or after their own will often share those respective characteristics, as defined by historians, marketers and various individuals throughout the years.  For example, a Gen Xer born in 1978 might exhibit many qualities of a Gen Yer. (Among experts there are also some variations in the year-spans of each generation.)

Bells Are Ringing

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   And Not in a Good Way! 

Is there anyone left on the planet who doesn’t comprehend the crisis in civility that we’re facing with our mobile devices?  We’re in the midst of a PDA pandemic that has turned us into addicts.  And, just as we get our dependency on crackberries under control, Apple tempts us with its new iPhone. 

The paradox – and hypocrisy -- is that while most people are quick to criticize cell phone offenses, the same people also tend to be the offenders.  The good news is that mobile devices can make our lives easier, more productive and safer; the bad news is that can make our lives harder, less productive and more dangerous.