Posts Tagged ‘polite’

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My Elevator Rules

In Lessons,Life,Work on February 13, 2013 by kiltforhire Tagged: , , , ,

My Elevator Rules. Or Lift Rules.

Or woooo we’re going down really fast rules.

1. Similar to trains I wait till people get out. I also stand quite a way back to allow people to move out of the elevator and get to where they need to go.

2. You know what if the button lights up you don’t have to press it again and again and again. It won’t bring the goddamn lifts down any quicker.

3. Today I watched a guy shove his entire arm into the lift to get in. Seriously, is a minute of your time so precious that it’s worth losing a limb over? If the doors are closing just let it close. No one wants the nickname “liftslice”

4. Conversation. Never discuss anyone you work with or anything to do with work except general stuff. As an ex-journo I can’t tell you how much great info I used to get by simply stepping into lifts and going up and down. People discuss all manner of secret stuff thinking no-one is listening. People are. Shut up!

5. Farting. Don’t. Unless it’s silent and you are out on the next stop and no one you work with is in the lift.

6. If I’m ill I don’t go to work but if you must and you have to use the lift then please don’t sneeze, don’t cough and don’t talk. People deserve not to get your illness. If I’m unwell and have to travel in a lift I stand closest to the door to try and breathe out only when the door opens.

7. I only press the close button when I know no-one was behind me and wanting in the lift. It’s pretty damned rude to close it knowing full well someone is heading to get in the same lift as you.

8. Headphones. See number 9 on My Train Rules.

9. I always let ladies off before me. It’s polite and the right thing to do. If they have a lot of luggage I always ask if I can help carry it. Yes some people look at me like I’m a thief ready to sprint off with their stuff but my mother brought me up to always ask. So I do.

10. Every single elevator I get into I look for another way out should I get stuck. I’ve seen Speed and I’ve seen Die Hard. I know that one day brakes will fail or the lift will get stuck and I’ll be escaping any way I can! I even keep a spare white vest on me just in case I have to take on a bunch of german terrorists determined to rob a multi-national.

11. In a crowded elevator keep your hands to yourself. No brushing against people. That’s perverted. Oh and try to avoid fast head movements. I’ve had one girl flick her hair and it end up in my mouth.

I think that last one is a good one to end it on. Basically it’s a short trip, be polite, be nice, don’t be rude and help people if they need it.

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Articles

Chivalry isn’t dead…but maybe it should be?

In Lessons,Life on April 15, 2011 by kiltforhire Tagged: , ,

Whenever I’m sitting down on public transport I always get up to give a woman or an elderly gentleman a seat.

I always hold doors for people to allow them through.

I hold car doors open for women.

I hold seats out for ladies at restaurant (although it’s not like I run into restaurants and then do that for random women that would be weird).

Most of the time I’ll allow a woman to go in front of me at a bar (unless I’ve been standing in a massive queue for 10 minutes).

But over the past few years I’ve noticed a strange disturbing trend and that is that many women just don’t accept a man being chivalrous anymore. They tut, they ignore, they say “no thanks I prefer to stand” when you offer them a seat and, I suppose, it feels kinda weird for me because I was brought up to always do those kind of things.

My mum (who I should point out called me the other day because she read my blog and was all teary about my post on family so I really should say hello *waves*) brought me up to be polite, to be respectful of people, to always ask people how they are and be concerned for people’s welfare. She made me realise that the most important part of being a human was to care for those around you and to treat women with respect.

But these days it’s getting harder and harder to be chivalrous and pleasant. I find more and more people are quick to snap at you and god forbid you hold a door for someone. Yesterday I held a door open for a woman and she said “I can do that myself you know” and gave me a horrible look.

I’m back using public transport these days and have now gotten up from seat to offer it to someone eight times. Only once has someone taken the seat. It’s getting to the point that I’m starting to think that I shouldn’t do it anymore.

So I put it out to the world – do you think that men should stop being chivalrous?

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Articles

Online etiquette

In Digital,Life,Social Media on March 7, 2011 by kiltforhire Tagged: , , , ,

My mum and dad, who by the way are the best people I know, brought me up to live by a code of rules … no not Dexter-esque type rules! But instead by a code of ethics, a code of living. Be nice to people, treat people with respect, don’t steal physical objects etc.

They also brought me up with a sense of chivalry and with a sense of etiquette.

I treat people the way I want to be treated.

I always ask people how they are. I always hold doors for women (even though some scowl at me for doing so), I hold chairs out for women to sit at the table and I believe in helping people for no reason other than to simply be nice to help them out if they need a hand.

I ask for nothing in return except to know that I have done a good deed (curse my cub scouts training) however what I’m not a fan of is blindly helping someone to win a prize.

I will help someone out with their digital marketing as I specialise in that area. I’ll re-write their press releases. I’ll edit their web copy. I’ll go over to a friend’s house at 7am and help them move their entire home but I don’t really like helping someone I don’t know for nothing more than to enable them to beat others who are trying their best to win it fair and square.

Sorry for the blurb on me but it will explain my annoyance.

Tonight on Twitter I got followed by a person who shall remain nameless – cause I’m not that much of a heartless bastard – and they said:

“Hi Scott, may i ask a favour, 1 digital marketer to another? Please LIKE and RT this link so I can win a trip o/s”

I mean seriously that’s rather rude. I had been following them but they hadn’t been following me and then they follow and ask this. That’s rather rude isn’t it?

And so I reply: “Not sure of the etiquette of following and asking for favours before knowing the person. Bad digital etiquette?”

Now I figured this would be the end of it. I put it to Twitter and everyone said yes…RUDE!

Also it wasn’t over. Oh no. No no no. Not at all. Nup.

“I’m just asking a favour.” he says. “You’ve been following me for a while so I thought u would know a bit about me. If i don’t want to then don’t” – please bear in mind that I follow over 3,000 people and can’t know everything about everyone. I’ll help people out if I have spoken to them and they need a hand and sometimes I’ll reach out if someone tweets something that I can help with but I’m not on Twitter 24/7 and don’t know ALL about the people I follow.

He follows it up with: “Remember the time you were super passionate about something? Did etiquette matter? Nope. Twitter isn’t an English tea party”. – seriously what the fuck?

I still tried to play nice and said back: “Yup I’ve been following you however you just begun following me and asked a favour. Surely that’s impolite?”

He came back once more: “Seems we have different views on what is polite or not. I consider anyone sharing their passion for digital as a positive thing.”

Passion for digital?? He’s trying to win a Ben and Jerry’s trip overseas!!!?? What the hell does that have to do with digital except he reached out to me by DM on Twitter.

I’m not naming you kid but you have a lot to learn about being a digital marketer … and being polite!

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