– Good Manners Helps Them Go a Little Smoother

In today’s fast paced world, we often race around wanting to get things done as quickly as possible. And if we encounter a line that slows our progress, it’s easy to get impatient and frustrated either with the people ahead of us or with the serving staff.

At these times, it’s important to focus outside of yourself and maintain your composure and good manners.

Whenever you have to wait in line, take a deep breath and follow these guidelines for good line etiquette:

1. Allow people their personal space
While waiting in line, do not crowd the person in front of you. Allow them a foot or two of personal space. This also allows room for people to pass through the line if they need to cross to the other side. If you are waiting in a line at a store checkout, also allow the person space to complete their transaction before moving forward with your own purchases.

2. Pay attention and be respectful of people around you
As you wait in line, be aware of others around you. Try not to block the entire passageway so people who are not waiting in the line can get through. If you have personal belongings or items with you, be sure to keep them close to you and out of the way of other people.

3. Use your waiting time wisely
If you are waiting in a line to place an order, such as at a fast food restaurant or the movie theatre refreshment line, use the waiting time to determine what you will order and have your payment ready. This way, you are prepared when your turn comes and can make your transaction quickly and allow others to get through the line faster.

4. Be considerate of other people
If you are waiting in a line and another checkout opens beside you, it is polite to allow the customer next in line to move over first. Do not rush over from the back of the line to get ahead of the people who have been waiting longer. If you arrive at a checkout at the same time as another person, it is good manners to allow the person with the least amount of items to go first, particularly if they have one or two items and you have many.

5. Avoid the temptation to complain loudly
The service might be slow, the people ahead of you may be taking too long, and it may seem reasonable to vent your frustrations, but it rarely helps the situation and is disruptive and irritating to the people around you. If you have a legitimate concern or suggestion for improving the situation in the future, quietly mention it to the server when your turn arrives or write a letter to the management at a later time.

Although theatres are getting more and more expensive, going out to a movie theatre can still be a fun evening out. But, that evening could be spoiled by poor etiquette by other movie patrons.

To be respectful and considerate of others so everyone can enjoy the show, follow these five tips for good movie manners:

1. Turn off your cell phone. Most movie theatres remind people to turn off their phones before the movie begins. Don’t just turn off the ringer or put your phone on vibrate. If a call comes in during the movie, other people can still hear your phone vibrate and if you check your message or read and send a text message, in the darken theatre, the light from your phone seems as bright as a lighthouse beacon.
2. Avoid the urge to comment out loud during the movie. Regardless of what you think of the movie, keep your opinions to yourself. Other people are there to watch the movie for themselves and do not want to hear what you think, especially not while the movie is playing. If you find yourself not interested in a show and would rather talk to your friend, it is polite to leave the theatre and have your discussion in a restaurant or cafe where you won’t disturb people trying to watch and listen to the film.
3. Keep your feet on the floor It is nice to be comfortable while you watch a film, but not at the expense of the comfort of other movie patrons. Placing your feet on the back of the seat in front of you, gets dirt on that seat, puts your feet next to the face of the people sitting in that row, and shakes the entire row of seats.
4. Provide room for people to pass you so they can get to their seats If you have long legs or bags that you place on the floor by your feet during the movie, be accommodating to people who need to get past you to get to their seats. You can stand up to allow more room for them to pass and pick up your belongs so they don’t stumble or trip on them as they try to get by.
5. Don’t leave a mess behind If you have popcorn, drinks, or other snacks during the movie, clean up your area before you leave the theatre. Although, the theatre does have staff who will come through and pick up empty containers before the next show, you can make it easier by stacking your items neatly. Or even taking them with you and depositing them in a garbage bin yourself. If you spill a drink or anything that might be sticky, let the staff know so they can clean the area before another patron sits they or step in the mess.