Unacceptable Behavior by Loved Ones Part 1

Smoking in the House.

This is unacceptable on so many levels, I don't know that I can even explain how unacceptable it is.

Top 10 Reasons You Should NOT Smoke In The House

10. The whole house stinks even if you smoke with your head sticking out the window

9. You may cause me to throw precious things out of that very same window, like your vintage ash tray from the 50's

8. You will make all my expensive clothes smell bad, which really ends up worse for you in the long run, because you'll be the one to replace all of them

7. Leaving your cigarette butts on the porch for me to eventually clean up is also disgusting

6. Smoking causes lots of undesirable things, like for instance... Death

5. Apparently you want me to die too because second hand smoke kills, don't you watch the news?

4. It sets a poor example for your children

3. Smoking is bad for you appearance and my attraction level to you. Examples of this include: Yellow Teeth, Wrinkles, Yellow finger nails and hands that smell like tobacco, and YOU taste like an ash tray

2. Washing your kitchen walls after years of you smoking in the house is so incredibly gross and not an experience I'd like to repeat

and the number one reason you should NOT smoke in the house...

1. You'll make your fiancee scream (that may be an understatement) at you! And that alone should be reason enough!

"Saved" Tables

The other night we went to the Elbo Room for our monthly dose of Shutter. Normally I semi-dread this event, but it can be fun don't get me wrong. It’s just necessary to come prepared to deal with ill-mannered people, and apparently I didn’t come prepared enough on this particular evening. Or a couple shots ahead of time seems to do the trick too, but I didn't have enough of those either it seems.

Here’s a little background for those of you who have not been to the Elbo Room: This is not a fancy bar. This is not one of those places where there is “reserved seating” and bottle service. This is just a cool place to hang out with a few limited tables here and there and a dance floor to dance your little heart out on.

Fast forward to about an hour into our evening…

All was going well and we were dancing and generally having a good time, when one of our slightly drunk friends slightly twisted her ankle (she was wearing some very fabulous five inch wedges with black and white polka-dots by the way). So understandably, she felt like she needed to sit down. There happened to be an open table in front of us so without a second thought we took it. Apparently, it wasn't as “open” as it appeared to be and two “ladies” (I use this term loosely because I think in reality they could be blood sucking vampires) came over and proceeded to inform me that this was "their table". (From here on out they will be referred to as Vampire 1 and 2… On second thought I think we will only be discussing Vampire 1 because it seemed to me that Vampire 2 was “Uh-huh, what she said girl” and so as far as I’m concerned girls like that don’t really exist). How can one claim a table when they're not even sitting at it you ask? Especially in a crowded bar with limited seating to begin with? Well you see this question perplexed me as well. I was very confused at her statement, how could this table be hers if she wasn’t sitting at it and the only thing remotely resembling a personal belonging was a scarf haphazardly thrown over the side of a chair?!? Generally, as I’m sure most of you know, I am a non-confrontational person. However, if I think you are being rude and inconsiderate that can change. So I said to Vampire 1 "No it's not, you're dancing over there not sitting here". Vampire 1 seemed to stare at me for a moment (probably contemplating whether she should suck my blood for calling her out on her total BS) before realizing she seemed to know our friend Adrienne and then suddenly it was ok for us to sit at “their table”. This seriously annoyed me considering that in the middle of our semi-confrontation I decided to sit down and then it became “my table”, and not even some Vampire bitch was going to make me move.

Do you think they are so ill-behaved because they sleep all day and only come out at night with others of their kind? Perhaps they are immune to bad behavior because they are surrounded by it? I really don’t understand this rude, selfish, inconsiderate, audacious, and disrespectful behavior. It’s time to learn how to behave in public you poor trust fund/hipster/vampires.

"Is that genuine?"

Things that are inappropriate and you should never say about any persons jewelry ever:

"Is that genuine?"

Especially when the ring in question is on that persons left ring finger and they work in a very high end jewelry store. Please find some manners deep within yourself, and take into consideration your environment. The sad thing about this comment is that it was made by an older women who should know what is and is not appropriate to say because she comes from a generation where good manners mattered.

Acceptable things to say if you are unsure that the item in question is indeed "genuine":

What type of stone is that?

Or simply:

That's beautiful! (Generally speaking if you say this to the person you are speaking with they will give you some kind of information on the item in question).

Other unacceptable things to say (unless you are in this persons close circle of friends and these are normal questions that you discuss about any type of item) are*:

How big is your ring?

How much did it cost?

*Also, keep in mind sometimes it's all about how you phrase it:

Inappropriate: Where is that from?

Appropriate: That's lovely, where did you find something so ____________? Fill in the blank with words like: Unique, different, unusual, eye catching, exceptional, individual, uncommon, or striking. You do not actually have to feel this way about the item in question, but it is the polite thing to do.

Speaking of the muni...

Other things that are unacceptable to do on public transportation (or in general) is to touch strangers. For example: If you happen to be an old Chinese lady and you are sitting down on the train, and I happen to be myself standing in front of you, it is not acceptable for you to reach up and grab my wrist and comment on the size of it. Nor is it ok for you to keep talking rather loudly about how oddly small they are. If I don't know you you should not be touching me or commenting about any of my body parts. Ewww...

Pole Leaners Part 2

On the way home from work tonight, on the super packed Muni, while it was pouring down rain and after I had to switch trains because the first one I was on had a meltdown (did I mention it was pouring?) there was this dumb girl who couldn't seem to get a clue that it's extremely rude to take up the whole pole! I was highly tempted to say something (and when I say "say something" what I really mean is yell something) but I decided it was best not to make a scene and she couldn't hear me anyways because she had her ipod on. I'm starting to think that ipods are not such a good idea after all, maybe they make you ignore the rest of the world too easily. Although, when men are trying to pick up on you or "homeless" people want your money they can be quite handy at blocking them out I will admit. I'm starting to think this is turning into an ipod post, which will just need to wait till later because that's a whole different rant and rave. Don't get me started on the people who come into my work and want my help but they won't take their headphones out of their ears and yet they insist that I must talk louder. The general public is horrifyingly rude, you really have no idea until you work in retail let me just say.

Pole Leaners

Pole leaners. You know the type...

The train's packed in the morning, of course it's running late, and you're barely squeezed in. Then there's Suzy Q, who is at least 5'7" and is of course deep in conversation about this lame party she went to last night, and her lame boyfriend, and probably something else particularly lame. There she is leaning against the pole. You're 5'2" and you're barely tall enough to reach the top hand rail and the fact of the matter is that it's probably too packed for you to even make it over to where it begins anyways. Now I know you're thinking why not just ask her to move over? Seems simple enough, right? But Suzy Q is always too wrapped up in her conversation to notice you, even if you're saying excuse me to her, or your knuckles are digging into her back because you've managed to barely grab onto the bit of pole she's not completely hogging. So there you are stuck, trying not to tumble into others and hearing all about Suzy Q’s lame-o life. I’m sorry Suzy, but I just don’t care.

The moral of this story? Don't be a pole leaner, short people everywhere will hate you.

Definitions

unacceptable

Main Entry:

un·ac·cept·able

Pronunciation:

\ˌən-ik-ˈsep-tə-bəl, -ak-\

Function:

adjective

Date:

15th century

: not acceptable : not pleasing or welcome

behavior

Main Entry:

be·hav·ior

Pronunciation:

\bi-ˈhā-vyər, bē-\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

alteration of Middle English behavour, from behaven

Date:

15th century

1 a: the manner of conducting oneself b: anything that an organism does involving action and response to stimulation c: the response of an individual, group, or species to its environment 2: the way in which someone behaves ; also : an instance of such behavior 3: the way in which something functions or operates.

Text: the way or manner in which one conducts oneself (he promised to be on his best behavior for the party)

Synonyms actions, bearing, comportment, conduct, demeanor, deportment

Related Words etiquette, form, manners, mores, proprieties; amenity, civility, courtesy, decorum, politeness; air, attitude, carriage, poise, pose, posture, presence; aspect, look, mien; formality, protocol, rules; custom, habit, pattern, practice (also practise), trick, wont; convention, fashion, form, mode, style; affectation, attribute, characteristic, mark, trait; distinctiveness, oddity, peculiarity, singularity, strangeness, uniqueness, weirdness