Painfully Obvious Social Norms That Shouldn’t Need Explaining But Apparently Do
There are some things that people shouldn't have to be told to do. Unfortunately, to get some people to do simple things can be like pulling teeth. There are countless little things you can do on a day-to-day basis to make your life and everyone around you a little easier. However, some people would rather ignore these unspoken societal norms we have in place that make everything run smoothly and ruin it for everyone. From cleaning up after your dog to simply saying "excuse me," these are the painfully obvious social norms that shouldn't need explaining.
Using The Magical Turn Signal
Everybody buckle up because we have some groundbreaking information coming your way! In case you were unaware, there is an excellent feature that comes with every car on the market, including yours! It's a lever on the left side of the steering wheel that controls the turn signals on your car.
When you push it down, it signals that you are turning left and when you push it up it signals that you are turning right. Although this may be a bizarre concept for most men, it's a courtesy to other drivers to use so you can avoid getting into an accident going 70 MPH on the freeway.
Part Of Owning A Dog is Picking Up After It
This one goes out to all of our dog lovers out there that adore everything about having a dog except for the responsibilities that come along with it. Dogs are living organisms that eat, and therefore go poop. Unless your dog is trained to use the toilet, which we highly doubt, you can't blame them for unloading some timber whenever they feel the need.
However, you can be blamed for not picking up after them. If you're out in public and your dog takes care of some business, take your plastic bag (which we already know you bought with you) and pick it up. Girls, this may go against your every instinct, but at least it will give you something to Tweet about.
Using Speakerphone In Public Is One Way To Get Everyone To Hate You
Alright, all of you unbearable narcissists, it's an absolute shame that this even needs to be mentioned, but here we are. As if talking on the phone in public isn't bad enough, let's talk about the do's and don'ts of using the speakerphone. When is it acceptable to use? While you're driving, by yourself, or in a secluded room with multiple people involved in the conversation. When is it not acceptable to use? Every other second of the day.
Using speakerphone in public positions you right at the top of the list with the most hated people in the world. You're the person that others go home and rant about how bad they wanted to punch you in your face. Nobody cares about how drunk you got last night or the stock you just sold. You are scum, my friend.
Park In The Lines, Make The World Go Round
When it comes to parking, the golden rule comes to mind. "Do unto others what you want them to do unto you." The amazing thing about parking is that there's one simple rule: stay in the lines. If everyone can do that, the world would be a less cynical place.
Yet, for some people (soccer moms), you might be better off asking them to count the number of grains of sand on the beach. The people that can't manage to park correctly also lack a little something called forward thinking. If you don't park correctly then someone can't park next to you, so now you're not just taking up two spaces in the parking lot, but you're also taking up space on the earth.
Wait In Line Like An Adult
Standing in line isn't something that anybody likes to do, but it's a part of life. Sometimes you have to just have to suck it up, be patient, and wait your turn. Yet, of course, some people feel that lines don't apply to them and cut like a spoiled third grader in the lunch line.
I mean, there are literally children's books written about the subject, so it's pretty pathetic that some adults are still unable to comprehend the concept that it's wrong. It's a slap in the face to all of the other cooperative human beings waiting patiently and you might as well wear a sign that says "I have a superiority complex."
Flushing The Toilet Should Be Second Nature
Unfortunately, we've all experienced it. The horror of going to the bathroom only to realize that the previous user didn't do one of the simplest tasks in the world and flush the toilet. It should be as natural as pulling up your pants after taking care of your business. Are you really going to subject someone else to the task of flushing your own waste and watch it get sucked into the sewage system?
People like to tell themselves that they're the first person to use that toilet and now you've ruined that, thanks a lot. This isn't the Dark Ages where you can just defecate in the streets with no questions asked. This is the 21st Century, we have self-driving cars for crying out loud, flush the toilet.
Holding The Door Is A Small Act of Kindness
Alright boys, unless you were raised in a barn, it should be common sense to hold the door open for women and for other men as well. We're not asking you to be Hodor from Game of Thrones here, just hold the door open to make someone else's life a little bit easier. It's a gracious thing to do that will take maybe two seconds out of your day.
If you can't possibly muster the energy or sacrifice the time to do this, then not much can ever be expected from you really. It also shouldn't take a father figure to help you figure this one out. It's called being a gentleman and is a societal norm that has been around forever, so why stop now?
Tailgating Is Dangerous and Pointless
At its core, driving a car can be a pretty risky business. Putting your trust in the other drivers around you to stay focused while traveling at high speeds in a heavy-duty metal box, what could go wrong? Most people try to make driving as safe as possible and one of the ways is by not tailgating. When it comes to driving a vehicle, staying a safe distance away from the driver in front of you should be an absolute no-brainer.
As if driving wasn't dangerous enough, to follow close behind another moving car is just playing with fire. This isn't the Indy 500, you're not going to get there any faster, but you are highly more likely to get into an accident. It's an incredibly dangerous thing to do, yet some people still do it anyway. Maybe they just love the thrill of endangering others.
Knowing Your Order
When you order food at an establishment where there is a line, do everyone a favor and know your order before you get to the register. Neither the employee or the people behind you want to watch you look aimlessly at the menu which you could have done while you were in line. People are hungry and on a time schedule and believe it or not they're not your time.
If you don't know what you want before you get in line then take the time to make a decision before you get in line. By doing this, you will make the lives of the people working and the other customers that much easier and you won't look like an absolute fool.
Elevator Courtesy
Although it may not seem obvious to everyone, there is such as thing as elevator courtesy. How it works is when the elevator doors open, you need to let the people in the elevator out first before you can enter. If the people inside don't get out first, it is going to make the entire situation difficult for everyone and they might even get stuck by the inflow of people coming in.
If you take some time to think about it, it really does make a lot of sense although waiting an extra 30 seconds for people to exit may be too much for some to bear. So either learn to be patient and respect the process or start taking the stairs.
Walking Down A Hallway: For Dummies
Waling in a hallway is most likely something you will encounter in your life, so it's important to refresh yourself on hallway etiquette. Once again, this may seem obvious, but apparently, it isn't for everyone. When walking down a hallway, the wall closest to you should be on your right side and your shoulder should almost be touching the wall.
This way, there is a steady flow of traffic so the hallway doesn't get congested with people. By doing this, it will make your walk much more pleasant and you won't be dodging and bumping into the other people surrounding you. This is something taught to young children so if you didn't learn it then you better learn it now.
Oversharing On Social Media Is Cringe-Worthy
In today's world, social media is the unfortunate king. Whether it be Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, whatever else, it's impossible to escape. A major downside that comes with social media is the dreaded oversharers. These are the people that have (what should now be classified as a medical condition) the need to share every detail of their life on social media.
People that fall into this category are usually young men trying to prove their worth, women having a life crisis in their early thirties, and new families. Although every person has their own method of oversharing, they all have one thing in common: They're all equally delusional thinking that anyone actually cares. But hey, we guess it's cheaper than therapy.
Leave Aggressive PDA To The Teenagers
When you're in a relationship with somebody or have very strong romantic feelings for an individual, we're not going to tell you that you can't physically express these emotions. However, we are going to tell you to keep it private or leave it in the confines of your own bedroom. Nobody wants to be out and about only to see a couple playing tonsil hockey on the sidewalk like it's their last day on earth.
There's a time and a place for such things and in front of Nordstroms is not one of them. A good tip for being out in public with your significant other is to pretend that your own mother is right behind you. Do you think she'd appreciate watching you swap spit and public? Probably not, so keep it to yourselves.
Don't Be A Litterbug
For the most part, people manage to throw away their own garbage when they are on their own property in order to avoid living in a trash can. Yet, for some reason, when some people are outside of their own space, that thought process goes right out of the window. It's not unusual for people to mindlessly toss a wrapper onto the sidewalk or out of their car because if they can't see it it's no longer their problem.
It seems like a pretty understandable concept to not litter since the world is your home and it negatively affects the people around you. We guess some people can't handle that kind of abstract thinking or they really are just that selfish and lazy.
Stop Texting While Talking
Ther's no way around it, texting is a beautiful thing. It's a long distance conversation you can have with someone that doesn't require the attention of a phone call. But here's the thing about texting, it's a one-on-one conversation. That means when you're having an actual conversation with someone, you need to put you texting conversation on hold- we're talking to you Millenials.
If you're texting someone in the middle of a conversation, it tells the person that you don't actually care about what they have to say and that who you're texting is more important. This is acceptable for 12-year-old girls with their friends or if you're texting your parents. Otherwise, get off your phone and be present.
Texting and Driving Is A Good Way To Cause Serious Problems
While we're on the topic of texting, let's discuss the other issue of texting and driving. Nothing screams I'm willing to kill myself and others around me for a stupid reason more than texting a driving. Anything that makes driving less safe than it already is should be avoided and texting is at the top of the list.
But no, people are willing to take their eyes completely off the road and use one hand to send "on my way", which could have done before they got into the car. Of course, there are those that claim to be good at texting and driving. Don't listen to them. They usually end up on commercials talking about how it ruined their life. Use your brain, your text can wait.
Saying Excuse Me Can Make A Huge Difference
Saying excuse me is one of the simplest and most effective phrases in the English language. It's right up there with please, sorry, thank you, and you're welcome. If you accidentally brush up against someone, accidentally get in someone's way, or disturb anyone in any manner, a simple "excuse me" will alleviate most if not all of the tension.
This isn't Cabo during Spring Break where it's every man for himself, we live in a civilized society. Saying "excuse me" means that you recognize the situation and how you are affecting the other person. It's a form of apology that everyone appreciates even when it isn't all that necessary.
Always Leave A Tip
For those of you that have been living under a rock, it is customary to tip people that work in the service industry in the U.S. This includes waiters and waitresses, bartenders, movers, hair stylists, delivery people, essentially anyone that provided a direct service to you. If you need a refresher, film Reservoir Dogs provides an in-depth explanation of the importance of tipping and how it affects the livelihood of those that work such jobs.
There is never an excuse not to tip. If you know you're to need to tip someone, pull out the necessary cash. For you college students, if you're going out to eat and don't have enough money to tip, you shouldn't be going out to eat at all. Also, research shows that people who don't tip have a 95% chance of being called cheap by their peers.
Walking With The Flow Of A Crowd
When you're walking in a large crowd whether it be on a city street or at an event, there are only a couple of rules that must be followed. One is to walk on the right side (like in a hallway) and the other is to walk with the flow of the crowd. One of the worst things you can do is walk slowly while you're looking down at your phone or just not paying attention.
This is not the time to take a lovely stroll down the street and stopping to smell the flowers. You need to keep moving because there are other people all around you with places to be. If you want to take your time and enjoy yourself maybe head to a park instead of a crowded area. You might end up getting thumped on the head otherwise.
