Do you sometimes feel frustrated with friends and family members over their lack of etiquettes and good manners? I sometimes blush and have to duck my head a bit to spare myself the humiliation. Adults are no better than kids, especially in the following situations. Here are top 10 bad manners adults have, as described in situations.
1. Greeting:
I was once at an airport picking up a couple of friends coming back from vacation. Looking around, I saw two people I knew starring at me. I was saddened by the bad manners and lack of greeting. You expect a hello from everybody but sometimes you do not get one. Some adults just do not have the appropriate level of manners in this world. I sometimes have to repeat myself asking “aren’t you going to say hello.” I’ve said this more times than I have fingers and toes on my body.
2. Burping:
I am sitting down with an acquaintance in a downtown restaurant. Although it is not one of those high class restaurants, it is classy to say the least. We start talking about life and things we plan to do, while eating the contents brought to our table. All of the sudden I hear a burp. Ladies and gentleman, this was no ordinary burp. It was the type of burp, Homer Simpson does when he finishes a beer. Burping in public places is one bad manner adults have. The only country to accept belching as normal is East Timor.
3. Please and Thank you:
You are sitting with a bunch of friends at a small diner. You order food and have not yet said that you would like to share with others. Your friend is intrigued by your sandwich. He does not like his sandwich he ordered and wants a piece of yours. Before even asking if he could have one, he puts his hand on the sandwich. What happened to please and thank you, in today’s world? Some people just have bad manners.
4. Dinner Table Discussions:
You are with your friends watching sports and eating pizza and drinking beer. While eating…one friend brings up several inappropriate topics at the table. These topics make you want to puke. You really cannot and would not want to imagine what this friend is describing. Doesn’t anyone have their dinner table manner? I guess not.
5. Flatulence:
I call these people stinkerman or stinkerwoman, if you know what I mean. These are the people who decide to spray a foul smell in public. The worst is when you are in enclosed area. Things do happen but at least can they say excuse me? This is one bad manner parents never debunk.
6. Lateness:
I absolutely hate when people are late. Could they have the decency to call before being late? Many don’t call. They don’t even show up. They make you wait an hour or sometimes more before showing up. Because of such bad manners, I need to tell adults to be 1 hour before I actually need them at my house.
7. Subway/Bus Seat:
Nowadays people have less respect for the elderly or people who are older than them. I now hardly see anyone giving up their seat on their bus to let an elderly person, child or someone who is disabled to sit down. Numerous times I’ve seen old people struggling to stand up while the bus is running. Even with a sign on the bus window, people still do not obey. This is one bad manner people need to throw away, and I mean fast.
8. Not Cleaning Up:
Many expect others to be their maid. I pick up after children, who come to help me when they see me cleaning up. Many adults are very lazy. A perfect example of this is a fast food restaurant. Knowing there is a server who cleans the tables, they leave their trays and dirt. They do not take others into consideration, especially those who are going to sit there next. It just takes 1 minute to throw garbage away. Some adults just have bad manners, especially when it comes to cleaning up after themselves.
9. Putting Feet on the Table:
This is a horrible pet peeve and another example of bad manners. If an adult does that to someone who comes from a Middle Eastern country, they will be shunned. It is a form of disrespect and shows unprofessionalism on your part.
10. Picking up Food with Hands:
When sharing food with others, adults do not use their good manners. You sometimes should not use your hands in order to take the food. I find I have to ask thousands of times for adults to use their forks, spoons, knives and chopsticks to pick up their food. It makes me lose my appetite watching someone pick up food with hands. You never know if they washed their hands properly.
If you request that adults show up an hour early before you need them, then they will be left waiting around, and in a sense you will be the one that is late. Most people can IDENTIFY what good manners are and which are lacking in Americans, few people actually HAVE good manners.
You forgot to mention one of the absolutely most disgusting habits on the planet: GUM CHEWING!! Especially with an open mouth! Can’t stand the way it looks, the way it sounds, or the way it stinks!! Some people are stupid enough to dictate medical reports with their mouths full of the shit. Also full of cough drops, hard candies, and food. Smacking is bad too, as is eating. Some of these morons dictate while they’re in the bathroom, and you can hear the toilet flushing! Gross!!
Gum chewing is the main reason why I absolutely hate-hate-hate public transportation too. The gropers and x-rays are bad, but sitting next to a fricking gum chewer for a cross-country flight is enough to make me puke just thinking about it.
You left out the, by far, the most common rude behavior and lack of manners – the behavior of people when driving a car, behavior which would not occur if the didn’t have glass and steel insulating them from the people they’re being rude and inconsiderate to. Take together all of the offenses you list and multiply them by ten and the don’t equal the annoyance of driver rudeness.
Table manners —
Don’t talk with your mouth full!
And dammit, use your napkin!
pretty much any pic you see of Obama sitting down he has his feet propped up on a table, even in important meetings, just one of the many unprofessional and lack of manners things he does
I agree, manners for adults and children have tanked from decades ago, which is why my husband and I no longer participate/join in any civic, vets org., church and other clubs or activities any more. The main thing is people do not express gratitude, appreciation for anything; they make demands to do fundraisers and other volunteer work. We have had it, and with fewer friends now, we’re content to be reclusive in our retirement years. I also agree with driver rudeness, also talking on cellphones distracting others in public places with loud talking.
While I have a well paying day job, being a single mom, I have to work nights waitressing to maintain a comfortable standard of living. I remain utterly dumbfounded by the number of people who reach adulthood without learning to chew with their mouths closed. It seems to have become more prevalent in recent years as well. Seems to me if you’ve made it past the 4th grade and haven’t mastered keeping your lips together when you chew, there is something wrong.
My own pet peeve is related to No. 8 above, and that would be littering, which is done by people of all ages but is especially inexcusable when an adult does it.
Running a close second would be motorists who do not signal at intersections.
Let’s not leave out a modern annoyance: interrupting. I hear it all the time. I may be trying to hear out what someones position is during an interview when the interviewer bursts in and interrupts just because they are only interested in the very tiny first part of what the person said. Why did the person being interviewed even get invited on the show? So the interviewer can state how they are not interested by blah blah blahing all over the guest.
This is not limited to professional interviews but is chronic behavior in family and friend situations. If you are not interested in my response do not start a conversation with me (unless of course you are a liberal then that is the only way of communicating for you). Liberals simply badger their friend until they just give up trying to have a constructive dialogue then the liberal feels as if they’ve won! At that point the interrupter has just been dismissed as a sophmoric upstart by their friend.
You forgot one…what about assholes who live in the past and try to dictate to everyone else what is considered bad manners. Maybe people don’t want to say hi to you because you are such a jerk bag. Maybe I don’t give a shit if somebody from the middle east gets offended when I want to relax and put my feet on the table. maybe some feet have to be eaten with the hands…shot, some countries eat primarily with the hands. Of course farting and hurling loud are often intentional and rude, but sometime you just gotta fart or burp, it’s natural and unhealthy to hold it.
It seems you have a culture bias…and you also like to hitch and nitpick a lot. Here is an idea, get over yourself and quit acting like the world should accomidate your preferences. You are only one six billionth of the world and should learn to be less of a bigot.
I’m not a dictator. The most important manner is simple, regular washing of the hands (up to the wrist). That’s all you need to know.
What the hell is wrong with you? Goddamn manner Nazis, who honestly cares? Why does it bother you so much that people have bodily functions and don’t adhere to your Draconian manner-laws? You’d be much more suited to Victorian England, where you could be a social pariah for something as trivial as what you’re whinging about.
I wouldn’t want to walk up and say hi to you if you’re so touchy and easily insulted :S
Brilliant topic, may I add, in some cultures, it is daily to eat with hand. I remember a Somalian man who ate rice with his hands. By the way, the person above us hasn’t lived had lived near people with true morality.
I think you should rename the article to “My Top Ten Pet Peeves”. What is considered “good and bad manners” depends on what culture perspective you come from. For instance, in Japan it’s considered impolite if you don’t “slurp” the soup or noddles. In India, you shouldn’t eat food with your left hand. In England you always have to taste the food before you can add in any spices or salt. In some countries, tipping is considered an insult. In other countries, burping is OK. Most European or Eastern countries – no one arrives on tip always later – because it’s their culture to do so.
So really, I think you need to take culture aspect into consideration before you just label it as “bad manners”. I don’t think all that you listed should be the terms that dictates everyone in the world – especially not America either – because state to state is different – like it’s bad manners and even illegal in some state to pump your own gas. America is very diverse – hand washing might be universal but not all that you listed are.
Excuse me, but why should I give my seat to a child?
Unless they are disabled it makes no sense. They usually have more energy than I do and standing doesn’t harm them. If they are not disabbled, why is that a problem that they stand up until they get off the bus?
I have enough of society wanting people to worship children just for the fact that they are children. Besides, children don’t even pay ticket until they turn a certain age, so that means they should be the ones giving up their seats to the ones who are tired from work and actually paid the ticket.
I was also a child once and back there no one ever gave me their seat on the bus because back then children were raised to respect grown-ups, now grown-ups are expected to worship children.
If anyone gives up their seats for children, fine by me but don’t expect me to do the same. With elderly, disabled or injured people sure I do anytime.
I have 2 children (the boy is 11 and the girl is 4). I raised them to be productive and respectful and polite towards everyone (other children AND adults), not to take advantage of what they are. My children will NEVER be the spoiled brats that I see all the time in the nowadays society. Today, if the parents see their kids bullying some other kids, they find that great, smile and say “At least he’s not the one who’s being bullyed” and see in that a sign great and admirable strength. This is the world we live in.
Take care. Good article except for this point,
Alexandra
Saying that body functions are bad manners is ridiculous as we have no control of burping or flatulence. Have you ever had crab or been served prawns (shrimp) with their shells on. I’d like to see you try eating those with a knife and fork. How about ribs or a hamburger or hotdog with a knife and fork? When on public transport I will always stand up to give a lady or elderly or disabled my seat. The elderly and disabled appreciate it but some women are offended. I’ve even had women get mad at me for opening a door for them. Feet on a table, if it’s my table I can do anything I want with it. As for saying hello with someone as foolish as you I would not want to say hello as I may get a lecture about how I’m not dressed to your high standards.
Good manners is hardly a new phenomenon – it goes back to the beginning of life on this earth and is talked about in every religious text ever written, in every religion on earth, and begins with the Golden Rule. These rules of behavior are not made to intimidate but to help the poor oafs who have no clue that the reason they can’t make friends, lose jobs and are avoided by others is because their actions are obnoxious and ignorant.