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Letter: Manners and etiquette
This is a comment on the article in the Out & About section titled “Welcome to the land of disrespectful smokers and poor etiquette” (The Jakarta Post, Feb
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his is a comment on the article in the Out & About section titled “Welcome to the land of disrespectful smokers and poor etiquette” (The Jakarta Post, Feb. 23).
The British are by no means the best people on the planet but we do pride ourselves on our manners.
As a British man living in Indonesia, I have imported the good manners and etiquette I was taught as a child. These things include:
Not talking with my neighbor during a meeting where a superior is speaking, realizing it is a sign of ignorance and disrespect.
If I must smoke, finding a suitable place outside to do so (I can’t even bear to smoke in my own car when others are riding with me).
Waiting outside the elevator until everyone getting out has got out and then entering.
Holding a door open for a second or two until the next person reaches it, consequently stopping it slamming on their hands or in their face and on particularly good days, even holding the door to let people go through first.
Stopping to let motorists turning across my lane make their turn without trying to block them off as quickly as possible.
Waiting my turn in queues (although I realize that this is self-defeating) in the hope that the server or cashier has spotted me standing there the longest.
Teaching my children to put their litter in the handy door pockets in the car so that it can be disposed of later, preferably in one of the many bins we have.
All these things, although simple enough to avoid doing, make life nicer for everyone involved.
Andrew E Short
Bandung
