Etiquette Quirk (house, sidewalk, pet peeve, woman)

[mrstewart]

I am a stickler for rules of etiquette and am finding more often than not, I am alone in my search for well mannered individuals.
I think I may get sick if I see another person hold his/her fork like a shovel! Or better yet, drag their teeth across a fork.
I cannot be completely alone here, so let me know!

[Denise in Fla]

How about someone picking their teeth with a steak knife at a nice restaraunt??? If I had a toothpick I would have taken away the knife and gave him a toothpick!!

[mrstewart]

I am happy to say I have never witnessed someone picking their teeth with a knife...anywhere! That is vile. Instead of a toothpick, maybe directions to the bathroom would be appropriate!

[thefer]

dh always points out the ones that are eating with their mouth open! Like I want to see chewed up food falling out of someones mouth! lol

[Rance]

Whats the big deal about how a person holds a fork? It's just an eating utensil! I wrap my fingers around mine most of the time because it's comfortable. And when I set the table...I put the fork on the right and the knife on the left...unless I know for a fact a person is left handed. Then I switch them the other way. And yet I have very good manners and morals.
That other stuff is just a standard set by society...which I refuse to become a part of!

[HIF]

No, you are not alone! And that shoveling in food with the fork, I don't know where that even comes from because it just doesn't feel natural for me to pick up a fork that way.

Now I say that knowing that my 14YO son will eat mac and cheese with his hands if he could get away with it- but he knows how to eat properly and does so whenever adults are around.

And growing up, I was taught that you don't even use toothpicks. If something is in your teeth, you go to the restroom and floss. It is disgusting to see someone in public digging away in their mouth with a toothpick. I've seen the picking teeth with a knife in restaurants, or a folded matchbook cover, too- YUK!

But what's the big deal? People plop their diapered toddlers up on the counter when ordering in fast food restaurants. The restaurant staff should be telling them to take their baby's butt off the food counter!

Rance- My feeling about manners is that you don't have to use them, but it is good to know them. Now your world and mine are 180 degrees from eachother's. In your world, you get more points for driving hours in terrible conditions to deliver papers to men out in the field then for placing your napkin on you lap before eating! You live a less superficial life.

But I want that kind of thing to be a no-brainer to my kids because it is one of the things that they will be judged on in our world. They don't have to use their manners (as in the case of my son when he is not around grown ups), but I want my kids to know which fork to use.

I had a friend who worked for a top state official and she confided in me once that the hardest part of her job was knowing which salad dish and drink were hers at banquets.

[Denise in Fla]

Originally Posted by HIF

No, you are not alone! And that shoveling in food with the fork, I don't know where that even comes from because it just isn't a natural way to pick up a fork.

Now I say that knowing that my 14YO son will eat mac and cheese with his hands if he could get away with it- but he knows how to eat properly and does so whenever adults are around.

We were taught that you don't even use toothpicks. If something is in your teeth, you go to the restroom and floss. It is disgusting to see someone in public digging away in their mouth with a toothpick. I've seen the picking teeth with a knife in restaurants, or a folded matchbook cover, too- YUK!

But what's the big deal? People plop their diapered toddlers up on the counter when ordering in fast food restaurants. The restaurant staff should be telling them to take their baby's butt off the food counter!

I agree they should go and floss their teeth or wait until they leave the restaraunt, I just don't like seeing people pick their teeth while I'm eating. And ditto on the baby's butt on the counters.

[Rance]

You know what really get's to me...people that slurp soup. Yup...that one drives me right up the wall. Especially when they hold their spoon all dainty like...and then ruin the moment with that loud SLUUUURP.
And another one is the pinky finger sticking out when people drink tea. I wonder who came up with some of these so called manners. English nobles and such?

[mrstewart]

The baby butt is a gross one too!
Here is another pet peeve of mine and I need to deal with it every day... people who take their dogs on walks but do not bring baggies to take their sweet pooches "deposits" to a garbage receptacle.
There was a woman who would let her dog OFF the leash and he would run directly to my yard to relieve himself. So one day I was in my sunroom and lured the dog to the door with one of my dogs treats. I took the dog back to the front of the house and saw the owner and said " Oh, does this dog belong to you? I was just getting ready to bring him home. I assumed he had run off since he was not on a leash." I do not have that problem anymore.

[HIF]

Originally Posted by mrstewart

The baby butt is a gross one too!
Here is another pet peeve of mine and I need to deal with it every day... people who take their dogs on walks but do not bring baggies to take their sweet pooches "deposits" to a garbage receptacle.
There was a woman who would let her dog OFF the leash and he would run directly to my yard to relieve himself. So one day I was in my sunroom and lured the dog to the door with one of my dogs treats. I took the dog back to the front of the house and saw the owner and said " Oh, does this dog belong to you? I was just getting ready to bring him home. I assumed he had run off since he was not on a leash." I do not have that problem anymore.

DITTO! I am on the board of my HOA and all four board members have dogs. I am the only one who bags and one doesn't even use a leash. It's embarassing and hypocritical.

Once a young woman in my neighborhood was walking two dogs and as they were pooping beside the sidewalk in front of a park, I pulled my car over, smiled as I got out of my car and said, "Oh, I see you need a bag. Here...." I said as I held out a plastic grocery bag.

She said, "Oh, no, that's okay."

I got more serious and said, "No, you need a bag. Lots of people walk here and it's really gross."

Then she smiled, reached out, took the bag and thanked me!