Etiquette Tips for Miami (Miami Beach: house, living in, restaurants)

[rnc2mbfl]

After living in Miami Beach for 7 years, I have some etiquette advice for those who live here.

1. Stop lights and stop signs mean just that: STOP! If you are going to make a right on red, come to a complete stop first. And, while we are at it, let's consider advice #2....

2. Pedestrians have the right of way. If you are making a right on red, you have to yield to the pedestrian in the crosswalk. And, if the crosswalk is not protected by a light and is merely striped on the street, the pedestrian ALWAYS has the right of way.

3. Nobody wants to be around your children after midnight. This is adult time. Take them home and put them to bed. At all other times, be the parent... Don't let them run around restaurants and disturb other diners, etc.

4. When walking on a sidewalk, pass oncoming walkers on the right. If you are holding your sweetheart's hand, that doesn't give you the right to hog the entire sidewalk. Drop the hand, walk single file for 10 seconds, it won't kill you.

5. Smile, say "please" and "thank-you". You'd be surprised how doing these things will actually reward you with the same. It doesn't happen every time but it makes someone else's day nicer and that makes everyone's day nicer in the long run.

6. Don't honk your horn because the person in front of you can't move.

7. That little stick on the right side of your steering wheel is called a "turn signal". Learn how to use it.

8. 95 is the name of the Interstate, it's not the speed limit.

9. If you make an appointment at a business, show up on time.

10. If you are in the service industry and make an appointment to do work at someone's house or business, show up on time.

11. Don't snap your fingers at service industry personnel. They are people too! They are not your servants or slaves.

12. Don't scream and yell at people to make your point. It's more likely to make you NOT get what you want and it annoys everyone else around you.

13. Don't show up to the post office with a plastic garbage bag of stuff and say you want to mail it. Get a box, pack it, tape and addresss it before getting in line. (believe it or not, I have seen this happen more than once)

Miami is a lovely place, rich with natural beauty and amazing diversity in culture. Some simple modifications in behavior would go long way in making it the uber-fantastic place it can be.

[chisoxfan]

Thank you for the best post of the day. "Treat others the way you'd want to be treated" is a rule to live by, no matter where you live.

[compelled to reply]

Best post I have read in a long time. Be a part of the solution, not a problem. I strongly suggest maybe putting that on your community bulletin board if you have one, or another public place. Very good post.

[illini84]

Very nice. My list of pet peeves in Miami as well--especially people ALWAYS being late! Not just 10 minutes...usually an hour or more! My other pet peeve is people speaking Spanish in the workplace when they know English just fine. How rude...

[Chelito23]

The post office one is funny. I have seen that too. I wondered if these people own correspondence type businesses and have to send it trhough the US Post Office or something?? I mean bags FULL of correspondence and they tie up one of the two employees for an hour while the lines are out the door. That is the selfish MiamiME behavior that we all hate. It is all about ME. It isn't MY problem that 95 people have to wait. lol. And don't even get me started on the nutty service at those "dutch doors" where you have to pick up packages larger than an envelope. Last time I went to pick up a package at my post office I heard the manager come on the loud speaker in the back sorting area and "remind" the employees that tampering and opening packages was a federal offense and to stop opening correspondence. The people in line just looked at each other amazed...lol! Only in Miami would you hear that!!!

[compelled to reply]

I would actually say the post office thing is more just plain stupid than selfish, LOL!

[gv0928]

Originally Posted by illini84

My other pet peeve is people speaking Spanish in the workplace when they know English just fine. How rude...

Well, that's unfair. Why should I ignore my culture from 9-5? If Spanish is important to me, I should be free to use it. I honestly feel that it's only rude if you're nosy.

And if they are talking about you? So what? They'd do it in English just as well as in Spanish. It doesn't matter.

[Chelito23]

About the whole language business...I think it is rude to speak in a different language when others are present, especially at work, since this EXCLUDES people. However, it would be unfair to restrict what languages people can speak.
Lastly, if people are speaking a language you don't understand, don't sweat it, the conversation most likely isn't meant for you to hear anyways...

[doggiebus]

A woman almost hit me in a roundabout yesterday, she never yielded, guess she thought she owned the road. So I would add to the list.

14. How to drive at roundabout. Driver should slow down at the yield sign near the roundabout, watch for pedestrians and bicyclists and be prepared to stop if necessary. When the driver enters, drivers yields to circulating traffic on the left, but does not stop if the way is clear. When exiting, the driver should turn on his/her right turn signal and watch for pedestrians and bicyclists as he/she exits.

I wish the news would do a story about the new roundabouts all over town, and explain how to drive through them as many people don't have a clue.

[illini84]

Originally Posted by gv0928

Well, that's unfair. Why should I ignore my culture from 9-5? If Spanish is important to me, I should be free to use it. I honestly feel that it's only rude if you're nosy.

And if they are talking about you? So what? They'd do it in English just as well as in Spanish. It doesn't matter.

It excludes people who don't speak Spanish and is rude! I hate it when I'm at a business meeting and everyone has conversations on the side in Spanish! Then they act like they're doing me a favor by summing up the conversation in one or two sentences by relaying it. Like I'm at fault for not knowing Spanish or something...and why can't I learn their language? This isn't Latin America here! Be professional! Geez...