Traveling is fraught with the possibility of ruining the day for a lot of strangers. In other words, poor etiquette can be an insidious form of mass psychological terrorism. Assuming you are a generally thoughtful human being who is sensitive to his or her surroundings and has a “solid” head on his or her “shoulders,” the following tips will help you be the internationally considerate traveler you wish to be.
General Travel Etiquette
- Etiquette specifics can vary greatly from country to country, province to province, town to town, cafe to cafe. Read up on local etiquette quirks in advance.
- Observe what the majority of the local passengers are doing and follow suit. This rule will take you far, especially in the case of an emergency evacuation.
- Ask for help if you are ever uncertain. Shout for help if you begin to bleed profusely.
- When you do make mistakes in etiquette, do not kick yourself. More importantly, do not kick other people to release your frustrations.
- Reduce fumble time. Keep documents, boarding passes, tickets and other travel necessities in an easy-to-access location like the waterproof passport pouch under your shirt, the front pocket of your waterproof vest, or your waterproof fist.
- Always carry around a small bundle of tissues or toilet paper just in case. Only carry around individual rolls of toilet paper if that is the cultural norm.
- For the sake of fellow passengers, never ever scream obscenities in any language when the announcements are on. At all other times, keep obscenities to a low whisper or wistful murmur.
- In many countries, it is extremely rude to touch people, especially people you don’t know. Try to keep the touching to yourself unless everyone else around you is touching each other. As a general rule, keep your hands to yourself. On the other hand, if you are ever invited to touch someone, use your judgment and evaluate situations on a case by case basis.
- Be aware of your hand gestures for they might be unwittingly offensive. If possible, keep your hands in the neutral and almost universally recognized “peace sign” position.
- The Barney Rule: Say the equivalents of “please” and “thank you” often unless you are in a country where the polite thing to do is to be slightly rude or punch people in the face. In such cases, punch away.
- Be on time. Of course what “on time” means varies greatly from culture to culture and from situation to situation. Play it on the safe side and give yourself an hour to grab a snack or bathroom break and to find your ride or terminal without anxiety.
- Be a good tipper.
- Dress appropriately. Nothing screams “Tourist!” like a t-shirt with “Tourist!” printed garishly across the chest in Comic Sans. Because traveling is a public gesture, show your respect for fellow passengers by wearing appropriate clothing. Keep most body parts covered. Minimize layers. Blend into the crowd but not into the patterned fabric covering your seat.
Planes
- Minimize luggage and carry it in front of you like it’s a gigantic pineapple with which you don’t want to poke other people in the eye.
- Avoid grabbing onto headrests for support when moving through the plane. This makes guardian angels, including yours, want to kill you.
- Keep the aisles clear of elbows, knees, and private parts.
- Always ask politely for permission before using someone else’s shoulder as a dream pillow.
- If someone falls asleep on your shoulder, let them know politely. If you are terrified of asking a stranger to stop sleeping on your shoulder, do not hesitate to ask the flight attendant for help.
- In case of doubt, defer to the flight attendant. In the case of an existential crisis, defer to Nyquil.
- Try to fall asleep onto your lap or into a neck pillow. If you accidentally fall asleep onto the person sitting next to you, apologize profusely.
- If you snore, stay awake.
- When watching in-flight films, laugh and cry moderately. Too much laughing or crying makes people around you feel uncomfortable.
- Always know where the emergency exit is. In the case of an emergency, don’t linger in the aisle.
- Do not play with airline food. However, if it is a long flight, you may compose a silent one-act opera and covertly use your utensils as the characters and the square of butter as a pillow for your spork.
- Leave your children at home. If it can be helped, don’t have children at all.
- Engage in conversation wisely. Some people just don’t want to talk. This may be you. If you do engage in conversation, try to respond in kind. In some countries it is polite to be more animated while in other countries it is polite to be more reserved. In either case, be moderate in your level of animation or reservation.
- Do not change into your pajamas. Do not whip out your Snuggie.
- Never read in the bathroom – it will ruin your eyesight.
- If you are sitting in first class, you can do whatever you want because, hey, you paid for it.
- Join the mile-high club only if there is no line for the bathroom. This is common sense, really.
- When getting off the plane, await your turn and offer to help if someone is struggling to get their luggage out, but only if they look like they don’t mind seeming weak in front of others.
- It is never a good time to clip your nails.
- Do not blast sounds through your headphones, especially self-help books on tape.
Trains/ Buses/ Public Transportation
- Gather your belongings and make your way to the exit at least one or two stops before your destination.
- Offer your seat, but use good judgment.
- Do not hog seats or keep luggage on other seats.
- Don’t get indignant if you have to wait. Patience is a virtue. Plus, this gives you plenty of time to fantasize about recent crushes.
Carpooling
- Agree on fees beforehand.
- Be a good conversationalist and don’t fall asleep.
- Keep your shoes on.
- Be open to falling in love with your driver.
A General Caveat on Etiquette
- Remember that etiquette is just a set of guidelines. Don’t stray too much from these lines unless you are truly feeling adventurous. And even then, be sensible.
-Christine An, Let's Go Staffwriter
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