MetaChat - Etiquette

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04 March 2009

Etiquette a question/rant and a rant
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1)Is it OK to cross in the middle of a conversation here in the US (Northwest, specifically)? Every time I step out of my office there's a conversation going on where people are standing in opposite sides of the hallway. I normally halt, look confused for a fraction of a second, and when everyone keeps their position, I just cut through the middle. That feels kind of weird, but I figured since people always assume that position when talking, cutting through a conversation might be more socially acceptable around here. Is it?

2) Don't start whipping out your thing while still walking to the urinal. If someone is leaving the other urinal at the same time, they will come face to face to you, try to break the eye contact (exactly to avoid an awkward moment), look down, and EW! Not cool.

post by: qvantamon at: 21:01 | 15 comments

1) Of course. Nod and walk through.

posted by LoriFLA 04 March | 21:17

Re #1 - just give a small smile, a quiet "excuse me" and keep walking.

Re #2 - while I've been known to use the men's room, I don't have this ..er.. problem.

posted by deborah 04 March | 21:18

1) Every time I step out of my office there's a conversation going on where people are standing in opposite sides of the hallway.

People have been doing this a lot in my office too, and it drives me crazy. I generally walk through the middle and mumble "'scuse me," but if they're standing close enough together that they're blocking both the middle AND the edges of the hallway, I stop, wait for them to notice me, and say "'SCUSE ME."

They're being rude; not the passer-through.

2) Don't start whipping out your thing while still walking to the urinal.

Point taken. I won't.

posted by mudpuppie 04 March | 21:19

If you are new to the Northwest, welcome and get used to that sort of thing. Especially in Seattle, people are NOTROTIOUS for being oblivious to others around them (the Seattle Bubble, like a hamster ball). It can be taken as rude, but I think it's more this pervasive "look the other way while you do your own thing" attitude people tend to have around here (personally, I don't care for it, but meh, you get used to it).

Walking between them isn't rude, they probably won't even notice you.

posted by evilcupcakes 04 March | 22:15

It's pretty common, just walk on through and give your usual "acknowledge even though you are busy" signal. For me, it's a smile. For one of my coworkers, it's a stiff salute complete with heel-knocking (yeah, I'm serious).

posted by muddgirl 04 March | 22:18

Yeah, West Coasters take up a lot of space. It's a frontier holdover or something, I don't know, but it's noticeable.

posted by occhiblu 04 March | 22:46

Don't start whipping out your thing while still walking to the urinal.

Like my bladder, that's between me and my prostate; sometimes I start whipping it out while the suds are still setting in the glass, just to be on the safe side. Then when I stand up for a round of Buck Hunter, they kick me out of the bar and I head to the park for the company of withered men smoking Old Holborn rollies, our mottled raincoats catching in the breeze.

posted by Hugh Janus 04 March | 22:47

I think the most polite thing in #1 is just to nod and keep moving. Stopping and looking confused would be more interruptive to the people, serving mainly to draw attention to yourself. Just roll on.

posted by Miko 04 March | 23:23

1. Yeah just mutter a scuse me and keep walking. No biggie, I'm sure they're aware that they are in a hallway and that people walk in hallways, typically.
2. ....dude.

posted by CitrusFreak12 04 March | 23:43

1. I usually say excuse me and sort of smile and walk through with my face down... I think that's okay.

2. Hahahaha, mudpuppie: you so funny!

And, yeah, the second one is a rant, ain't it, cos I've never seen anyone do that, and I hope I don't, although there was once a child molester who tried showing me his thing and all I could manage was yelling mom at the top of my voice. He used to live in the same area as I did, in Saudi Arabia, and I used to show him the finger every time I used to see him.

posted by hadjiboy 05 March | 07:36

You should stop and wait for the conversation to finish. Don't be so rude.

posted by Eideteker 05 March | 08:06

*gives Eideteker the finger and keeps on walking*

posted by deborah 05 March | 14:04

Nothing beats a little crop-dusting on your way through. Suddenly they're standing in the smelly corridor.

posted by Hugh Janus 05 March | 14:44

1. Fuck 'em - if they're happy to stand in the corridor and chat, they have to accept what comes with that environment. Next time, tell them to get a room ;-)

2. Heh, this kind of reminds me of something that made me go "WTF" this week - the organisation that I was visiting has unisex toilets. With urinals. I figure at least the girls get something to laugh at while visiting the toilet.

posted by dg 06 March | 03:26

something that made me go "WTF" this week - the organisation that I was visiting has unisex toilets. With urinals.

Could be it started out as a mens room, now changed to unisex. Changing restrooms from mens & womens to unisex happens sometimes here in SF 'cause of transgender & gender nonconforming inclusion efforts. I don't think anyone uses the urinals! :)

posted by Claudia_SF 06 March | 06:32

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