Last month, I wrote a post about people sharing their "unwritten rules" of life. Our BuzzFeed Community also responded in the comments with a bunch of super-useful tidbits we all should listen to.
Here's what they said:
1. "When you approach a closed door in an office or building, it’s quite likely someone closed it for a reason (e.g., to prevent annoying air currents or noise). So when you have gone through the door, SHUT IT BEHIND YOU! If you're not sure, ask the nearest person."
2. "When you take small children to a restaurant, actively do things to stop them from making lots of noise. If they screech or loudly bang cutlery on the table, it's because they're bored. Tell them to stop, or take them outside and amuse them, but don't just ignore it. Everyone else has to endure the racket."
3. "When waiting at the supermarket checkout, move down with your shopping. This will allow the person behind you to start unloading their groceries. Do not take an undue amount of the cashier's time, even if you know them. The person behind you might not have time to hear your personal conversation."
4. "When shopping for frozen food, how about closing the sliding fridge door when you are finished?!"
5. "When walking on sidewalks, keep to the right."
6. "If there are two lanes at a red light and you are going straight, get in the left lane and leave the right lane open for people turning right."
7. "If someone is on the phone and it looks like it’s an important call, don’t hover and stare at them until they get off (unless it’s something of upmost urgency you need to discuss). This, of course, does not apply to cashiers who are staring at you while you’re holding up the line because you’re talking on the phone with your friends about what you did over the weekend!"
8. "If someone talks slow, don't finish the sentence or interrupt them. I process information slower, and people do this to me all the time."
9. "If you’re pulling out of a parking lot or side street and you’re turning left, for the love of god, DO NOT STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD TO TURN."
10. "When a plane lands, do not immediately get out of your seat and get your belongings out of the overhead compartment and proceed to stand in the aisle."
11. "Please, always wash your hands after using the restroom! It’s shocking to still see so many people leave right after answering the call of nature."
12. "When you're shopping on a holiday, don’t make stupid remarks about busyness or how it’s ‘a shame’ that the staff has to work. YOU and others like you are why the store is busy, and why it's profitable enough for the store to be open, forcing the staff to work."
13. "If you're on the footpath/sidewalk/walkway, don't walk shoulder to shoulder in groups of three or four and take up the whole path. Especially if you walk slowly."
14. "If someone is wearing headphones and is clearly keeping to themselves, leave them the fuck alone! I usually wear headphones in public so people don't talk to me."
15. "Always try to give money to people who take you out, even if you know they won’t accept it (for example, if your friend’s mom takes you and your friend out for lunch). It’s polite and makes it look like you care.”
16. "Return your shopping cart to its rightful place instead of just leaving it in the lot."
17. "At the gym, do not use the benches as your goddamn bedside table. I hate it when the gym is crowded and there aren't enough benches, and I see someone with their phone, water bottle, and towel on a bench while doing something else."
18. "If you must smoke, do it away from entrances and pathways. For some people, secondhand smoke can cause headaches and aggravate allergies."
Did they miss anything? What unwritten rule do you believe everyone should follow?
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.