Travel Etiquette

Who ever said you can’t have manners AND a sense of humor didn’t know Patricia Rossi .  Not even when upon returning to the dinner table Rick Griffin asks for a plunger just to get her goat, does she flinch.  Without missing a beat, she turns to him, and in her unassuming, ever so delightfully charming southern drawl says “Did you dookie up in there” …. The table erupts in laughter! She has that way about her.

You’ll never hear her preach, though she can captivate a room. She can tell a joke with the best of them, feel equally at home on the ball field with her sons or in the board room of a Fortune 500 company.  Patricia has an amazing gift for putting those around her at ease.  She carries herself with an unfussy elegance, gliding through even the most difficult Faux Pas with her trademark grace.

As an author Patricia Rossi shines in the world of etiquette, keeping manners tongue and cheek in her new book “Everyday Etiquette” How to Navigate 101 Common and Uncommon Social Situations.  If you ever wondered what to do in any circumstance from Forks to Funerals this book has it covered! Patricia shares personal anecdotes to illustrate a variety of social situations. You’ll walk away from “Everyday Etiquette” with a renewed confidence that wherever you are, no matter what life throws your way you’ll handle it with grace AND a sense of humor!

Here are a few of Patricia’s  “Travel” related etiquette nuggets

Should you tip your hotel housekeeper? Absolutely, 100% yes! You want to show your gratitude, respect, and travel savvy. A daily tip should be  about the amount you would spend on a trip to Starbucks, $3.00 to $5.00 per day. It is a small gesture that shows you appreciate the men and women that keep your room crisp, clean, and pristine. In the photo is a note I wrote and left with the tip, while traveling last week.

Airplane / Airport Etiquette
Once you get over the trauma of having to perform an impromptu semi strip search at the security gate, regroup and gather your belongings, then prepare to have a pleasant and harmonious flight. With over-crowded passengers in tight spaces, coupled with nerves and preflight jitters, the best things you can pack are decorum, humor and tolerance.
Below are a few tips for respectful airline behavior:
• Take your time when boarding the plane, but don’t linger. Make sure you carry your bag directly in front of you, not slung over your shoulder. Otherwise an unlucky passenger may get sideswiped by your bag.
• Never, ever put your baggage in the front overhead compartment if you aren’t seated there. It is unfair for passengers in front to have to hike to the back of the plane to stow their luggage. They’ll want to get off the plane as fast as you do, so it isn’t polite to expect them to wait on the entire plane to empty before they can get to the back and retrieve their bag.
• To help children and the other passengers enjoy the flight, pack new toys, videos and snacks to keep the kids busy. One caveat, do not break into them until the flight has taken off, as the child might blow through everything before you’ve even pushed back from the gate.
• The middle person in your row has the right to both armrests. Fair and simple! Anyone in that detestable middle back breaking seat deserves both armrests!
• Don’t board with pungent foods such as tuna or garlic pasta. Take a small sabbatical from wearing perfume or cologne, as many people are allergic in tight quarters. Also, if you are a smoker, be aware that the smoke can linger on your clothing and waft around your companions in flight. There is nothing worse than trying to consume a honey roasted peanut and having the smell of smoke overpower the taste.
• Before pushing back in your seat, be considerate. Take a glace backward and give a verbal cue to the person seated behind you. It will save many a laptop and also drinks from spilling all over.
• If you frequent the restroom during flights, do your best to book an aisle seat, so you don’t have to do Olympic hurdles over a sleeping seatmate. Keep in mind that the restroom is not a day spa, but a 2 x 4 space that has to accommodate a large number of people, so be quick and tidy when using it.
• The seat in front of you isn’t for doing chin-ups. Show respect for the person in front of you by refraining from using their seat as a catapult to vault yourself to a standing position.
• Be watchful in your alcohol consumption. The effects of alcohol are double at high altitudes.
• The baggage claim isn’t shooting out lottery tickets or dates with George Clooney, so back up. Stand at least three feet from the baggage belt so people can step in to reclaim their luggage. Don’t worry, you’ll still see your luggage when it comes around.

 About the Book … In Patricia’s words

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