Dining Etiquette in Legal Decision

His claim was defeated on the ground that it was a breach of etiquette for him to eat with a knife. 

Taught Him a Lesson

 

Etiquette is responsible for a queer legal decision. A traveler on a German railway train attempted to eat a lunch, and while in the act of conveying food to his mouth, the train stopped suddenly and his cheek was badly cut on the edge of the knife he was using. The man sued the company for damages, but his claim was defeated on the ground that it was a breach of etiquette for him to eat with a knife. The court recited unto him the chestnut that, “A man cannot take advantage of his own wrong.” —Chicago Times, 1892

Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J Graber, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia

Etiquette and Behavioral Trends

“A man should remove his hat in a parlor car but not in a day coach,” says an etiquette book of the early Pullman era.” — From this current era, we say a woman should remove her elbow from the dining car table!

“A man should remove his hat in a parlor car but not in a day coach,” says an etiquette book of the early Pullman era. A ridiculous distinction, which Americans have had the good sense to overcome, for nowadays we keep our hats on in the parlor cars, too. Indeed, examination of the etiquette books of the past suggests that there must always have been a certain lunatic trend in human behavior. We don't want to go quaint on you, but bear with us a moment while we quote from "Etiquette for Ladies," published in 1838: “When alone with him, a lady may address her husband by his Christian name.”

We don't for a moment suppose that the lady of 1838 was always able to stick to this rule. But if she did slip: if she did thoughtlessly, in public, address her husband as “Joe” assuming that that was his name, she knew that she had been inexcusably vulgar. Of course, if his name wasn't Joe, it was probably even worse. It is hard to exaggerate the supreme niceness of the ladies of that day. We knew an old lady who, when her husband sprained his ankle, refused to remove his sock in order to bind it up. “I have never seen your grandfather's bare feet,” she told her grandchildren. And shuddered as she said it. —Santa Cruz Sentinel, 1942

Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J Graber, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia©️ Etiquette Encyclopedia  

1920’s Train and Travel Etiquette

  

Nancy and Peter Knew That Good Manners Mark the Well Bred Person

Nancy and Peter were returning from their short stay in Florida. On the train Nancy watched folks and decided that many of them were good travelers but that a few needed some lessons in train and travel etiquette. For instance, there was the woman who came into the dining car without a hat. It is true that the train was her home for the time being, but it was a home in the sense that a hotel is a home—just temporarily, and as such it becomes a place in which a person maintains certain formalities. Then there was the woman who traveled with much jewelry and wore it all. The train is no place to shine like the morning star, nor is it the place where one’s dressiest clothes are worn. No longer do women feel correctly dressed for traveling only when they are in blue serge, but the well bred woman is still inconscpicuous in her clothes when she travels.   

Another little habit of many travellers which annoyed Nancy was the conversational one. Invariably her seat was close beside two people who felt compelled to tell each other the life history of themselves, their families even unto the uttermost relationship. Confidences which should never be given to one’s dearest friend seem to fall from the lips of some travellers into the ears of veriest strangers. Nancy and Peter were courteous in their greetings to folks on the train, they gave a friendly greeting, passed the time of day and then stopped. Books, magazines, papers were always close at hand and were used to stop many attempts at wearisome and long drawn out conversations. – “Nancy Page” for the San Pedro Pilot, 1929

Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J Graber, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia 

Etiquette and Railroad Dining Cars

Before, and even after plane travel in the 1950s, traveling by train encouraged a new concept of being “on time,” and new rules and etiquette for one's behavior in shared public spaces.

The Dining Car steward on the FSP (Friendly Southern Pacific!) told me last weekend that contrary to accepted etiquette, it’s not only proper but good sense to leave your spoon in the coffee cup—if you are on a moving train.

Pullman created the first dining cars on 1870's –“Numberless cultivated Americans traveling in Europe never by any chance speak English or carry English books on railroad trains, as a protection against the other type of American who allows no one to travel in the same compartment and escape conversation. The only way to avoid unwelcome importunities is literally to take refuge in assuming another nationality.” — Emily Post

Even aboard today's diessel-powered streamliners, coffee is apt to slosh a bit. He says it won't, however, if the spoon is left in the cup and it works better if the spoon is turned backwards. But look out for those quick gestures, low over the table. And while on the subject of the FSP, I had the nicest smoothest, on-time ride last Friday. D J Russell, president of the FSP was aboard. –The Desert Sun, 1957

Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J. Graber is the Site Editor for Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia