Travel Etiquette Advice of 1963

Tourists just looking for freebies, like Moody above, aside, those catering to the vacationer, if pinned down, could give you a list of gripes that long for correction. They are tolerant, because they are seeking the tourist dollar. 

How Are Your Travel Manners?

Check Yourself! 

NEW YORK (UPI) —A tourist is judged by his travel manners and the better they are the better the impression made on strangers at home and abroad.

The better also you will enjoy your trip if you exercise the rules of courtesy. Good manners add to good service you get too from the motels, hotels, roadside eating places, airlines, trains and buses.

Those catering to the vacationer if pinned down could give you a list of gripes that long for correction. They are tolerant, because they are seeking the tourist dollar. But, from talking to various persons in the travel industry, we have compiled:

Pauley's Easy Guide for Testing Your Vacation Etiquette

• Do you hog two seats in the bus, train or plane by deliberately placing your coat, purse or other paraphernalia on the second seat, hoping thereby to seal it off? 
• Do you on planes hang assorted cameras, coats or other accessories including flight bags in your area so that they overlap and create a hazard anyway discomfort for the person behind or in front of you?
• Do you light a cigarette, pipe or cigar without asking whether smoking bothers the person sitting next to you?.
• Do you use the ash tray nearest you or prefer to lean over and use one of your neighbor, dusting ashes as you go?
• Do you march up to the reception desk of hotel or motel and elbow others aside who are in line ahead of you to register? If you've pushed your way past others a little more patient during a busy tourist season, you've just won a top award for crudeness.
• Do you adapt if the conditions are not as perfect as promised? Some of the over-seas countries are just getting into the swing of seeking you as guest for a holiday and the shower may not always work, the soap supply not be ample. But point out politely that flaw in the service. Creating a scene does not create a favorable impression of Americans. 
• In motor travel, especially in the United States, do you use the roadside picnic areas as if litter did not hurt? Multiply your left-behind paper plates and cups, soft drink bottles, etc., by the hundreds who will use that picnic area in a given week and you see why some areas of the United States look like one big garbage heap.
• Crews eventually will pick up after you, but you're not thinking of the others who want to enjoy the outdoors nor of the multi-million dollars of taxpayers’ money spent on cleanup alone.
• Do your driving manners show in reverse? Tail-gating, nudging out of your lane at a stop light for a quick getaway when the light turns green these invite disaster.
• Do you remember to say thank you to the filling station attendant, the policeman or anyone else who acts as a free guide? — By Gay Pauley, UPI Women's Editor, 1963

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

Gilded Age Tourist Etiquette

“… the tourist in a foreign land should be specially careful not to outrage the manners and customs of the country in which he finds himself, nor to flaunt his views and objections in the face of every stranger he meets.”

Above all others, the tourist in a foreign land should be specially careful not to outrage the manners and customs of the country in which he finds himself, nor to flaunt his views and objections in the face of every stranger he meets. Toleration is a sure sign of education and good breeding. 

As a rule, mankind have a tendency to be less cautious about their behavior when in foreign lands than when at home, perhaps because they are under the impression that, as they are among strangers, they may safely relax their good manners. 

Such people should remember that they are, for the time being, representatives of the country to which they belong, and that, in a sense, the reputation of their fellow countrymen is entrusted to their care. Besides, the true gentleman is a gentleman under all circumstances.— From “Rules of Etiquette and Home Culture,” 1890

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

Vacation Etiquette for Americans

This turtle doesn’t need this bag, as he certainly won’t be doing any seaside shopping. “Multiply your left-behind paper plates and cups, soft drink bottles, etc., by the hundreds who will use that picnic area in a given week and you see why some areas look like one big garbage heap. Crews eventually will pick up after you, but you’re not thinking of the others who want to enjoy the outdoors, nor of the multi-million dollars of taxpayers’ money spent on cleanup alone.”  –Photo source Canadian Wildlife Federation

How Are Your Travel Manners? 

Check Yourself

A tourist is judged by his travel manners and the better they are the better the impression made on strangers at home and abroad. The better also you will enjoy your trip if you exercise the rules of courtesy. Good manners add to good service you get too from the motels, hotels, roadside eating places, airlines, trains and buses. Those catering to the vacationer if pinned down could give you a list of gripes that long for correction. They are tolerant, because they are seeking the tourist dollar. But, from talking to various persons in the travel industry, we have compiled –

“Pauley’s Easy Guide for Testing Your Vacation Etiquette”

• Do you hog two seats in the bus, train or plane by deliberately placing your coat, purse or other paraphernalia on the second seat, hoping thereby to seal it off? 
• Do you on planes hang assorted cameras, coats or other accessories including flight bags in your area so that they overlap and create a hazard anyway discomfort for the person behind or in front of you? 
• Do you light a cigarette, pipe or cigar without asking whether smoking bothers the person sitting next to you? 
• Do you use the ash tray nearest you or prefer to lean over and use one of your neighbor, dusting ashes as you go?
• Do you march up to the reception desk of hotel or motel and elbow others aside who are in line ahead of you to register? If you've pushed your way past others a little more patient during a busy tourist season, you’ve just won a top award for crudeness. 
• Do you adapt, if the conditions are not as perfect as promised ? Some of the overseas countries are just getting into the swing of seeking you as guest for a holiday and the shower may not always work, the soap supply not be ample. But point out politely that flaw in the service. Creating a scene does not create a favorable impression of Americans. 
• In motor travel, especially in the United States, do you trash the roadside picnic areas as if litter did not hurt? Multiply your left-behind paper plates and cups, soft drink bottles, etc., by the hundreds who will use that picnic area in a given week and you see why some areas of the United States look like one big garbage heap. Crews eventually will pick up after you, but you’re not thinking of the others who want to enjoy the outdoors, nor of the multi-million dollars of taxpayers’ money spent on cleanup alone. 
• Do your driving manners show in reverse? Tail-gating or nudging out of your lane at a stop light for a quick getaway when the light turns green? These invite disaster. 
• Do you remember to say thank you to the filling station attendant, the policeman or anyone else who acts as a free guide? There are a dozen times a day the tourist has a chance to say “thank you,” and make traveling a treat instead of a trauma. – By Gay Pauley, Women’s Editor, (UPI) New York , 1963

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

Etiquette and Pushy Tourists

Seriously?!? – Among the many applicants for admission to Marlborough House, none showed greater disappointment than 3 women from Washington. They had a fully authenticated permit, but they arrived at 8:30 in the morning. Their pass distinctly stated that the Palace was open to visitors only between 3 and 6 in the afternoon, but they implored the official in charge to let them see the children of the Prince and Princess, declaring they had come all the way from the United States with that special object. They were told it was “contrary to etiquette to allow strangers to see the children in the absence of the Prince and Princess, or without their authority.”

Poorly Mannered, but Well-Moneyed Americans, are Interested in Palaces – American Visitors Have New Fad – “Yankee” Tourists Invade Royal Residences in Droves – Admitted Freely by King's Sanction, but Detectives Watch Them

Special Cable to The Call

LONDON. Sept 2.— Never within the memory of some of the royal servants have Americans shown such an interest in the Royal Palaces of England as they have this summer. The average of nine to ten parties which used to go through Buckingham Palace and Marlborough House a few seasons ago, has increased this year to forty or thereabouts, with the result that an extra staff of attendants and guides had to be employed. Marlborough House appears to have had greater attraction for visitors than even Buckingham Palace, especially with women, who all want to see the children of the Prince and Princess of Wales. What surprised the household servants most, was that nearly every party came around with an official document authorizing admission. In every instance these were signed by the Lord Chamberlain or by Sir Dighton Probyn; the keeper of the Prince of Wales’ privy purse. 

There were so many Americans, disappointed last year, that at the beginning of the present season both the King and the Prince of Wales gave instructions that no unnecessary obstacles should be placed in the way of Americans desiring to see the Palaces, but it may be of interest to those who succeeded in obtaining ready permission to know that an extra staff of special detectives kept them under observation the whole of the time. This precaution was taken in consequence of the presence of three or four men from Chicago, who were doing London, and who were suspected of revolutionary leanings. These men could not be allowed inside the gates of the Palaces under any circumstances, even if they had succeeded in obtaining permits signed by King Edward himself. 

Among the many applicants for admission to Marlborough House, none showed greater disappointment than the three women from Washington who gave their names as Miss Ida Ingersoll, Mrs. Dereham Holtsinger and Mrs. Madeline Kurtz. They were provided with a fully authenticated permit, but they reached Marlborough House at 8:30 in the morning. On being told that their pass distinctly stated that the Palace was open to visitors only between 3 and 6 in the afternoon, they implored the official in charge to let them see the children of the Prince and Princess, declaring they had come all the way from the United States with that special object. They were told it was contrary to etiquette to allow strangers to see the children in the absence of the Prince and Princess, or without their authority. They could not wait for that as they had to leave for Southampton to catch their steamer in a few hours. – San Francisco Call, 1905

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

Thai Diplomacy, Japanese Etiquette

In many ways, Thai and Japanese societies are similar, with sophisticated rules of etiquette and many shared cultural affinities...

In 2014, the Thai embassy released a "do’s and don’ts" list for Thai tourists when visiting Japan — Here is the list below:

BANGKOK – The Thai Embassy in Japan has some tips for Thai visitors: Don’t put your chopsticks in the serving bowl. If driving, stop for pedestrians at crosswalks. And just because you have kids doesn’t mean you can cut ahead in line.

The advice is part of an online manners guide the embassy posted on its Facebook page in response to criticism on social media about the behavior of Thai tourists in Japan. Most of the criticism came from Thai residents in Japan who reported sightings of “inappropriate” behavior on a popular Thai web forum, which inspired the embassy’s consular chief to pen the list of "10 do’s and don’ts."

“Japanese society is very unique. It is a society with strict rules that are not always obvious to visitors,” said Jessada Nanthachaiporn, the embassy’s first secretary. He said he intended the list as an educational tool, not as criticism of either culture.

Written in Thai, the code of conduct begins with escalator etiquette: Stand on the left, or walk on the right — except in the Kansai region, where the opposite applies.

There is separate elevator advice: The first person in holds the open button for others and should be the last person to leave.

In many ways, Thai and Japanese societies are similar, with sophisticated rules of etiquette and many shared cultural affinities, Jessada said. From a young age, Thais are taught the concept of “marayat” — or “good manners” — and values like humility and respect for elders, which are similar in Japan. But the same rules do not always apply.

His list offers advice on mobile phone use in buses and trains (“turn the ringer to silent”) and shopping: “Do not interrupt salespeople who are helping other customers.”

In Thailand, drivers often ignore crosswalks and zoom past pedestrians trying to cross. But in Japan, “Drivers must stop at zebra crossings and wait for people to cross the road, without honking the horn.”

Thais tend to eat family-style, sharing dishes, often without serving spoons. In Japan: “Do not use your chopsticks to pick up food for other people.”

Rather than take offense, Thais have applauded the list. The Facebook post has been shared and liked more than 1,300 times since it was posted last week. Commentators on Thai blogs have expressed admiration for Japanese customs, suggesting that if Thais adopted similar manners at home, the country would be seen as more developed. — Japan Times, 2014

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

Etiquette and Travel

Learn the culture, what's acceptable and unacceptable. For example, "almost half of all Japanese hotels ban tourists with tattoos from public bathing areas due to tattoos being common among yakuza crime organizations, although these bans are being reconsidered by Japan’s tourism agencies in an effort to boost tourism. However, they’re not the only country with tattoo bans. Thailand and Sri Lanka are cracking down on tourists getting Buddha tattoos while visiting due to cultural insensitivity." — From TravelAgeWest.com 

Choose the Right Destination 

Make informed choices when picking destinations. Learning about a country or area before you go, will help you decide whether it's the right destination for you. It will hopefully prevent unpleasant surprises, too. What will the weather be like? What foods are commonly available? Unexpected extreme poverty, political policies, and even hygiene practices of the locals, can leave some travelers shocked, baffled or stunned. 

Do Some Homework

Travel isn't just about the sites, but the people, too. Aside from the usual guidebooks, government websites are good places to start researching a country's people or destination, and hundreds of foreign news sites can be found at online. Not surprisingly, personal blogs and vlogs from expats, can give you a really unique window into your chosen destination.

Respect Local Customs 

Study up on what's appropriate in terms of behavior and clothing. Visiting holy sites without wearing the proper attire and exhibiting appropriate behavior, can be extremely difficult. Knowledge of local customs will make you more at ease. It's also much less disruptive to the locals. 

Queue jumping is acceptable in some countries and unacceptable in others. A little research on your part, can go a long way in easing the frustrations of waiting in line.

Respect the environment around you, as more often than not, resources are scarce in developing countries, and may not be what you are expecting. Don't exhaust local supplies by overusing water or leaving excessive amounts of garbage in your wake. Locals will only be annoyed by what will be perceived as selfish behavior on your part.

Always bargain politely. Haggling over prices is seen as a fun type of "sport" in many foreign marketplaces and shops. It is even expected in others. Don't take your dickering too far though. In developing nations, a dollar or two will usually mean far more to the seller, than it ever will to you. 

Tipping can be expected in some places, while seen as an insult in other locales. Check beforehand to find out whether tipping is desired or expected. If tipping is required or encouraged, ask a guide for the typical amounts to give.

Watch Your Hand Gestures 

As insignificant as they may seem, one needs to use caution when gesturing with hands. When it comes to body language, err on the side of caution. Avoid gesturing with your hands and even pointing, if you're not sure what you are silently conveying. 

Represent 

Remember, you are representing the country that you are from. Don't spoil a place for other visitors and tourists from your home country, by exhibiting any ignorance of acceptable behavior when abroad.

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