Different people have different ideas of what behavior is acceptable,tasteful and “normal” when wandering about in public places,that’s why there have to be social rules of etiquette regarding behavior in public.And since there are so many different ideas of what is right and wrong,guidelines or general rules have evolved so as to allow for getting along and coexisting peacefully in a mixed world of differing ideas.But unfortunately,the downside to guidelines and/or rules is that there will always be someone angry or upset either because they are disturbed by the words or actions of others,or because they feel they should have the right to say or do as they wish in public.That’s where the following list of five rules of etiquette on how to behave in public comes in.The rules below follow common sense,i.e.do unto others as you would have them do unto you.Or,perhaps more aptly,try not to bother others and perhaps they won’t bother you.

■General

When in public,the“general” rule is try to behave in ways that most would construe as sympathetic towards the feeling of others.Pretty simple really,but quite often ignored.

■Noise

When in public,try to remember that the others might not be as enthusiastic as you are with the noise you are generating,such as arguing or yelling,speaking loudly or laughing over exuberantly,playing music or talking on your cell phone.It is true that we all have the right to do these things,but it doesn’t mean that you also have the right to ignore the peace of others.Any action disturbing the ambience of a particular public place would generally be considered outside what is right thing to do.So,try to lower down your voice and stop belly laughing all the time at movies.Do not make any argument in the front yard.These are common sense that most of us can recognize when others are doing it.

■Odors

People are sensitive to odors.Odors can change mood and cause physical reactions in some people.So,try to keep your odors to yourself when in public,and this includes body odors,perfumes and colognes.Also consider the smell of cigarette smoke and how unpleasant some may find it.Finally,do not forget the smell of the food you may cook or eat.Not everyone has the same preferences and interrupting someone’s peaceful enjoyment of being in public with your adiaphorous choices,may be causing discomfort.

■Presentation

In other words,how do you dress or do your hair,or display cleavage or tattoos or other part of your body.These things all affect others,sometimes in negative ways.For instance,some people consider wearing revealing clothes as offensive.Others view the display of tattoos vulgar.The point here isn’t about repression of expression; it’s about recognizing the effect your choices are having on others and perhaps modifying them so as to avoid provoking negative emotions in others.It’s all just something to think about before going out in public.

■Behavior

It is no doubt that what you do while out in public will affect others.You will be barely noticed if you behave in a polite manner,while you might be causing some ire in those around you if you are swearing or throwing rocks against the sides of buildings.It’s a fact that how you behave out where others can bear witness should be different from how you behave in the privacy of your own home.Do not behave in annoying or scary ways.Keep smiling at others never cut in line or harasses people on the street.Be kind.Offer assistance if needed.In short,try to behave as if your mother were watching.

The above rules of etiquette can and probably should be followed by pretty much and everyone that goes out into the public parts of our world.We hope you will remember and follow the rules as you read them.Doing so will not only allow those around you to carry on in civilized ways,but will likely cause you,yourself to be happier too as it frees you from the contention that quite often arises when people don’t adhere to these simple rules.

■Tips for Public Behavior

◇Keep the Golden Rule in your mind:“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

◇Don’t point,laugh,or make faces at people for being different (weight,hair,etc.) If it is something you wouldn’t want them to hear,then just keep it to yourself.

◇Choose right conversation topics,avoid dirty words and talking about the body functions and such.As a general rule,if it is not appropriate for a child repeat,don’t say it.

◇Keep your area clean and organized.Wipe off tables,throw away rubbish,and leave as little evidence that you were there as possible.

◇Say“excuse me” and politely ask the person who is being disruptive to tone it down.Don’t complain about his/her behavior—you are being obnoxious when you do that.

◇When speaking to adults,address them by “sir” or “ma’am.” Always say “please”,“thank you” and “you’re welcome”.

◇Be considerate of others.Give people their personal space.Hold open doors for people.Allow the elderly,pregnant women,and those with small children ahead of you in the line for the restroom.It is a hard for the elderly and pregnant women to control their bladder,and it is often an urgent need when the child says he/she needs to go to the bathroom.

◇Keep the electric equipment at a low volume.Power off your cell phone or turn it on vibrate in libraries and movie theaters.Use earphones when listening to music so that other people will not be disturbed.Make sure the ring music playing is appropriate if you do keep your cell phone ringer on.

◇Everybody makes mistakes.Don’t let your pride get the best of you.If you mess up and when you are corrected,simply apologize and work towards correcting your mistakes.

◇Behave as if your mother is there watching.

◇Don’t sweat the small things.No one is perfect,life is too short to get upset over everything that goes wrong.