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Airline bans couple after racist row over reclined seat

<p>Two travellers have been banned from Cathay Pacific flights after an argument over seat etiquette descended into racist insults. </p> <p>The incident occurred on a flight from Hong Kong to London, with a woman documenting her experience in a video posted on Xiaohongshu, China's version of Instagram.</p> <p>The woman, from mainland China, explained, "The lady sitting behind me asked me to put my seat up because it was blocking her husband's view of the TV. I politely declined, and she started stretching her feet onto my armrest, kicking my arm and cursing at me like crazy."</p> <p>A flight attendant stepped in to find a solution to the issue, but when the woman continued to refuse to put her chair up, the situation only escalated. </p> <p>"When (the female passenger) realised my Cantonese wasn't so great, she started throwing around some nasty comments, calling me a 'Mainland girl' and other derogatory stuff," the woman said, explaining how people from Hong Kong speak mainly Cantonese, whereas mainland Chinese mainly speak Mandarin.</p> <p>"Once I started recording, the husband behind me even shoved his hand on my armrest and started shaking it like crazy. I felt my personal space had been completely violated," added the woman, who said other passengers then intervened.</p> <p>In footage of the incident uploaded by the woman, a female voice can be heard saying in Mandarin: "You're old enough — why are you bullying a young girl?"</p> <p>And others can be heard shouting in Cantonese: "You're embarrassing us Hongkongers!"</p> <p>"After some passengers spoke up for me, the flight attendant finally said I could switch seats. I felt it was absurd—what if no one had backed me up? Would I have just been left to deal with it on my own?" the passenger said.</p> <p>"As a major airline, isn't Cathay supposed to know how to handle such disputes? Shouldn't treating passengers differently get some consequences?</p> <p>In a statement released Saturday, Cathay Pacific said it wanted to "sincerely apologise" for the "unpleasant experience," with the airline saying, "We maintain a zero-tolerance policy for any behaviour that violates aviation safety regulations or disrespects the rights of other customers."</p> <p>"We will deny future travel on any Cathay Group flights to the two customers involved in this incident."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p>

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Residents slam "entitled" picnic table act at popular beach

<p>With the weather warming up in Sydney, locals have started to take advantage of the sun and head to beach, but with sunny days come debates about picnic (or any) table etiquette. </p> <p>One beachgoer has copped some backlash after they taped up a sign to a public picnic table in Balmoral Beach on Saturday, which read: "Reserved 31/8 from 1pm" - and with no one in sight. </p> <p>A frustrated local shared an image of the table on Facebook, writing: "Really? Love to know where you place the official booking. Both tables 'reserved'."</p> <p>In the comments some labelled the move "unacceptable" while others were quick to point out that reserving tables is "not allowed". </p> <p>"Yeah, nah. Can’t reserve public tables. You want it, put the effort in and sit there the whole day from 8am," one wrote. </p> <p>"If you won't remove the reserved sign please update this post to add a picture of the group when they claim their tables. If they're that bold and brazen to make the reserved sign they will appreciate the free publicity," another added. </p> <p>A third wrote that they would be "ok if they said for a wedding or a super important event I would let them go for it" but others disagreed.</p> <p> A Mosman Council spokesperson told <em>Yahoo,</em> "council does not take bookings for picnic tables or promote reserving them."</p> <p>This is not the first time someone has tried to reserve a public picnic table, with one person etching a "reserved" note in chalk on the pavement at a park in Brisbane. </p> <p>Locals shared a similar response, calling the move "entitled." </p> <p>"Pretty sure that message on the concrete would motivate others to sit there when they otherwise wouldn't. I know I would," one wrote. </p> <p><em>Images: Facebook/ Yahoo</em></p>

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Passenger sparks debate over travellers sleeping in aisle seats

<p>A heated debate has erupted online after a passenger suggested those sitting in an aisle seat should remain alert and awake for the entire flight, with the only exception being if it's a long-flight of seven hours or more. </p> <p>“A person sitting in an aisle seat on a plane should not be allowed to sleep," they wrote on Reddit. </p> <p>The reason behind it, according to the passenger, is to ensure that middle and window seat passengers can access the toilet, get served by flight attendants, and evacuate quickly in an emergency. </p> <p>“There are some exceptions and those would probably be on any flight longer than seven hours.</p> <p>“But anything shorter than that, you should not be sleeping. What if the middle or window passenger needs the bathroom, or if the flight attendant needs to hand them something – You’ll be in the way.”</p> <p>They added that a snoozing aisle seat passenger could potentially slow down evacuation during an emergency and put everyone at risk. </p> <p>“Now you would be risking people’s lives because you fell asleep,” they wrote.</p> <p>Social media users flocked to the Reddit thread to share their thoughts. </p> <p> “Nah, just poke me and wake me up if you need me to get up or do something," one wrote. </p> <p>“I’m well aware that I’m in the way, believe me. I’m certainly not there because I wanted to be in the aisle seat.”</p> <p>“If you sleep in an aisle seat, you deal with people getting up. That’s the unwritten rule," another added. </p> <p>A few others supported the idea, but shared their own take on plane etiquette. </p> <p> “My take on this: if you sleep in the aisle seat, you must be okay with being woken up multiple times to let the folks in your row get up.</p> <p>“Other flight rules: middle seat gets the armrest, and window seat must raise the window shade during taxi, takeoff, and landing so the rest of us in the row can watch.”</p> <p><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p> <p> </p>

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"Height of selfishness": Photo at iconic beach sparks debate over etiquette

<p>A photo taken at Bronte Beach has sparked the age old debate over whether picnickers should be allowed to reserve picnic tables by dumping their stuff on them. </p> <p>The image taken at one of Sydney's most popular beaches, showed two picnic tables under the same hut with table clothes and bags on them, but there was no human in sight. </p> <p>“There were at least half a dozen of these tables ‘reserved’ for a couple of hours on Sunday morning from very early in the day,” one annoyed beachgoer wrote on Reddit. </p> <p>“We got there at 7am and left a few hours later. No one was using the tables the entire time we were there.”</p> <p>The post has received hundreds of comments from other annoyed picnickers, with one going as far as calling it "unAustralian". </p> <p>“It's not acceptable,” one person said. “You can reserve it by sitting there yourself, but not by leaving an item.”</p> <p>“Yes, you should be actually using it, not leaving your s**t on there to reserve it for later,” another added. </p> <p>“It's the height of selfishness.”</p> <p>“Move their stuff, move yourself in, and say, ‘it was like this when I got here’,” one commenter suggested. </p> <p>“All I see is a free tablecloth and free bag,” another quipped. </p> <p>However, a few others pointed out that there were other available seats, and that there are unspoken rules around reserving picnic spots. </p> <p>"In this instance, it’s probably okay,” one wrote. “The back table is free, go grab it.”</p> <p>"As long as there’s people there minding the tables, not just throwing a bunch of tablecloths down and walking off, I’m fine with it,” another added. “First come first served.”</p> <p>“If I was bringing a few things from the car I might do this,” a third commented. </p> <p> “Like dropping off the tablecloth and backpack before grabbing the esky etc. But I'd maintain line of sight. Anything else isn't justified in my opinion.”</p> <p>A spokesperson for Waverly Council have asked people to "refrain from reserving tables and always have a back up plan". </p> <p>“Waverley is the second-most densely populated local government area in Australia outside of the City of Sydney, and we attract millions of visitors every year, so our recreational spaces are at a premium," the spokesperson told <em>Yahoo News Australia</em>. </p> <p>“On weekends and at other peak times, picnic tables and barbecues do invariably fill up. So we ask people to share our spaces so that everyone can have a turn.”</p> <p><em>Images: Reddit</em></p>

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Obese woman sparks debate for not giving up extra seat for toddler

<p>An obese woman has sparked debate online after refusing to give up the second seat she paid for to a fussy toddler. </p> <p>The 34-year-old booked the two seats for her cross-country flight to visit her family for Christmas because she was previously unable to comfortably fit in one seat. </p> <p>All was well until the young woman next to her demanded that she "squeeze into one seat" so her son could sit on the other. </p> <p>"I am obese," she admitted on the Reddit thread. "I'm actively working toward losing weight and I've made progress - but I booked an extra seat because I'm fat."</p> <p>She added that she insisted on keeping her seat because she paid for it, but the mum "made a big fuss over it, and she told the flight attendant I was stealing the seat from her son." </p> <p>"Then I showed her my boarding passes, proving that I paid for the extra seat. The flight attendant asked me if I could try to squeeze in, but I said no, that I wanted the extra seat I paid for."</p> <p>The woman claimed that the toddler was only 18 months old, so he didn't need his own seat and could've sat on his mum's lap for the duration of the flight. </p> <p>"I got dirty looks and passive-aggressive remarks from her for the entire flight and I do feel a little bad because the boy looked hard to control - but am I in the wrong?" she asked other social media users. </p> <p>Many shared their overwhelming support for the woman and slammed the mum and flight attendant for their "horrific" behaviour. </p> <p>"The mum is an a**hole for not buying a seat for her son and assuming someone else would give up a seat they paid for. Odds are she was hoping there'd be extra seats on the flight so she didn't have to pay and used the lap thing as a loophole," one commented. </p> <p>"What's even the point of the extra seat if the flight attendants are going to let entitled people bully others into giving it up?" another added. </p> <p>"People buy entire seats for high-end musical equipment. Not even people. Their lack of planning does not constitute an emergency on your part," a third wrote. </p> <p>However, there were a few others that said the woman was in the wrong for causing an inconvenience. </p> <p>"If you are so fat that you have to have more than one seat on an airplane then you are selfish," one said. </p> <p>"Flights overbook all the time especially during the holidays - how can you justify having two seats to yourself?" </p> <p>"How much room does a kid take up, seriously? Yeah the mum should've bought a seat but that doesn't mean you have to be selfish and cause two people discomfort," another commented. </p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p> <p> </p>

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Passenger slammed as he takes "manspreading to ANOTHER LEVEL"

<p>A frequent flyer has sparked outrage online after posting a video of one man's poor plane etiquette. </p> <p>Claire Zhu, 27, who has gained a following while documenting her travels with boyfriend Peter Ovendorf, 29, after quitting their nine-to-five in what they call their "corporate gap year", shared the video on TikTok. </p> <p>"Goodbye," she captioned the clip, with a text overlay that read: "The way this man took manspreading to ANOTHER LEVEL on my flight." </p> <p>At the start of the clip, Claire showed herself covering her mouth in shock, before panning over to the man sitting across from her, with his legs spread so wide that it crossed the aisle and reached her seat. </p> <p>His other foot was sitting so close to the passenger next to him, that even they could barely move. </p> <div class="embed" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #323338; font-family: Figtree, Roboto, 'Noto Sans Hebrew', 'Noto Kufi Arabic', 'Noto Sans JP', sans-serif; background-color: #ffffff; outline: none !important;"><iframe class="embedly-embed" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; border-style: initial; vertical-align: baseline; width: 580px; max-width: 100%; outline: none !important;" title="tiktok embed" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2Fembed%2Fv2%2F7307690077772172587&display_name=tiktok&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40claireandpeter%2Fvideo%2F7307690077772172587&image=https%3A%2F%2Fp19-sign.tiktokcdn-us.com%2Fobj%2Ftos-useast5-p-0068-tx%2FoovOIIFx0GSNezDUDCDAQEa7R5lgQBDEliE7fV%3Fx-expires%3D1701982800%26x-signature%3DNXp8xnv9BnN83wAEogQY%252BWxMv3Q%253D&key=59e3ae3acaa649a5a98672932445e203&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=tiktok" width="340" height="700" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> <p>People flooded to the comments to express their anger. </p> <p>"I would lose my mind," wrote one person. </p> <p>"That isn't man spreading, that's literally splitting," another quipped. </p> <p>"Absolutely not," added another. </p> <p>"Bestie you got to step on his foot. This is the final straw," commented a fourth. </p> <p>A few others were concerned that his actions might be hazardous. </p> <p>"He will trip someone!" one wrote. </p> <p>"Not only across the aisle but made it into your floor space..." another added. </p> <p>One commenter even shared their own horrific experience with another passenger taking over their space. </p> <p>"A lady did this to me on a long haul flight except I felt something on my thigh AND IT WAS HER FOOT," they said. </p> <p><em>Images: TikTok</em></p> <p> </p>

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"Absolutely insane": Dad's plane act goes viral

<p>A man has gone viral on TikTok after his daughter posted a video of him sleeping on the airplane floor during a long-haul flight. </p> <p>"More room for everybody," she captioned the video of her dad lying down wedged between two rows where their feet would normally go. </p> <p>In the video she also added an overlay text which said: "you have ur airport dad I have my Asian dad." </p> <p>The video has since racked up over 12.4 million views, and while most were impressed by the "hack" others were appalled. </p> <p>"This is so smart – never thought of that," one person wrote. </p> <p>"Smart but I'd lay a blanket down underneath. Thank you airport dad I will steal this idea," added another. </p> <p>"I been alive 25 years, ain't never seen this move before," commented a third. </p> <p>"They do [allow it] on long flights. As long as nobody complains then they don't bother you," added a fourth. </p> <div class="embed" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #323338; font-family: Figtree, Roboto, 'Noto Sans Hebrew', 'Noto Kufi Arabic', 'Noto Sans JP', sans-serif; background-color: #ffffff; outline: none !important;"><iframe class="embedly-embed" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; border-style: initial; vertical-align: baseline; width: 580px; max-width: 100%; outline: none !important;" title="tiktok embed" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2Fembed%2Fv2%2F7290309715286904095&amp;display_name=tiktok&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40bynataliebright%2Fvideo%2F7290309715286904095&amp;image=https%3A%2F%2Fp16-sign.tiktokcdn-us.com%2Fobj%2Ftos-useast8-p-0068-tx2%2FoclABAhjhvzjImA6AdbRfwsiNEqBAyICYXEzX8%3Fx-expires%3D1700780400%26x-signature%3D8dYowfoSYD7T5QgGgwn53z%252B4BI8%253D&amp;key=5b465a7e134d4f09b4e6901220de11f0&amp;type=text%2Fhtml&amp;schema=tiktok" width="340" height="700" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> <p>A few others were shocked and pointed out that airplane floors aren't exactly clean. </p> <p>"As a past flight attendant, you don't want to know what I have seen on those carpets," wrote one person. </p> <p>"When I was taking my flight attendant course one thing they said to us over and over was to never walk barefoot on the aircraft... nevertheless lay down," added another. </p> <p>"Man made his own trundle bed," joked a third. </p> <p>While another eagle-eyed commenter was shocked that he would voluntarily wear jeans for 15-hours, "jeans for 15 hours is absolutely insane," they wrote. </p> <p><em>Images: TikTok</em></p>

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Heated argument between economy passengers reignites plane etiquette debate

<p>A 12-second clip of two passengers arguing on a plane has reignited the age-old debate of whether it is acceptable to recline your seat on a plane. </p> <p>The viral video which was originally posted on TikTok and then re-shared on X, has racked up over 8 million views since Thursday. </p> <p>In the video, a frustrated woman was calling out another female passenger for pushing her seat the entire flight, right after they landed. </p> <p>“The whole trip she pushed my seat,” the woman said to a male passenger seated next to the female passenger accused of kicking her seat. </p> <p>“You seen it. You know she did.”</p> <p>“I’m allowed to put my seat back," she yelled repeatedly. </p> <p>Ian Miles Cheong, the user who posted the video on X, defended the woman saying: “She’s allowed to put her seat back. You don’t get to kick it repeatedly just because you want more space.”</p> <p>A few were on the woman's side and praised her for standing up for herself. </p> <p>“You are allowed! Period! You want space in front of you instead of pushing the seat, buy a seat with extra space or get your a** to business class. Reclining was put there for a reason,” one person wrote. </p> <p>“She was patient enough to wait till flight landed," they added. </p> <p>“If the seat is reclinable, recline it,” another commented. </p> <p>"What she’s saying is right. The woman has a right to put her seat back without someone kicking it," a third agreed.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">She’s allowed to put her seat back. You don’t get to kick it repeatedly just because you want more space. <a href="https://t.co/WELD7Qh4Re">pic.twitter.com/WELD7Qh4Re</a></p> <p>— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) <a href="https://twitter.com/stillgray/status/1719881310351863952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 2, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p>However, others claimed that there was an unwritten rule that you shouldn't recline your seat, especially on a short-haul flight, adding that the recline feature should be scrapped from airplanes. </p> <p>“Putting your seat back in coach is an unspoken thing most people don’t do. It’s really the airline’s fault because they’ve made coach so cramped and tight that putting the seat back shouldn’t even be an option,” one commented. </p> <p>“Airline seats simply shouldn’t be able to recline. It intrudes on the already very little space a person has on the plane for the person behind them,” another added. </p> <p>“Really it’s the airline’s fault for cramming so many people in such a small space. They don’t call it cattle class for nothing,” a third wrote. </p> <p>One user understood both sides of the argument, and blamed the airlines for making the seats so cramped. </p> <p>"It can be annoying sometimes to be behind someone with their seat all the way, but if the airlines didn't want to allow that, it wouldn't happen," they wrote.</p> <p>"You don't kick the seat like a baby. Blame the airline, not the person doing what the airline says is fine." </p> <p><em>Images: Twitter</em></p>

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Ben Fordham calls out Bob Katter over Matilda's etiquette

<p>Bob Katter and Ben Fordham were among the tens of thousands of sports fans who showed up at Accor Stadium in Sydney on Wednesday to support the Matildas in their semi-final match against England. </p> <p>The two were seated close to each other by chance, with Katter sitting directly in front of Fordham for the entirety of the match. </p> <p>Fordham called out Katter's lack of etiquette, after the 2GB host missed half of the game as his view was obstructed by Katter's giant Akubra, which he kept on throughout the entire game.</p> <p>Ben shared a snap of his unfortunate view on Instagram, writing, “80,000 people at the Matildas and I get seated behind Bob Katter.”</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CwAJ_tuRYl9/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CwAJ_tuRYl9/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Ben Fordham (@benfordham9)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>People took to the comments to condemn the act calling it “rude” and egging Fordham on to nudge the hat off the Queensland politician's head.</p> <p>"Take that stupid hat off Bob!!! Ben can’t see!!!" one person wrote, while other commented, "Ask him to take it off, that is so rude."</p> <p>Weighing in on the controversial act during his regular <em>Today</em> show segment on Thursday morning, Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce called Mr Katter out for the faux pas.</p> <p>“They’re there to stop you from getting melanoma, possibly keep your head warm if it is cold, but not to be worn in the house and certainly not to be worn in front of somebody because the person behind you has paid for their ticket,” Mr Joyce said.</p> <p>“Bob, they want to watch the soccer, not the back of your head – take your hat off, why did you take it to the football? It was at night, wasn‘t it?”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram </em></p>

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"I’m sorry, but no": Passenger on 12-hour flight stops woman from reclining

<p>A passenger on a 12-hour flight from Paris to Los Angeles went to great lengths to stop the woman in front of her from reclining her seat. </p> <p>The footage captured on August 13 shows a woman in a black jumper stretching her arms out in attempt to prevent the passenger in front of her from reclining, reported <em>The Sun</em>. </p> <p>The chair jolts as the passenger in front kept trying to move back the seat, but the woman behind her was persistent, and used all of her strength to push the seat forward and keep it in an upright position. </p> <p>The traveller seemed to give up trying to recline her seat, but the woman behind her continued to place her hands on the seat. </p> <p>“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, but no,” she says as she continued her attempts.</p> <p>As tension rose between the two passengers, the woman in front gets fed up and asked if she could talk to someone, before confronting the traveller behind her. </p> <p>“Just let me know, what’s going on?,” she asked.</p> <p>“I said respectfully, can you please stop moving it back?" the woman behind her responded. </p> <p>“Respect the person behind you,” as the person in front explained that she is trying to recline her seat so she can sleep. </p> <p>The woman behind continued to tell her to “respect the person behind you” as she tried to watch a movie on her laptop. </p> <p>The confrontation seemed to work as the seat in front came to a standstill. </p> <p><em>Images: The Sun</em></p>

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Throwing things on stage is bad concert etiquette – but it’s also not a new trend

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/timothy-mckenry-287534">Timothy McKenry</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/australian-catholic-university-747">Australian Catholic University</a></em></p> <p>The recent spate of <a href="https://www.today.com/popculture/music/fans-throwing-objects-concerts-trend-2023-rcna93631">incidents</a> where objects have been thrown at musicians by people who paid to see them perform has generated comment, consternation and condemnation on media both mainstream and social.</p> <p>One <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/cardi-b-police-report-microphone-las-vegas-rcna97344">recent case</a> involved liquid being thrown on stage during a performance by American rapper Cardi B. The singer retaliated by throwing her microphone into the crowd. Media accounts suggest the incident has resulted in a police complaint filed by someone in the audience.</p> <p>With mobile phones, soft toys, flower arrangements and even <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/music/2023/06/27/pink-concert-fan-throws-ashes-on-stage/70359893007/">cremains</a> raining down on the world’s most famous musicians, commentators and celebrities alike predict injury and interruption are inevitable.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Cardi B is now under investigation for battery after throwing her microphone at a fan <a href="https://t.co/yf3WXklkpo">pic.twitter.com/yf3WXklkpo</a></p> <p>— Complex Music (@ComplexMusic) <a href="https://twitter.com/ComplexMusic/status/1686095347511128064?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 31, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <h2>Why has concert etiquette been forgotten?</h2> <p>“Have you noticed how people are, like, forgetting fucking show etiquette at the moment?” <a href="https://themusic.com.au/news/adele-will-f-cking-kill-you-if-you-throw-anything-at-her-while-she-s-on-stage/LQCTISAjIiU/05-07-23">pointed out singer Adele</a> recently.</p> <p><a href="https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2023/07/11/concert-fan-bad-behavior">Some scholars</a> see this trend as a consequence of the suspension of live performances during COVID-19. The idea being that audiences – particularly those made up of large crowds – are out of practice when it comes to concert etiquette.</p> <p><a href="https://www.rmit.edu.au/news/media-releases-and-expert-comments/2023/July/fans-throwing-things-at-artists">Others suggest</a> the behaviour represents an attempt by fans to interact with the performers they love and achieve status within fan communities through viral social media content.</p> <p>It’s also possible we’ve overstated this phenomenon and that ravenous media, hungry for stories and scandal, are interpreting unrelated events as a trend. Motivation, for example, differs markedly.</p> <p>The devoted fan who <a href="https://www.today.com/popculture/music/harry-styles-hit-face-concert-vienna-rcna93333">threw a rose at Harry Styles</a> is clearly not in the same category as the <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/bebe-rexha-stitches-hit-cell-phone-1234774163/">man who hit Bebe Rehxa</a> in the face with his mobile phone “because it would be funny”.</p> <h2>Throwing things historically</h2> <p>Additionally, none of these incidents are without historical precedent.</p> <p>Whether a bouquet of flowers <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/292498073_The_operatic_event_Opera_houses_and_opera_audiences">tossed to an opera singer</a> to communicate delight at their performance or a story of <a href="http://journals.ed.ac.uk/forum/article/view/642">rotten fruit hurled at performers</a> to convey disdain at a disastrous opening night, history shows throwing things at live performances is nothing new.</p> <p>Just as the social status of musicians has changed over time (in the late 18th century top-rank musicians gradually transitioned from <a href="https://www.perlego.com/book/801073/music-art-and-performance-from-liszt-to-riot-grrrl-the-musicalization-of-art-pdf">servants to celebrities</a>), so too has concert etiquette. Concert etiquette is a <a href="https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/978-3-319-99166-5_1?pdf=chapter%20toc">manifestation of the social contracts</a> that exist between musicians and their audiences. These are in a constant state of flux and differ wildly over time, place, style and genre.</p> <p>For example, were I to attend the opera this weekend and spend the evening chatting to those around me, tapping my feet and shouting across the auditorium and at the performers, I’d be committing a major breach of etiquette. Indeed, I would quickly be escorted out. Were I to display these same behaviours in a mid-18th-century Parisian opera house, I would <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/3128412">fit right in</a>.</p> <h2>Flowers and souvenirs and mania</h2> <p>In the same way, throwing items like flowers, love notes and handkerchiefs at musicians, in some settings at least, has transitioned from aberrant to ordinary.</p> <p>Some 180 years before fans were casting flowers at Harry Styles, the composer and pianist <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Franz-Liszt">Franz Liszt</a> was the object of fanatical adoration. His 1841-42 tour of Germany saw crowds of mostly women shower him with flowers and other tokens, scramble for souvenirs, and throw themselves at his feet.</p> <p>Soon dubbed “<a href="https://books.google.com.au/books/about/Liszt_in_Germany_1840_1845.html?id=5eaYF1v2S5cC&amp;redir_esc=y">Lisztomania</a>”, this collective reaction to a musician by an audience was a relatively new phenomenon and one that was pathologised and criticised. In the words of the contemporary writer Heinrich Heine, Lisztomania was part of the “<a href="https://web.p.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=0&amp;sid=219aa480-1756-49ce-a493-8b1ad12a72af%40redis">spiritual sickness of our time</a>”.</p> <p>Over time, these “manic” audience behaviours are, at least in some contexts, normalised and even celebrated. <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/254957654_We%27re_Going_to_See_the_Beatles_An_Oral_History_of_Beatlemania_as_Told_by_the_Fans_Who_Were_There_review">Beatlemania</a>, for example, is generally understood as a watershed moment of cultural exuberance.</p> <h2>Changing concert etiquette</h2> <p>Musicians can be agents of change in relation to concert etiquette. Tom Jones, <a href="https://www.proquest.com/docview/2527891177?accountid=8194&amp;forcedol=true&amp;pq-origsite=primo">speaking in 2003</a>, recalls the first time a fan threw underwear at him. While performing and perspiring at the Copacabana in New York, audience members handed him napkins. One woman threw underwear. Jones explains that a newspaper report, combined with his “leaning in” to the audience behaviour, created a phenomenon. "I would pick them up and play around with them, you know, because you learn that whatever happens on stage, you try to turn it to your advantage and not get thrown by it."</p> <p>Jones’ engagement with this new mode of behaviour generated such a degree of positive reinforcement that it has become a clichéd fan behaviour employed in relation to numerous musicians. Jones came to view underwear throwing with a degree of ambivalence. He soon refrained from leaning in in the hope of moderating an act that became a parody of itself.</p> <p>Throwing things at concerts goes both ways. Consider Adele firing a T-shirt gun into the crowd or Charlie Watts <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bszhqrybXnQ">throwing his drumsticks</a> to the audience after a performance. These acts are part of the performance and universally viewed as non-controversial.</p> <p>Somewhat more controversial are mosh pits where performers sometimes even throw themselves into the audience. <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2018/sep/heavy-metal-music-inclusive-and-governed-rules-etiquette">Recent research</a> reveals a strict etiquette tied to this practice, founded on community and safety.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bszhqrybXnQ?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <p>Finally, no concert etiquette ever permits throwing something hazardous or throwing something with the intent to harm. If these incidents do trend towards violence in service of notoriety on social media, live music will suffer.</p> <p>Measures such as added security, physical barriers, airport style screening and even audience vetting will quickly become commonplace. Remember, celebrities like Liszt and Tom Jones aren’t the only agents of change. We can be too.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/210717/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/timothy-mckenry-287534">Timothy McKenry</a>, Professor of Music, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/australian-catholic-university-747">Australian Catholic University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/throwing-things-on-stage-is-bad-concert-etiquette-but-its-also-not-a-new-trend-210717">original article</a>.</em></p>

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10 helpful etiquette rules for posting a loved one’s death on social media

<p><strong>There’s no right way to deal with death on social media</strong></p> <p>The first thing to bear in mind when sharing or hearing of a loss on social media is that everyone is different. “When it comes to grief, there’s no one way to deal with it, and no correct prescription, so each person’s way needs to be respected,” says Dr Fran Walfish, a family and relationship psychotherapist.</p> <p> “When people are experiencing a loss, it’s very important to step aside, not tell them what to do, and take your cues from them.”</p> <p><strong>Let the closest loved ones post first</strong></p> <p>While anyone affected by a death can feel a strong impulse to share the news on social media, such announcements should be left to the deceased person’s closest family members, who should have the prerogative to decide when, what, and how they want to post. “Sharing is really for the closest loved ones’ benefit, so leave it up to that core group to post the initial news of the passing,” says Stef Woods, who teaches classes on social media.</p> <p>“Note what information has been included or excluded from that post, then follow suit and show support.” A recent study found that the content of those posts can vary depending on the social media platform used. In a 2016 paper, two University of Washington students who had analysed the feeds of deceased Twitter users found, “People use the site to acknowledge death in a blend of public and private behaviour that differs from how it is addressed on other social media sites,” according to a press release.</p> <p><strong>Streamline logistics</strong></p> <p>Because social media has the power to reach such a large network simultaneously, it can be a helpful tool for a family dealing with preparations for a service or memorial. “When the loss is fresh and there are lots of plans to coordinate, it can save people time and emotional energy rather than re-sharing the same information in call after call,” says Woods.</p> <p>If you’re on the phone with someone, she explains, you could get stuck in a conversation that’s not just about you relaying information, it’s also about the other person processing it, and you may not have the time or mental patience for such an exchange. “It can be easier to post the information on Facebook, and then go focus on logistics. It can help give the closest loved ones their own time,” she adds.</p> <p><strong>Get your facts straight</strong></p> <p>While it seems like it should go without saying, when posting about a death on social media, it’s especially crucial to make sure your information is accurate. “I have a niece who was in the ICU for many months with pneumonia teetering between life and death, and all of a sudden on Facebook, I saw a close friend of my brother express condolences, but my niece was still alive!” says Walfish.</p> <p>She rushed to do damage control by contacting the friend – who was a kind, well-meaning person – to prevent her brother from ever seeing such an upsetting post. Fortunately her niece ultimately recovered. “We were lucky in my case, but you can’t always erase what goes out there.”</p> <p><strong>Be careful with details</strong></p> <p>People hearing of a death on social media may want to get more information, understandably, but your curiosity is less important than the family’s need for privacy. “If the core group doesn’t indicate the details of how someone passed in the post, there’s some reason they included or excluded that information,” says Woods. If you happen to know details that weren’t publicly shared by the relatives, it isn’t your place to put that information out there. “Let the core group take the lead,” adds Woods, who points out that ultimately, “finding out the Why and How doesn’t change the fact that someone is gone.”</p> <p>In addition, whether you’re the closest family or the most distant friend of the deceased, be aware that whatever information you post could be viewed by children. “So, if God forbid there was a suicide or any kind of questionable circumstances to the death, be very cautious about how and what you say if you don’t want a teenager or younger child to see it,” says Walfish.</p> <p><strong>Respond in the medium in which you received the news</strong></p> <p>Remember that in the first hours and days after someone passes, the loved ones of the deceased are dealing not only with a storm of emotion but also a long list of logistics. While social media can help that core group to share information more easily, such a public announcement can leave them open to getting bombarded with hundreds of calls and texts. “If you’ve been notified on social media rather than receiving a call, that means for whatever reason that the closest family members didn’t want to or didn’t have time to talk to everyone,” says Woods.</p> <p>“So when acknowledging the news, stick to the medium through which you received the information.” If someone posts on Facebook, she says, reply briefly online, but don’t rush to call or text; instead, give the family space to deal with what they need to deal with. “Wait and reach out later,” Woods advises. “The loss will still be felt long after the services have passed.” An exception may be if you can offer to help in any way – by taking care of children, for example, or hosting out-of-town relatives who may come in for the funeral.</p> <p><strong>Decide whether to keep the departed’s online profiles</strong></p> <p>There’s a good chance that the person who passed has an online profile, and it’s up to their loved ones to decide what to do with it. “Sometimes a person’s profile page is deleted, sometimes the page is kept up, sometimes a separate memorial site is created,” says Woods. “It’s all up to what’s best for those who are grieving the most – there’s no right or wrong way to handle it.” If a deceased person’s Facebook page, for example, continues to be active with respectful photos and posts, it can become a space where everyone can process the loss and remember together.</p> <p>“It can be healthy to express that those who are gone are not forgotten,” says Woods. For some, however, maintaining a lost loved one’s online presence can be detrimental. “When someone keeps a deceased person’s page alive, in a way it’s parallel to memorialising the deceased by making a shrine in your home,” says Walfish. “It can stop some people from moving forward in their life; it’s like not allowing the final resolution of acceptance.”</p> <p><strong>Make your own wishes known</strong></p> <p>When it comes to looking ahead to your own passing, if you have specific wishes about your own social media presence, share them with your loved ones, says financial planner, Pamela Sandy. “Because we live so much of our lives on various social media platforms, we need to think about whether we want all that out there after we’re gone,” she says. Speaking from personal experience, Sandy adds that when her significant other passed, she wasn’t sure of his wishes for his Facebook page and didn’t know where his username and password was.</p> <p>After a time, she found his login credentials and deleted his page, which is what she believes he would have wanted. In order to help her clients avoid similar situations, Sandy includes an online platform that stores people’s changing usernames and passwords to be accessed by their loved ones after their passing – among the services she offers. Additionally, in 2015 Facebook introduced a feature that lets people choose a legacy contact – a family member or friend who can manage their account when they pass away, according to a company press release.</p> <p><strong>Avoid platitudes</strong></p> <p>When you’re trying to show support for someone who has experienced a loss, avoid comments containing trite platitudes such as “They’re in a better place,” especially if you don’t know the family’s beliefs.</p> <p>“For example, saying the person lived a long life may not sit well because the family may not feel it was long enough,” says Woods, adding that it’s fine to be honest and say you don’t know what to say. “It’s OK to write ‘I’m so sorry; there are no words,’” says Woods. “It’s OK to be honest and sincere.”</p> <p><strong>Check your privacy settings</strong></p> <p>When posting, sharing, or commenting on any sensitive information – such as a death – make sure you understand who will be able to see it. “People have different social media privacy settings, so they may think no one can see a particular post when they can,” says Woods.</p> <p>“If you’re sharing a post, say, on Instagram and connecting it with Facebook, it automatically defers to your Instagram setting. Or your phone may have a different default setting than your laptop.”</p> <p><strong>Don’t give into a grief Olympics</strong></p> <p>Sometimes a close family member’s post about the loss of a loved one can attract not only sincere condolences, but also comments in which more distant family or friends get carried away with their own feelings. “It can become a ‘grief Olympics,’ and it should be avoided,” says Woods. Once news of someone’s passing has been announced by their core group, she says, avoid comments about yourself such as bemoaning how hard the news is for you.</p> <p>“If you feel the need to process your own grief, record that processing on your own page,” she suggests. “And do so without tagging any of the core loved ones or the person who passed. If they want to know your views, they’ll see it.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/culture/etiquette-rules-for-dealing-with-death-on-social-media?pages=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>. </em></p>

Caring

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11 polite habits house cleaners secretly hate – and what to do instead

<p><strong>The dos and don'ts of cleaning etiquette</strong></p> <p>Housekeepers are like lawyers. They see you at your worst – yes, mostly your home, but you too – and keep their lips sealed. With a cleaning confidante like that, it’s only natural to want to do little things to show your appreciation, like asking about their lives or even helping them clean. But despite your good intentions, these kind gestures can sometimes miss the mark.</p> <p>The house cleaners we spoke with revealed tales of extra (dirty) work they were “trusted with” but didn’t want to do, “helpful” cleaning tips that weren’t actually helpful and little etiquette mistakes that simply sucked time from what you hired them to do: clean your house. To be fair, there aren’t any hard-and-fast etiquette rules on this topic. That’s why we asked cleaning experts to give us the inside scoop on some of the thoughtful things people do that drive them crazy – and what to do instead.</p> <p><strong>Cleaning before they arrive</strong></p> <p>You may truly believe you’re helping by cleaning before your housekeeper arrives, and maybe you are. It depends on what you mean by cleaning. If you’re quickly passing a mop over a grimy kitchen floor or wiping your granite benchtops with a wet sponge and not drying them, cleaning pros say, “Thanks, but no thanks.” With the grime now further embedded into the floor or streaks on the countertops, it could actually take them more time to fix your mistake. And at the very least, they’ll have to duplicate your work anyway.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Do this instead</em></span>: focus on the clutter. “Taking things off the counters and clearing the floors can help us work much faster, and that means a better cleaning for the same amount of money,” says housecleaner, Gretchen Boyd. “Clear the clutter for a better clean, but leave the scrubbing to us!”</p> <p><strong>Talking to them while they're cleaning</strong></p> <p>After a while, your housekeeper becomes more like a friend. You ask them about their lives and their families, and they certainly know all about yours. It would be rude not to talk to them while they’re there. Plus, they’re doing all the tasks you don’t want to do, so the least you could do is make things less boring with a little chitchat, right? Nope! In fact, that ‘entertaining’ chitchat can really mess with their cleaning schedule.</p> <p>“Once, a client wanted to discuss a personal issue with me while I was cleaning their home. I was happy to listen, but it extended my cleaning time by about 15 to 20 minutes,” says cleaner Laura Avila.  “I enjoy getting to know my clients, but it’s important to keep in mind that my priority is to provide them with a clean space, and conversations can sometimes hinder that goal.”</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Do this instead</em></span>: spend a few minutes chatting when your housekeeper arrives, then let them get to work. “What I really appreciate is when clients give me some space to work in silence or maybe put on some music that we can both enjoy without having to chat the whole time,” says Avila. “That way, I can focus on doing a great job and getting everything cleaned up efficiently.”</p> <p><strong>Following them around while they work</strong></p> <p>You’re not hovering; you’re keeping them company. Nope, sorry – you’re hovering. Even if you think you’re being polite by showing an interest in their work or keeping them company, this polite gesture rarely comes across as you’re hoping. Instead, house cleaners say that having someone watching them while they scrub and scour the shower gives the impression that the client doubts if their cleaner even knows how to clean the bathroom at all. And having someone watching your every move can be distracting and unnerving.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Do this instead</em></span>: “I prefer when clients let me work on my own,” says Avila. If you have specific requests or concerns, talk them over when your housekeeper first arrives. Checking on progress or asking questions is fine, but minimise those types of interactions. That way, they can focus on doing the amazing job that you want them to do.</p> <p><strong>Offering agency workers extra pay for extra work </strong></p> <p>Who wouldn’t like to make some extra cash easily? Customers who go through an agency may think they are helping their house cleaner by offering extra payment for work that isn’t in the contract. What they don’t realise is that this may actually be against company policy, and their house cleaner could get in trouble. Beyond that, because professional cleaners allocate a set amount of time for each job, doing that additional chore could cause them to run late to their other clients’ homes, says Rachel Rios, a cleaning professional. All this also puts the cleaner in the awkward position of having to say no and disappoint the client.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Do this instead</em></span>: talk to the agency ahead of time if you have a special request. Agree upon any additional charges it may incur, as well as when the cleaning will take place.</p> <p><strong>Giving vague instructions</strong></p> <p>Sometimes, clients feel like giving too many instructions will insult the cleaning pro – after all, this is their job. Or they figure the cleaner knows to include tasks like cleaning ceiling fans and windows in their weekly routine, so they casually say something like: “Clean the living room.” The problem? Without specific instructions on which areas of the house to clean, which surfaces to focus on or what kind of cleaning products to use, a house cleaner is not sure what exactly needs to be done.</p> <p>There may also be confusion about whether “cleaning” entails a thorough wipe-down or a deep-clean. “Each client has different preferences and expectations,” says Hugo Guerrero, a certified house cleaning technician, “so it’s important to communicate clearly.”</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Do this instead</em></span>: provide a list with specific details about how each task should be completed. “Be specific,” says Guerrero. “That way, there are fewer misunderstandings and more satisfactory cleaning jobs.”</p> <p><strong>Moving items before they arrive</strong></p> <p>You might think you’re helping your house cleaner by moving sculptures, photographs, vases and other home accessories off table tops and shelves. But this ends up creating more work for them, as well as confusion. After all, now they don’t know where these items belong – and where they should put them once they’re clean. They might also knock them over if you put them in a strange spot or accidentally break them while moving them back in place.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Do this instead</em></span>: leave everything in its original position, and let the cleaners move the items themselves. “Doing so makes it easier for the cleaner, who is used to cleaning a certain way,” says Ahmad Jamal, a cleaning expert with Cleaners Advisor. “When clients move items around, I may need to move things back to their original place in order to clean properly.” Plus, those decorative items need to be dusted and cleaned as well, and there’s a specific way to do that. If you need anything in particular moved, let your cleaner know in advance.</p> <p><strong>Pre-soaking the shower or tub with bleach</strong></p> <p>Clients who don’t really know how to clean a bathtub the right way may think it’s helpful to pre-soak the shower or bathtub with bleach, but this can actually be incredibly dangerous for your house cleaner. If the area is not rinsed thoroughly, it could result in a chemical reaction with the cleaning supplies the cleaning pro is using in your bathroom. For example, when bleach mixes with ammonia, it produces an odourless, toxic gas that can cause respiratory distress and even death.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Do this instead</em></span>: “If you do decide to do any pre-cleaning before your house cleaner arrives, communicate which chemicals you used and where,” says Toby Schulz, CEO of Maid2Match in Australia. “And please remember to make sure the room is well ventilated.”</p> <p><strong>Leaving a key with a neighbour </strong></p> <p>Sometimes scheduling conflicts arise, and you need to arrange for your house cleaner to get a key to your home. Of course, you don’t want to cancel at the last minute and totally upend your cleaning pro’s schedule, and this is a good solution. Well, it is when it goes off without a hitch … which rarely happens. What if the neighbour isn’t home or doesn’t hear the doorbell?</p> <p>“This never seems to quite work as planned,” says cleaner, Olive Cantor. “Plus, the entire cleaning job runs late, and that can impact not only our client’s cleaning but also our entire day.”</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Do this instead</em></span>: work out a mutually agreeable option, like bringing your key to your house cleaner earlier in the day or hiding it away in an uncommon place like under a driveway paver. If you’re looking for a more permanent solution, you might want to invest in a smart lock that lets you provide an employee with “digital keys” that work just for that day.</p> <p><strong>Providing your own cleaning products and tools</strong></p> <p>It’s a nice gesture to want to provide everything your house cleaner needs so it’s all right there waiting for them and they don’t have to lug it to your house every week. But insisting on the wrong tools and products can actually make the job harder, especially when you leave out all those items to “help.”</p> <p>“This [makes] it hard to find my way around and determine the right way to clean each surface,” says Jenna Shaughnessy, a former professional house cleaner who’s currently a home decor and DIY expert. “While you may have excellent intentions, it might make cleaning harder and take more time.”</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Do this instead</em></span>: communicate your preferences in advance (like, maybe you only want natural cleaning products or your kid is allergic to a certain scent), and then discuss your house cleaner’s preferences as well. They’re the pros, after all, and they know what’s good! Perhaps they find a certain vacuum to be more effective or love a product that cuts their work time in half.</p> <p>You can also discuss whether they would like you to stock up on these items for them or if they would prefer to bring their own supplies. “That way,” says Avila, “I can be sure that I’m using things I’m familiar with and that I know will work well for the job.”</p> <p><strong>Offering 'helpful advice' while they're working</strong></p> <p>It’s your home, and it has some quirks. To be fair, so do you. And you know your house cleaner wants to do the job to your specifications, so if you happen to be in the same room and notice they could be doing something differently, you might want to offer your two cents, whether it’s about the best way to clean that tricky oven rack or how to scrub the stainless steel sink. But truly, resist the urge.</p> <p>Lauren Doss, owner of a cleaning business, notes that all the stopping, starting and direction-giving makes it difficult to work efficiently. With one client who wanted things done a very specific way and kept interjecting as she worked, Doss says it “added a lot of time to the job, as I had to double-check each step with them.” Not to mention that this behaviour shows a lack of trust, even if you aren’t quite as intrusive as that client was.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Do this instead</em></span>: Provide clear instructions to your cleaner before they start working, then let them do their job. “It’s important for clients to trust their housekeeping professionals and allow them to work without interference,” says Doss. “If there’s a problem, offer constructive criticism rather than nitpicking.”</p> <p><strong>Not wanting to burden your house cleaner with other home problems </strong></p> <p>House cleaners don’t need to know tiny details about every maintenance issue in your house. Too much information! However, let’s be clear: they sure appreciate your telling them about problems that affect their job. A burned-out bulb in the fridge is not important … but a clogged toilet definitely is.</p> <p>And that’s not the only potential issue here. “I had one client who failed to tell me that the door on their second oven was loose,” recounts Cantor. “I went to open the oven to clean it, and off came the door! Not only was that scary – and potentially dangerous – but I was then worried that I was the one who broke it.”</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Do this instead</em></span>: let your house cleaner know if something they are going to be cleaning or using is broken. If you won’t be home when your house cleaner arrives, leave sticky notes on problem places. In the case of the broken oven door, Cantor says, “a little heads-up would have saved a lot of stress for everyone!”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/food-home-garden/11-polite-habits-house-cleaners-secretly-hate-and-what-to-do-instead?pages=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>. </em></p>

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10 shocking examples of bad hotel etiquette

<p>Travel website Expedia has released an exhaustive study on hotel etiquette, asking thousands of travellers around the world to rank the 10 types of hotel behaviour that aggravate them the most. Some of these examples left us scratching our heads!</p> <p><strong>10. The elevator chatterbox</strong></p> <p>The 10th most annoying hotel-etiquette-gripe for travellers cited by Expedia is hotel guests with a tendency to be a little too chatting on elevators. While you can’t fault anyone for wanting to have a chat, the confined nature of an elevator can make the conversation a little bit awkward.</p> <p><strong>9. The boozer at the hotel bar</strong></p> <p>Watching this guy drink his way through his per diem is a sight to behold, and not in a good way. You might just want to have a quiet drink at the hotel bar in peace, but because this guy is hell-bent on turning his business trip into the last days of Rome odds are you’re going to be rudely interrupted.  </p> <p><strong>8. The couple canoodling in the hot tub</strong></p> <p>The one thing we can take solace in here is the fact that a lot of the germs won’t be able to withstand the hot tub temperatures. But the thought of jumping into the biological soup formed by a couple canoodling in the hot tub is one that definitely makes our stomachs turn!</p> <p><strong>7. The loudly amorous couple</strong></p> <p>Coming in at number seven on the list is the couple that are having the romantic escape of a lifetime, which you have unfortunately had to listen to every minute of. It’s in moments like this many travellers have whispered a silent prayer of thanks that earplugs exist.</p> <p><strong>6. The group partying by the pool</strong></p> <p>There’s nothing like a relaxing dip in the hotel pool, but when this group is hanging out it’s hard to get a foot in the water! The only thing that seems to be greater than their obnoxious behaviour is their omnipresence outside of the pool everywhere – don’t they have rooms to stay in?</p> <p><strong>5. The bickering couple</strong></p> <p>Hey, will someone let these two know that they’re on holidays? Whether it’s a very uncivil discussion as to whether they should have a spa or massage tomorrow, or a fire-breathing fight concerning whether they should go to a café or have the breakfast buffet, these two need to calm down a bit.</p> <p><strong>4. The in-room revellers  </strong></p> <p>These people seem to be intent on achieving two things in life – partying all night and inhibiting your ability to get some much needed shut eye as they do so. No amount of pleading (or banging on the hotel walls) will seem to get these people to quieten down and show some respect.  </p> <p><strong>3. The excessive complainers</strong></p> <p>Some people are so intent on complaining you’d think that’s half the reason they went away at the first place. When these people aren’t at the hotel bar questioning the amount of bitters in their lemon lime and bitters at, they’re at the concierge desk making all sorts of ridiculous requests.</p> <p><strong>2. The hallway hellraisers</strong></p> <p>Often mistaken for a stampede of wild horses (at least by the amount of sound they’re making as they move through the hotel, hallway hellraisers get from the lobby to their hotel room with the grace and finesses of an elephant walking around in platform heels two sizes too small. </p> <p><strong>1. Inattentive parents</strong></p> <p>Children bring joy into this world, but not when they’re wreaking havoc in hotel lobbies. The only thing worse is the inattentive parents who are too engrossed in their own world’s to control their kids, which is why travellers ranked this as the most aggravating example of poor hotel etiquette.</p> <p><strong>The study also revealed some hidden habits of people staying at hotels, mainly:</strong></p> <ul> <li>26 per cent have hoarded toiletries to take home with them;</li> <li>9 per cent have invited multiple people into their room overnight without telling the hotel;</li> <li>8 per cent have secretly taken items from their hotel room;</li> <li>6 per cent sneak down to the pool first thing in the morning to “reserve” a spot by placing towels on chairs;</li> <li>5 per cent have smoked in a non-smoking room;</li> <li>2 per cent have deliberately eavesdropped on guests in a neighbouring room.</li> </ul> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

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Influencer’s extensive list of plane etiquette rules reignites age-old debate

<p dir="ltr">A travel influencer has shared an extensive list of what you should and shouldn’t do on a plane, reigniting an age-old debate about in-flight etiquette. </p> <p dir="ltr">Ben Keenan, a frequent traveller from Seattle in the US, posted his list of dos and don’ts in a now-viral TikTok, saying it is “disgusting” for a passenger to take off their shoes and you should always check behind before reclining your seat.</p> <p dir="ltr">Keenan begins his list with his least controversial point, saying travellers should always greet their flight attendants when boarding the plane, pointing out that it costs nothing to be friendly and polite. </p> <p dir="ltr">He then broaches the topic of taking off your shoes on a plane, which was met with mixed responses. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Do not take off your shoes or socks when you’re sitting in your seat, you disgusting people,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">He went on to urge people not to pick an aisle seat if you plan on sleeping through your journey. </p> <p dir="ltr">“When selecting your seat before the flight, go ahead and determine what type of flyer you are. Are you someone that sleeps or are you someone that’s awake?” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Because if you’re on an aisle seat, you need to be prepared to stand up and move out of the way multiple times during the flight – and I know this sucks but that truly means that you should not be a sleeper.”</p> <p dir="ltr">He continued, “Speaking of sleeping on the plane, if you’re going to recline your seat to do that, go ahead and make sure the people behind you aren’t resting their head on your seat or using that tray table because do you know how many times I’ve been smashed in the head by somebody who just aggressively leans back.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Keenan’s list of etiquette rules was met with a mixed response, with people both praising and criticising certain unspoken rules. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Nope … definitely taking my shoes off! And I’m not turning back to check … I will recline gently though,” one traveller said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“If it is a long flight, shoes are allowed to come off (8+ hours),” another wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr"> One flyer agreed with Keenan’s rules, admitting, “I approach every flight like I'm being graded, and the flight attendants will give me an A+ for my flight etiquette.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Another bemused viewer put it simply, writing, “I’ve never flown but this all seems like common sense?”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: TikTok</em></p>

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7 must-know cruise rules

<p dir="ltr">A cruise has the potential to be the holiday of a lifetime, so it’s important to make sure you enjoy every second of it. </p> <p dir="ltr">And with these seven cruise etiquette guidelines, you’ll keep out of trouble, and make a few friends along the way - maybe even snagging the title of “everyone’s favourite passenger”. </p> <ol> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation"><strong>Loyalty is crucial </strong></p> </li> </ol> <p dir="ltr">Getting a trivia team together can be difficult, but once you’ve found the golden combination, don’t let go. Absolutely don’t drop a team member if they’d had a bad performance - we’ve all been there, knowing every capital city on Earth is a top tier challenge - and under no circumstances swap teams without warning. Just like in sports, once you’ve worn the jersey, those are your people and those are your players. Loyalty is golden, just like that first place medal that could soon be yours. </p> <ol start="2"> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation"><strong>Don’t overbook </strong></p> </li> </ol> <p dir="ltr">Nobody wants to turn up to the restaurant to learn that every table has been booked out, and yet not a single table is available. While cruise ships may not penalise passengers who book a table at every eatery to guarantee a space that night, you should always ring up and cancel the second you have no intention of going. And do it as far ahead of time as possible - give your fellow holidaymakers a chance to grab a bite, too. Sharing, after all, is caring. </p> <p dir="ltr">“If you make a dinner booking in a speciality restaurant and change your mind about going, follow the courtesy you'd show on land and cancel the reservation in advance,” Jana Frawley, Escape Content Director, said, “this is helpful for the staff, but also fellow guests who can now book in your place.” </p> <ol start="3"> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation"><strong>The crew are for everyone </strong></p> </li> </ol> <p dir="ltr">It’s well-known that some of the longest wait times on a cruise ship can be while you’re standing in line for your turn at the service desk. It’s recommended that passengers wait around 24 hours for non-emergencies, giving the ship’s crew the time they need to get set up, and finalise any preparations to give you the holiday of your dreams. And if your Wifi isn’t working from the first second, where’s the harm in admiring the gorgeous views you paid for? </p> <ol start="4"> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation"><strong>Get a watch </strong></p> </li> </ol> <p dir="ltr">The worst kind of tour companion is the late companion. Holding everyone else up because you weren’t keeping track of time on your shore trip will achieve one thing: frowns from everyone around you. And should you opt to head out on your own and leave every single person on board twiddling their thumbs? Good luck. </p> <ol start="5"> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation"><strong>Keep your gas out of the hot tub </strong></p> </li> </ol> <p dir="ltr">This one is fairly self-explanatory. The same rules apply in any spa back on land, and we all know exactly what those bubbles mean. </p> <ol start="6"> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation"><strong>Let them entertain you </strong></p> </li> </ol> <p dir="ltr">Let the staff do their jobs in peace - don’t touch, don’t heckle, don’t bother them with questions you know should be directed elsewhere. This especially goes for the entertainment director. While it’s their job to make you feel welcome, to make sure you have fun, to invite you into the cruising world, they’re still on the clock, and they still get breaks - so, let them. </p> <ol start="7"> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation"><strong>Germs-be-gone</strong></p> </li> </ol> <p dir="ltr">Unfortunately, being in any confined space for an extended period of time with hundreds of other people is bound to lead to at least one cold popping up for some unfortunate soul. And while it’s a miserable experience to be that person, knowing you’re missing out on things, it is absolutely vital that you do the right thing and stay away until you’re better. Don’t be responsible for bringing the entire passenger base down - there will be no forgetting that. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Just stay in your damned stateroom and order room service,” Simone Mitchell, Escape’s associate digital editor, said. “It sucks, yes, but it’s not a conspiracy to make your life difficult or unpleasant. It’s just bad luck.” </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

Cruising

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How to avoid becoming the worst passenger on your next flight

<p>While basic flying etiquette is simple common sense to most, there are those out there who set one foot in the airport and become the worst version of themselves.</p> <p>It can be hard to have the patience for bad manners, but when you’re stuck up in the clouds with them with no room to run, it can be almost as difficult not to slip up yourself - be that launching your own chair back into the kneecaps of the person behind to avoid the chair suddenly in your own face, or even battling it out for the use of a shared armrest. </p> <p>To help prepare hopeful travellers - to both stop the problem passengers and avoid becoming one yourself - social affairs commentator and former academic Gary Martin shared his 10 travel passenger pet peeves with <em>ABC Radio Perth</em>’s Stan Shaw. </p> <p><strong>10. Trouble at the gate </strong></p> <p>In last place, Gary placed the individuals who like to spend their time bothering airport staff in the hours (and hours) before it’s time to board their flight, telling Stan that “these poor souls somehow think that if they actually get on that plane quicker the plane is going to get them to their destination faster.”</p> <p><strong>9. Loud people </strong></p> <p>This one speaks for itself. Whether you’re stuck in the terminal with them, or across the plane aisle from them, obnoxiously loud individuals can be very, very hard to deal with. </p> <p><strong>8. Smelly seatmates </strong></p> <p>Airports and aeroplanes are already busy, loud, and overwhelming for the people moving through them, and senses can be thrown into overdrive. So the last thing many want to endure is sitting next to, or near, someone who sets their nostrils flaring. From body odour to abusing the perfume testers in duty free, these passengers can be hard to stomach. </p> <p><strong>7. Entitled flyers</strong></p> <p>Gary’s explanation for these self-important travellers was short and to the point, “they are entitled, using the call button every 10 minutes” and likely keeping staff from others who could benefit from their help. </p> <p><strong>6. Luggage switcher </strong></p> <p>Overheard bins are nothing short of a nightmare when flying - either domestically or internationally - and it can feel like a victory to get your things in the one above your own seat. But for some, that means nothing, with luggage switchers all too eager to swap things about to get the spot they want, regardless of who’s already laid claim to the bin. </p> <p><strong>5. Overhead hoarder</strong></p> <p>Following on from the switchers come the hogs - those who see absolutely nothing wrong with taking up the entire overhead bin for the ‘carry-on’ that looks suspiciously like an entire shell suitcase, never mind the two to three other people occupying their row. </p> <p><strong>4. Time troublers </strong></p> <p>Gary explained these trouble travellers to be someone "who somehow can't distinguish between boarding time and departure time of an aircraft, and they're two very different things” thereby holding things up for everybody else. </p> <p>The counterpart to the latecomer is the early bird, and as Gary put it, “these are people that get off the plane, or try to get off the plane, as soon as it's landed. The seatbelt signs go off and everybody gets up and tries to push their way out of the plane."</p> <p><strong>3. Armrest warriors </strong></p> <p>Gary had some simple rules for dealing with the limited armrests in each row, and avoiding the ire of your neighbours. </p> <p>“The person in the middle should get both armrests,” he explained, “because the other people get the sides. </p> <p>"But that's not the case for most travellers. There's a squabble that goes on over the armrests."</p> <p>He also noted that these passengers had a habit of taking up more than their fair share of room in general, from simply leaning over unnecessarily, or in worst case scenarios, “they might fall asleep on your shoulder.” </p> <p><strong>2. Kickers </strong></p> <p>One kick is an accident, and two is excusable, but relentless kicks to the back of your seat can fray your nerves in record time, and have a scowl on your face all the way from take off to landing. </p> <p><strong>1. Recliners </strong></p> <p>Coming in at the top of Gary’s list is everyone’s sky high nemesis: the recliner. </p> <p>It’s bad enough to be “pinned by a tray table” at the best of times in the air, but as Gary pointed out, that’s a situation that can quickly become miserable for everyone, as once “the person in front of you does it, you feel compelled to do it too.</p> <p>"Then it just dominoes down the aisle."</p> <p><em>Images: Getty </em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Cruise passengers slammed over “tacky” buffet etiquette

<p dir="ltr">Though buffets are designed to feed hungry passengers while onboard, one cruise guest has sparked a row online over whether it should be an option to take buffet fare beyond the ship.</p> <p dir="ltr">Taking to Reddit, the passenger asked whether they were allowed to fill plastic containers they brought with them with buffet food to take on day excursions.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Are we allowed to fill our personal plastic containers with buffet food?” they asked.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We will be leaving the ship and exploring but want to take food from the ship and pack it for later during the day while we are out exploring.”</p> <p dir="ltr">While it might be allowed, other passengers quickly shared their horror at the suggestion.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Wow, I can’t think of anything more tacky honestly,” one said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Take a box of granola bars with you if you must, for when hunger strikes and food is nowhere to be seen but practices like this are exactly why Venice stopped allowing cruise ships to dock in their ports.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Passengers would come off the ship, bring a picnic, tour the sights, leave their garbage in the city, spend as little money as they could get away with, and sail off leaving the city more worn than it was before without really doing much to contribute.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Please consider partaking of local food, drink and delicacies while you are ashore in various places.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The people who graciously welcome tourists into their ports also depend on them for their livelihood.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Another added: “I would slightly judge someone filling up a container in line but you paid for the food.”</p> <p dir="ltr">With many tourist hotspots eagerly welcoming cruise ships back into their ports after the pandemic saw businesses across the travel and tourism industry suffer, others also suggested choosing to enjoy the local cuisine.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Eat a hearty meal before departing the ship,” a guest wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Partake in some local cuisine instead of dealing with the hassles of taking food into foreign countries.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Some warned that taking food from the buffet to eat later could increase the risk of getting sick, while one user pointed out that some ports won’t allow food from the ship.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Many cruise destinations do not allow food from the ship to go to shore, particularly fruits, seeds, nuts etc,” they wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“So be careful and make sure it is allowed. The shore talks typically address this.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“Keeping food in your backpack at room temperature until you want to eat it sounds like a good way to get food poisoning.” another warned.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-278bb6f0-7fff-8b35-2fae-f7f13271d65d"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Cruising

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5 etiquette tips for working with tradies

<p dir="ltr">Whether you’re about to start major renovations or just need a few niggly things fixed, it’s important to hire the right tradie for the job - and work with them to get the best result.</p> <p dir="ltr">To ensure the job goes smoothly and everyone walks away satisfied, here are five ground rules to follow when working with tradies.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>1. Prepare the space</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Clearing the space the tradies will be working in, including moving obstacles and breakable items, will make it all the more easier for them to get stuck into the task at hand.</p> <p dir="ltr">Other ways to help your tradies out include giving them space to park if possible, keeping your pets away from the area and out of harm’s way, and even offering a lunch space where they can set up.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>2. Check-In</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Though it will depend on the size of the job, checking in every couple of days to see how things are going can give you and the tradies the chance to ask any questions or clarify important information as you need to. </p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>3. Don’t hover</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">It’s good to check in, but there’s a fine line between that and hovering over their shoulder and getting in the way.</p> <p dir="ltr">It’s best to keep your conversations to the point and let them get on with their job.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>4. Communicate clearly</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">An important thing to establish from the beginning, clearly communicating your expectations, requirements, and wants can help you and your tradie establish a plan for how to approach the task at hand.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>5. Be reasonable</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">While we can try hard to prevent mishaps and miscommunication, sometimes things can go wrong for reasons that are out of yours and your tradies’ hands.</p> <p dir="ltr">In these cases, it’s important to stay calm, work with them and rely on tips one through four.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-b96e987b-7fff-e272-0e7c-a286987d40de"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

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