Travel Etiquette 101 - Yahoo Voices - voices.yahoo.com

There are certain things that you just can't control when you travel, such as bad weather, high prices, long lines, and traffic delays. However, there are a lot of things that you can control by following some basic travel etiquette. Your fellow travelers will appreciate your efforts and you'll enjoy a much more pleasant and relaxing experience. Below are some very good "rules of the road" to apply the next time that you travel.

• Use your common "scents" when applying cologne or other items containing fragrances. Fragrance allergies are on the rise, affecting over two million people and the number of sufferers is climbing. Being in a confined space, such as an airplane, motorcoach, or theater can trigger severe symptoms in many people, including headaches, nausea, breathing problems, rashes, and even asthma attacks. As we get older, our sense of smell is not as sharp as it once was, so some folks may tend to douse when they really should dab.

• We've told the little ones for years to cover their mouths whenever they cough or sneeze, but some of the big ones seem to have forgotten that we're supposed to do the same. By the way, it's much more sanitary to cough or sneeze into a tissue or your upper sleeve rather than using your hand. And please cover your mouth when you yawn as well-yawning is contagious. I yawned just writing that sentence about yawning.

• Think back to the days when you actually managed to survive each day without a cell phone and relive that part of your life every time you travel. If it's not an emergency, the conversation can, and should, wait until you are in a private space. Then again, if you insist on having that personal conversation in front of us, at least have the courtesy to put your phone on speaker so that we get to hear both sides, thereby allowing us to chime in every now and then with our own thoughts and comments.

• Step off to the side of the walkway as soon as you realize that you're lost. Stopping dead in the middle of the sidewalk while you try to get your bearings is not only annoying, it's potentially dangerous in large crowds. The same holds true for window shopping, pushing a stroller, or stopping for photos-move out of the flow of traffic if you can't move along with it.

• Speaking of photos, offer to take photos of other tourists with their own cameras--it's a very simple little kindness that takes just a few seconds of your time.

• And again on the subject of photos, it can take several minutes of waiting patiently to get a clear shot of a major tourist attraction, so don't walk directly in front of your fellow travelers when you know they are trying to aim and shoot.

• Look behind you when entering and exiting a restaurant, gift shop, theater, etc., and wait long enough to hold the door open for the next person. The tired tourist loaded down with bags full of souvenirs for the grandkids back home will be most grateful.

• When the curtain comes up or the performance starts, that's the cue to close your mouth. You might think that you're whispering, but we really CAN hear you.

• If you simply must eat candy or chips during a theater performance, for goodness sake, just rip the bag open and be done with it. Opening it as slowly as you possibly can only makes it that much more aggravating for the rest of us.

• Continuing the topic of food, take your leftovers and trash with you when you leave the theater, bus, airplane, etc. Perhaps you have people on staff at home to clean up after you, but when you travel, you're on your own unless you happen to bring Jeeves the butler along.

• Pushing and shoving might move you up in the line a little faster, but are you really in that much of a hurry? Keep your competitive spirit in check, find a happy place inside your head, and just go with the flow like the rest of us. We'll all get there eventually.

• Armrests are meant to be shared equally, regardless of who sits down first. Every person is entitled to one armrest. Period.

• Seats come in all sizes and I'm talking about the human variety here. As such, it might occasionally be difficult to stay within the confines of your assigned seat area, but at least try to keep your hips and thighs and legs inside your own space. If I reach down to tie my shoe and I tie yours instead, you're too close. And remember, you still only get ONE armrest!

So the next time you're getting ready for a trip, make sure to also pack your travel manners. They don't take up any space in your luggage and you'll definitely get a lot of mileage every time you use them.