Phone etiquette

Please eat and drink in the staff lounge

Yesterday I closed out an IRA at a local bank and moved it to a stock account. It's like trying to round up a bunch of cats, and once you start drawing these down, you really are better off to have them in one place.

It's a handsome, beautifully appointed bank. The woman invited me to her desk in the open lobby when I explained what I wanted. She brought with her a large, Styrofoam coffee cup with the rim completely covered with lipstick. I looked. There was none on her mouth--it was all on the cup. Also on the desk was a pint jar of flavored tea, and a smaller bottle of coke. Really now, it's a bank. It's a place of business. Must you eat and drink in front of the customers?

About two years ago we went to a different local bank to begin the process of selling a house to our son. The loan officer was talking to us through her sandwich--rustling bag, drippy napkin, picking her teeth, etc., so she turned us over to the new guy. He knew nothing about mortgages, so we moved on, but at least he wasn't eating.

I've been in clinics awaiting a colonoscopy where the staff not 10 feet from the gurneys are eating and drinking and discussing the week-end events.

No wonder we have an obesity problem in this country! People are in a state of panic thinking they might be be out of sight of food for an hour so they bring it into the work area. Someone needs to swab and culture their keyboards and use it in a health class.

If only this could happen in restaurants

Cell phone karma



HT Bob C.

3897

The Correct Thing

I have a book from my grandparents' library titled, "The Correct Thing in Good Society," by Florence Howe Hall (Boston: Page Company, 1902). It also gives advice on what is not correct. For instance, if you are providing a luncheon for your lady friends, it is not the correct thing

for the butler to wear evening dress

for the hostess to be disappointed or troubled if her guests fail to do justice to an elaborate lunch, since "dieting" has become so general that it bids fair to overthrow the elaborate and indigestible ladies' lunch

to talk gossip or scandal at a ladies' luncheon

to serve chocolate alone after an elaborate luncheon

to omit providing each guest with a silver butter knife

for guests to "grab, gobble and go," taking leave before the luncheon is over

for the guests to carry off the decorations.

I've let my butler go--just too many slip ups at my luncheons, like forgetting the butter knives.