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What's the most interesting traditional or formal politeness behaviour or table manners in your culture? Or for any service personnel, in your restaurant? (kbin.social)

submitted 7 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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I love all the ritualized behaviour, secret meanings and unexpected taboos - standing up when someone of higher status stands, elaborate rules for serving and eating, tapping the table to thank the server, never refuse a toast from a superior, stuff like that.

Whether it's about meals or anything else, I'd love to hear about any uncommon politeness standard or similar social behaviour that goes on in your location, culture or restaurant!

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[–] [email protected] 22 points 7 months ago (3 children)

One of the many things I loved about Taiwan was that people leave the left side of the escalator free for those who want to walk up or down.

There's one single file line of people standing on the escalator. Even during the evening commute, there's a single file line snaking back down into the station. But then as you get close there's a much smaller line to the left moving much quicker of every who plans to walk up.

It's so civilized.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Pretty standard in the London Underground too, despite technically being way more inefficient than if everyone just stood two people on each step!

[–] [email protected] 11 points 7 months ago (1 children)

It's not more efficient in how people want to get there. The people who stand and ride the escalator have no rush to get there quicker so they get there on time. The people who want/need to go faster get there as fast as possible. In your scenario everyone MUST be slow, no? What am I missing here?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 7 months ago

True, that was the "technically" part. If it's rush hour and everyone is standing on all the steps on the right and everyone is walking as fast as they can on the left then the overall rate of people is less than if everyone was standing more densely. At quieter times then the people who need to rush can get there faster because they don't need to stop at the beginning while they wait to get on.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 7 months ago (2 children)

That's pretty common for anywhere with subways. Unfortunately there's no international standard on which side is the correct one to stand on.

It's mostly "stand on right", but not everywhere, not even within the same country. (UK and Japan uses both).

As a tourist, please look for the signs.

Stand on right, walk on left : London, Berlin, New York, Copenhagen, Osaka

Stand on left, walk on right : Tokyo, Sydney, Edinburgh

[–] yokonzo 2 points 7 months ago

Chicago subway system would like to have a word with you

[–] [email protected] 2 points 7 months ago

Big in Washington, DC too. Stand right.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 7 months ago

Sub-protocol here....you can walk on the right but don't stand on the left. Kind of like the fast and slow lanes on the road.