“Kindness and politeness are not overrated at all. They’re underused.” – Tommy Lee Jones.

Merriam-Webster defines polite as having or showing good manners or respect for other people, and being socially correct or proper.

These days there seems to be a lack of politeness or courteousness to others. In kindergarten we learned the golden rule: to treat others as we wish to be treated. It seems like we have forgotten. Here are our 12 pet peeves of manners.

Photo by Pame Vang

1. Playing your music for all to hear.

Walking the halls at school, riding the bus, walking down the street, you can hear music coming from everywhere. You can hear it from cars with their music turned up too loud, or more frequently from people without headphones.

Sometimes I enjoy their music, but mostly, it’s an intrusion into my own thoughts and there are often words that offend me in the music. Turn it down!

Plug in your headphones or turn down your music. It’s not good for your ears to play it so loud and not everyone enjoys your music.

2. Not getting up for the elderly, disabled or pregnant, or taking up too much space on the bus.

I ride the bus to school every day and I often see younger people sitting in the spots designated for the elderly, disabled or pregnant. I’ve also encountered people taking up more than one space.

It’s common courtesy to offer your seat to someone more in need. In many cultures, the elderly are highly respected, but in America we often forget about our elders.

3. People with poor hygiene.

This could be anything from not taking proper care of yourself, like not washing your clothes or wearing deodorant or grooming yourself, but a common poor hygiene habit is not washing your hands after using the restroom.

It’s disgusting because we are all touching the same doorknobs. Wash your hands and keep clean. You don’t want to be considered the stinky one!

Photo by Leo Strong

4. Texting and driving.

Not only is it rude, it’s dangerous too. It’s actually against the law in Wisconsin. I don’t think the text message you are looking at or responding to is more important than the lives of those around you, or your own life!

If you really can’t wait, pull over and respond. Looking at your phone distracts you from driving and it’s putting people in danger.

5. Checking your phone instead of holding a conversation with the person in front of you.

In this day and age, it’s awful to try and talk to someone face to face. There are so many distractions! We have TVs, the Internet and smartphones.

I can’t tell you how many times I’m talking with someone and they aren’t paying attention to me because they are checking their Facebook account on their smartphone or just playing a game.

Call me old fashioned, but I like to look a person in the eye when they are talking to me. And if you have to look at your phone, apologize for the intrusion.

Photo by Leo Strong

6. Being late.

Being late is disrespectful. It means that you don’t value the time of the person you’re meeting and you don’t respect yourself. Timeliness is not too hard to accomplish.

Leave a few minutes earlier than you usually do and it can make a world of difference. It’s also nice to use that extra time to prepare for your class or meeting.

7. Not saying please and thank you.

What happened to our please and thank yous? Remember the magic word? It’s please. And what follows please? Thank you! Be polite.

Photo by Leo Strong

8. People drinking directly out of milk/orange juice jugs/cartons.

It’s only OK to share your drink if someone says they don’t have a problem with germs and are willing to share. Many people find it disgusting that your lips touched the same bottle they used, and do not want to use it again.

Remember that not everything is your personal property and you have to share. So instead of drinking directly out of a carton, try pouring it into a glass.

9. Talking on the phone in the bathroom–who does that?

It’s weird to talk on the phone in a bathroom, but a public bathroom? Who does that?

It’s not only rude to the person you’re on the phone with, but it’s rude to the others trying to use the restroom. If you have to go to the bathroom, tell the person on the phone you’ll call them back in a few minutes!

10. Not being prepared.

The worst is when you’re not prepared! It shows in your work and your answers. It’s another thing about respect.

When you prepare for class, a job or a meeting, it shows you care and people respect that and you.

11. Not holding the elevator.

You’re running late for class and you’re running for the elevators. You call out, “Hold the elevator!” But the person doesn’t hold it for you.

Or you’re trying to get off the elevator and everyone is crowded around the exit, trying to get on. Please move out of the way. Thank you!

Photo by Leo Strong

12. No toilet paper in the bathroom.

You have to use the bathroom really badly and you just sit down, only to realize there’s no toilet paper! You’re annoyed as you have to try and scramble to find a new roll. Common courtesy is if you use it up, you replace it. Simple as that.