Maybe another time.”
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Make sure to demonstrate to your friends that you can enjoy a movie without disturbing other viewers. Otherwise, you may find yourself having to go alone.
YOU DO
Turn your cell phone off—or at least turn off the ringer or put it on vibrate when you go to a movie.
YOU DON’T
Assume that your telephone call is so important that it can justify your ruining the movie for others.
Why
No call you receive is that important. If a gentleman really needs to answer a call, he gets up from his seat and doesn’t start talking until he’s reached the lobby.
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YOU DO
Feel free to laugh when something is funny, or scream when something is scary. It is also Okay to cry when something is sad.
YOU DON’T
Feel free to talk with your friends about what is happening on the screen.
Why
Screaming and laughing are part of the fun of going to the movie. It is not cool, however, to give your opinion of the movie while other people are trying to watch it.
A gentleman stops talking as soon as the movie begins.
When a gentleman arrives at a movie that has already begun, he enters as quietly as he can and tries to find a seat as quickly as possible. He does not roam up and down the aisle, disturbing other people.
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There are times when a gentleman must speak during a movie—for example, when he asks his friend to pass the popcorn. However, he keeps his comments as brief, and as quiet, as possible.
A gentleman knows that watching a movie at home is different from watching a movie in a theatre. At home, he and his friends can hit the pause button to talk or take a bathroom break. There is no pause button in a movie theatre.
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Chapter 26
TRAVELING ON AN AIRPLANE
Maybe you have taken a lot of airplane trips, or maybe a flight is yet in your future. Maybe you usually fly with your parents or with other adults, or maybe you’re facing the challenge of traveling by yourself.
Traveling on an airplane is exciting, no matter how many trips you’ve taken before. No matter how excited you are about taking the trip or reaching your destination, the rules for being a gentleman still apply. They may even be more important on an airplane, where you are in a small space with a lot of people, or in an airport, where there are even more people—all of them in just as big a hurry as you are.
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YOU DO
Follow the instructions of the security personnel in the airport, and pay attention to the flight attendants on the plane.
YOU DON’T
Make jokes about bombs or explosions or plane crashes. And you don’t complain about having to take off your shoes, and your belt, and your jacket, and your cap before you go through the security checkpoint. The people at the security checkpoint didn’t make the rules, so complaining to them will only make you seem childish. What’s more, it won’t do any good, and it will just slow down the process and make it take even longer for you to start your vacation.
Why
There’s nothing funny about a bomb or a plane crash, and you should realize that there are serious penalties for joking about bombs in airports.
YOU DO
Respect the people sitting near you. If you talk, keep your voice down. If you want to talk to a friend seated in one of the rows in front of you, don’t shout. In most cases, it will be best to hold off on that type of conversation until the plane has arrived at the airport.
YOU DON’T
Play your music or your video games or watch a DVD without using your headphones.
Why
The people near you may be trying to read, rest, or get some work done. Flying also makes some people nervous. Loud talking or loud noises may only make them more uneasy.
When traveling on a plane, a gentleman does not kick or bump the seat in front of him.
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A gentleman says, “Excuse me,” when he must slip past the passengers seated next to him in order to leave his seat, even if one of those passengers is his brother or his sister.
A gentleman does not throw his candy wrappers or other trash on the floor of the airplane. When a flight attendant comes down the aisle with a trash bag, he tosses his candy wrappers, soda cups, and old magazines into the bag.
Unless he needs to use the restroom, a gentleman stays in his seat, with his seatbelt buckled. He stays out of the aisle.
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Chapter 27
WALKING IN FRONT OF OTHER PEOPLE
There are three types of people in the world:
1. People who show up early.
2. People who show up on time.
3. People who show up late.
Unless you are one of the people who shows up early, you are going to have to walk in front of people when you go to a movie, to the theatre, to a ball game, or any other place where people are seated in rows.
Unless there is enough room for you to walk directly to your seat, you will have to walk in front of the people who showed up earlier than you. You can do this one of two ways—either with your rear end in their faces, or facing them.
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This is a no-brainer. People don’t want to look at your rear end. They would rather see your face.
YOU DO
Say, “Excuse me,” as you move down the row—especially if you’re making somebody shift around and make room for you.
YOU DON’T
Say, “I’m sorry,” unless you’ve stepped on somebody’s feet.
Why
You only say, “I’m sorry,” when you have done something wrong. You say, “Excuse me,” when you are merely inconveniencing someone.
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YOU DO
Everything in your power to show up on time.
YOU DON’T
Be the one in your family who causes everyone to be late.
Why
Being late is inconsiderate—not only to your family, but also to all the other people who are going to be interrupted as you step over them on the way to your seat.
A gentleman is careful not to step on the toes or feet of other people as he walks to his seat.
If other people must move down the row where a gentleman is seated, he makes it easier for them by rising from his seat.
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Chapter 28
RESPONDING TO INVITATIONS
Parties are a great way to have fun with your friends, a great way to make new friends, and a perfect way to celebrate special occasions.
When you were younger, your parents knew about all of the party invitations you received.
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