h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I find that most people do not think how their own behavior affects those around them. Part of the universal truth common to all major religions is "Do to others as you would have them do to you." If you think of how others will be affected before you do anything, you will seldom offend.

Mobile phones: These are now the telephone number of the person, not the address. If you choose to take a call when others are around you, you invite them to be part of the conversation - expect them to make contributions to the conversation, ask you questions afterwards, etc.. Please do this to others - they will be so embarassed they will take future calls in private. I will ask the guy at the next table in the restaurant questions about his conversation - when he says it's a private conversation I suggest that he keep it private by takin the call elsewhere.

Telephone manners: Begin EVERY (non-business) conversation with something like: "Hello, this is XXX speaking - is it convenient for you to talk?" and if they can't talk now, call then back later when they can! And if they phone you back, THANK THEM - it's you who wanted to talk to them, not the other way 'round.

Telesalespeople: I have recently taken to responding to telesales people who phone me with unsolicited sales pitches with three words: "Please hold on..." and then leave the phone off the hook as I get on with whatever I'm doing. If they're still there when I get back, I'll then talk to them. I do the same with people who telephone me in the middle of dealing with a customer in the shop - I value the person actually present in my place of business more than the person who may or may not actually come in to my business.

Junk mail: I hate unsolicited mail. I now fill up the 'postage paid' envelopes with their own (and other people's) junk mail and post it straight back to them.

I love the idea of sending back junk mail some days I have more junk than real, I have heard of someone (not sure if urban ledgend) that sent junkmail companies a bill for reading and disposing their flyers

gonna try the phone trick!!!!

Me, too!

Where I live, you can get stickers (from the Mail) to put on your mailbox saying that you don't want junk mail. Most people respect these. I hardly get any junk mail since I put up the sticker.

We have a lot of free newspapers (filled with junk flyers) and thes papers don't consider them selves "junk" so they ignore no junk mail signs .I've tried telling the deliverers not to delivers but they stll do (when i'm not home!!) It just drives me up the wall and on to the roof sometimes, much to my husbands horror and the dogs delight

Junk mail - half of it is companies wanting to shell out loans - the other half is charities wanting donations .

I tend to send the first half to the second half - every other month or so - in a junk mail rage.



It works for me anyway!

Not a bad idea might give it a go one day
Whats the right thing to do in a lift I'm from a smallish town (that only has two lifts that I know of) I was in the big smoke a couple of weeks ago and had to ride a few lifts . Do you face front or back? What do you do if some one farts?
Can anyone help me?

i luuuuurveee farting in lifts or neplace public!!! peeps reactions crack me up!! during a bingo game's best!!!!

Heard of a guy who used to selotape the prepaid postcard thingy to a brick and mail that. They had to pay all the extra postage on it you see. I think you'd have to be in a real junk mail rage to go that far though...

Good post that being!

1) Junk Mail - as I posted to another thread, even if it does not have a pre-paid envelope, you can still put it in an envelope without a stamp and send it back to them. They then have to pay the Post Office 99p to get their own junk back.

2) Phone etiquette (a) - what really irks me are the people who will interrupt a conversation with you to take a phone call. If it is possible to do so without being fired, I simply leave the room. If their phone call is more important than talking to me, they can come and find me later.

(b) It's just occcurred to me that it also gets right up my nose when the phone rings, you pick it up and answer, and the being on the other end goes "Oh, can you just hang on for a minute?" My response is to put the phone down immediately. Call me back when you're READY to talk to me. Don't waste my time.

Good post that being!

1) Junk Mail - as I posted to another thread, even if it does not have a pre-paid envelope, you can still put it in an envelope without a stamp and send it back to them. They then have to pay the Post Office 99p to get their own junk back.

2) Phone etiquette (a) - what really irks me are the people who will interrupt a conversation with you to take a phone call. If it is possible to do so without being fired, I simply leave the room. If their phone call is more important than talking to me, they can come and find me later.

(b) It's just occcurred to me that it also gets right up my nose when the phone rings, you pick it up and answer, and the being on the other end goes "Oh, can you just hang on for a minute?" My response is to put the phone down immediately. Call me back when you're READY to talk to me. Don't waste my time.

I seem to have posted this twice. Which was Inconsiderate of me.

REPLY to Post 1 Wrinkled Rocker, Hi there, I read your entry with much interest, Please go to my "Home Page" and click on to "Modern Life" which is in My Journal OK. I actually wrote that before reading this entry?
Smudger.

Well said WR! A man after my own heart, even though I allegedly be a female!

Hi Gwennie, Well today we saw our neighbours move at last!! For their unsosciable behaviour, not to a slum (which they deserve) but to a new house in a new scheme!!It apppears that the decent couple who were allocated that house, will now have to wait, coz the council gave it to them That will 6 months we had to suffer them, and two years of suffering before that with the previous tennant! a drug dealer!! and jail bird . The council in their wisdom, have now allocated the flat above us, to ANOTHER single parent with TWO kids, then in about two weeks the boyfriend wil move in. Its a familuar pattern to us now. So we are going to seel up (probably at a loss) and move into sheltered accommodation, as we are both disabled, I cant remember the last time we had a quiet night!!!!!!!!!!!
Smudger.

Hi Smudger

I'm sorry to hear about your problem neighbours and that you're considering a move to sheltered accommodation. Have you thought about approaching your GP and the Social Services? It's just a shot in the dark, but they may be able to write letters that would enable you to pressurise the Council into some sort of action like allocating you quieter neighbours for a start...

Hi Gwennie, Thanks for that, we have had everyone in our house, including our Westminster MP our Scottish MP, all council depatrments, but no one could help?????????/ because we bought our flatso nothing could be done!! We are going to re-apply to several, housing agencies that cater for our needs. If we do this, we will lose all the money from our house sale, to pay any benefits I have received since my accident
Smudger.

Oh heck! What a grotty situation! It seems terribly unfair...

I assume that you have taken legal advice too? If you haven't already used them, the Disability Rights Alliance might be able to offer some helpful advice regarding losing the funds from your house sale...

The Disability Rights Alliance run a telephone advice line and issue a Disability Rights Handbook or CD Rom annually, which has proved amazingly helpful over the years that I've bought it. (As my husband is ill, my son has autism and I claim a Carer's Allowance I have used their information frequently.)

The links to Disability Rights Alliance phone number and details of the handbook (look under "Sales") can be obtained from their Website:

http://www.disabilityalliance.org/service.htm

Hi Gwennie, Thanks a lot for that I wrote down the site add. The problem is that we bought this flat and it appears once you buy a property of any kind there is nothing any one can do to help you. For example for a tennant to have their grass cut for them, cost£25 a year, for me an owner £85, I went out and got some housing assn. forms to fill in today, but again because we own property???? Thanks once again.
Smudger.

You're more than welcome Smudger and I hope that they can help you or at least provide some constructive advice!