Social conventions you thought everyone knew

[Asuperblyfeauturedroomandexcellentboiledpotatoes]

The thread started by the lady who's father recently died and people turned up to his funeral in joggers got me thinking.
What is something you thought was basic social etiquette, a rule that everyone lived by, that you were shocked/surprised to see someone not following?
Did it make you judge the person? Wonder if maybe you're just old fashioned? Or something else?

I'll start. At work the other day someone said they were leaving early because they had a hospital appointment. A younger colleague said "oh, what for?". It felt very awkward and the colleague said "oh.. you know, just women's stuff".
I always thought that you never ever ask people for details of medical appointments or why they were off or what OP they are having. It's very rude. Same as you don't ask people how much they earn or who they are going to vote for or questions about their sex life or something!
At first I judged but then remembered she was young and maybe noone had told her.

What's surprised you lately?

Ooh the peas thing, that brings back memories! My great aunt used to come over to have Sunday lunch with us every week when I was a child. She already ate incredibly slowly and talked a lot, to the point where I'd wonder how anyone could enjoy a cold roast dinner as most of it must have been by the time she got to it. Anyway she would do the piling up peas on the back of her fork, and as a child I'd sit there fascinated and dreading those peas falling off, which of course half of them did, whilst the rest of us had finished eating and were just waiting for her to be done so we could have dessert!😂

The napkin is for wiping your hands and mouth, not to protect you from slopping food down your front.

In certain circs you can open it. We bought a flat whose previous owner had apparently returned to his native country, no forwarding address. We soon found that he hadn’t paid utility bills, and a mass of other post kept arriving, which eventually we started to open. He owed money everywhere, around £20k in all, so I had to contact all the debt collectors to explain the situation - and prevent the bailiffs turning up.

What really pisses me off is that he could almost certainly return to the U.K. tomorrow, do exactly the same again, and NOTHING would happen to him.

Depends how big your tits are.
Ask me how I know🤣

Or wear pyjamas to go to Asda, there was a girl/young woman in there this evening and she was definitely wearing pyjamas. I admit I might occasionally go outside early morning and peg out my washing in my pjs, but the hotel breakfast room or the supermarket is a step too far.

Yes me too. I’d never ever expect a guest to strip the bed or empty bins and would be horrified if they did.

Good on you. The crowd mentality is annoying when they expect a parting of the sea.

Another cheese one: anyone not knowing that whenever you get the cheese out of the fridge you need to pay the Cheese Tax to any resident dogs & cats

Vacating seats labelled 'Priority Seat' at the front of a bus for people with push-chairs, walking sticks, trolleys, or old people. Fed up with the young and able-bodied who throw themselves thoughtlessly into these seats and lounge there when the less able/encumbered/older have to stand. I suggested to a young lad on a virtually empty bus that he give up his front seat for me because I'm old and was dragging a full trolley. He leapt up, shouting 'For fuck's sake!' then sat down right behind me and made deliberate farting noises all the way back.

I would also judge the 3 year old (‘s parents).

There’s a song about this!

Your friend is right, you really do not do that.

It's called shovelling. We used to make jokes a bit like a curse: "you'll marry a shoveller if you do that/ wear that / say that."

My partner is of Jamaican descent and we have been together since we were 18, so really, ever since I began to learn to cook. I’ve always washed my chicken because of this and find it crazy that other British people don’t

Is there? I'd love a link ... we know a cheese obsessed dog.

I thought that was literally the law

And getting up to greet them

We have people staying a lot. We ask them not to as we like to wash the bed linen separately at our leisure.

I can't be bothered with nonsense etiquette about spoons etc. But what horrifies me is people thinking it's OK to leave a mess when they go places. Rubbish on the beach, food thrown on the floor of public transport, even messy tables in cafes. How do people think this is OK?

Haha, well I have had times I have taken my bra off at the end of the day and some food fell out.

Here!

https://youtube.com/shorts/L3AcyOYrnNk?is=Oq39v7U5VwEDjLT2

People playing music and videos on their phone without headphones on buses / trains / in waiting rooms seemingly oblivious that they're forcing everyone around them to listen to what they're listening to!

Me too. I was also brought up in a large poor family whose motto was family germs don’t count.

I used to think you should but then was warned against it when pregnant.

Apparently washing your chicken is the main reason you contract salmonella (dangerous when pregnant). It spreads it round the kitchen area, as water doesn't kill it, whereas heat does. So straight into a hot oven/pot/pan is the best way.

thank you!