Mr. Manners...right side of escalator, please! Proper etiquette in public!

Pick one! Any one!
(But, follow escalator etiquette, please!)

Readers may recall that I started up a new advice column a couple of weeks ago (Mr. Manners) which focuses on proper etiquette and good manners in social, political (even economic) settings.

The first installment dealt with the issue of speaking English in appropriate environments.

Post:  11/24/10

http://ijulian.blogspot.com/2010/11/mr-mannersenglish-in-businesses.html

Today - Mr. Manners is tackling the sticky issue of escalators - and subsequently - traffic flow!

If any of you have ever been to San Francisco, then you've probably noticed that the locals in that fair city are a civilized lot.

On the way to the office at the crack of dawn, for instance, pedestrians wait patiently at the curb for a "green light" before sauntering across to the other side.

Unlike folks in Los Angeles and Tokyo - who end up in a free-for-all in the subway (pushing and shoving for bragging rights) - residents of the City by the picturesque Bay are also inclined to queue up politely along the track and take their turns boarding (according to when they alighted on the "landing pad") the trains shortly after they swoosh to a precise stop at the station.

Though that issue may need addressing in the near future, today - the glare of the spotlight is being focused squarely on the topsy-turvy realm of fast-moving escalators - because things are getting darn ugly after all.

For your information, proper etiquette dictates - that there are two options to follow - when a commuter shuffles on to an escalator.

For example, when passengers are arriving or departing from the underground subway (the English refer to it as "the tube"), they should  - not only step lively onto the escalator - but position themselves on the right side of the escalator with their body hugging the side of the rail.

Or - enter the automated stairwell on the left (in the alternative) - where they'll be free (hopefully) to stride up the steely steps in earnest in the event the hapless souls are late for work and anxious to make headway at every nip-and-turn along-the-way).

Standing in a stationary position on the left (directly opposite the individual on the right) is definitely taboo.

If anything - the selfish conduct simply underscores that the individual in question is either an unsophisticated loser who just scurried out-from-under a slimy rock in the boondocks somewhere - or a thoughtless boob.

Of course, the courtesy is not required (or possible for that matter) at tony Neiman Marcus, where the escalators to the upper levels of the upscale retail outlet in Beverly Hills are barely one-and-a-half  feet wide.

In that scenario, a buffoon with lousy manners would have to be an acrobat to get by a shopper firmly ensconced on the stair ahead with packages in tow.

Nuff said!

By the way, cruise on by in January for the next intriguing subject:

"Check-out line protocol at the local supermarket"

Happy Holidays!

http://www.thetattler

Civilized San Franciscans out for a stroll!

San Francisco...Bart & Muni trains overflowing at rushhour! Pack 'em in Japan-style...

Occasionally, I'll glide down the escalators at a Bart (or Muni) station, and hop on a lightweight rail  to avoid city-wide bustling street traffic that erupts at the crack of dawn each day.

In many respects, the journey beneath Market street can be just as hectic - if not more so - than the one over the obstacle-fraught terrain above ground.

Although regular trains zip in-and-out of local stations every few minutes - maneuvering through the crush of commuters at rush-hour - still requires quite a bit of travel savvy and painstaking skill.

Doesn't anyone drive to work these days?

On the underground in San Francisco - a keen observer wouldn't think so - judging by the teaming masses hauling ass every morning in the tunnels at Bart and Muni without fail.

The problems, if any, don't arise from any misbehaviour on the part of the commuters, though.

Frankly, I've never encountered such a well-mannered  posse of city travellers, clawing their way through the concrete jungle to and from work each day with such little aggravation.

By the time the miniature trains roar into the station, they've managed to politely queue up, with very little fanfare or upset.

And, they're downright civilized  to each other, too.

In spite of the foregoing, the train embarkment phase, still requires a little strain and effort just before the doors slam shut.

Today, as a few stragglers attempted to squeeze into the last square inch of stuffy space, I envisioned efficient-minded Mayor Newsom importing a gang of train attendants from Japan to ceremoniously pack in a dangling arm or protruding butt to ensure the automated door slid closed quickly and without mishap.

Unpacking 'em at the other end, may require a sturdy sardine key, though.

Amen!

Japan trains packed in like Sardines!

http://www.julianayrs.com

Subway...serves up tasty breakfast specials! Win Dodger tickets, eh Phelps?

At the Subway fast-food take-out in Westwood, I spied a banner in the window with bold screaming caps etched on the front which announced that breakfast was being served.

Gosh, I wondered if the "foot long" swim-stud Michael Phelps (who plugs the chain on TV and Radio advertisements around the country) was keen on the idea.

When I strode in and stood at the sparkling-clean service counter (where I normally order up a six-inch veggie on Honey Oat bread) I half-expected the same old same old.

'Ya know!

Eggs (over-easy, scrambled or hard-boiled) with bacon strips (or pricey ham slices) slapped on a paper plate with sides of salsa, onions, and red peppers.

The Latino influence, no doubt!

Or, maybe the smartly-dressed chefs would whip me up a McMuffin or Breakfast Jack rip-off, with subtle changes around the edges so I wouldn't be so wise about the influence of their green-eyed competitors down the street.

Lo & Behold, turns out Subway simply incorporated a handful of their house favorites (which thousands of students @ UCLA chow down on daily) to rustle up a fresh format - er! - delightful culinary delight.

Yes, I am penning this post to spread the news far-and-wide.

I think they got it!

Fortunately, an adventurous streak that swept over me that morning, inspired me to gamble on a breakfast sandwich which proved to be mighty delicious!

On a six-inch Honey Oat bun (my fave), the perky little server first slapped on a couple of slices of American Cheese, and followed that protein choice up with a layer of scrambled eggs.


Then, a jumble of tomatoes, green pepper, lettuce, nutritiously spruced up the upper level.

All for a paltry 2 bucks!

Okay, so got off cheap, because I sipped on water instead of 28 gram soda pop!

Good-bye Jack-in-the-box and the once-filling Breakfast Jack.

And, Michael - if you're perusing my blog site and happen stumble on News Flash about Subway's foray into the breakfast nook - I highly recommend you wolf one down.

Well, maybe you'll spring for 2 or 3, in view of your healthy hungry-man appetite.

By the way, Baseball fans can fill out an entry form to win tickets to a Dodger game.

Dudes, get your nasty bat down there, pronto.

Play Ball!

http://www.julianayrs.com

Subway take-out...toast surcharge outrageous!

Michael, don't Bogart that!

Whenever my body aches for something healthy and nutritious, I head for the Subway fast-food outlet, and spring for a Veggie lite sub.

Not a big meat-eater, I prefer to munch on a honey oat sandwich packed with lettuce, American Cheese slices (pass on the Swiss, after all, 'ya get less cheese what with the holes 'n all), tomatoes, cucumbers, onions (provided it's not date night), green pepper, pickles, and a few shavings of avocado (fattening, yes, but it packs a wallop in the protein department), and topped with a dash of pepper and Honey Mustard.

Was it my imagination, or were there a posse of students from UCLA snapping up the footlongs that studly spokesperson - Olympic Gold Medalist Michael Phelps - has been pushing lately?

For some inexplicable reason, when the server asked if I'd like the sandwich toasted (on the heels of slapping the ultra-thin cheese slices - cheap basta**s - on the fresh tasty bread, I enthusiastically piped up "yes".

Normally, I passed.

The pretty little gal opened an over door just over her shoulder, plopped in the sandwich she was in the throes of building, and waited a second or two.

In a jiffy, she flipped it back out onto the counter, then wrapped up the fully-loaded sub tailored precisely for me.

The cashier rang up the charges, but the total was not a pleasing one to my ears.

Because I am inclined by habit to snack on the same offering each week - over time it has become an easy task to rattle off the price in my own mind - since the cost of the snack only went up once (by about thirty cents) since the beginning of the year.

Imagine my surprise when the employee rang up a charge that was fifty cents higher than usual.

"Did the prices go up," I innocently asked, to ensure there wasn't any error and that I wasn't being ripped off by an inexperienced staffer new on the job.

"You had the sub toasted, didn't you?"

My jaw just about fell to the floor.

The subway fast-food outlet was tacking on a surcharge of fifty cents to flip the sandwich into an open oven for a second or two?

Gosh, who knew that a wrist flip - and a few waves of heat - were such an expensive commodity, 'til now.

As politely as possible, I informed the cashier I'd pass on the toasting option, next visit.

Provided I return, that is.

I may be hungry for a sub now and then, but I'm also nobody's fool!

Hold the toast, please!

http://www.julianayrs.com

Michael Phelps...pushes footlongs! Shrugs off old habits...

Ordering a footlong at SUBWAY conjures up naughty images now that Olympic trophy-winner Michael Phelps has signed on to promote the fast-food take-out joint - um - sandwich shop.

Moi?

I generally spring for the veggie lite on delicious Honey Oat bread, thank you very much, with a splash of tomatoes, cucumber, a slab or two of American Cheese , green pepper, and a dollop of alvacado thrown in for good measure.

For $3 bucks, 'ya can't beat it.

If Phelps has his druthers, I predict he'll dive in for the footlong cold-cut combo (maybe two, in view of the man-size proportions he was known to gobble down without hesitation during his halcyon days at the Olympics in Beijing.

Yup, a healthy snack sure to prime the studly athlete for the upcoming round of U.S. competitions on the horizon.

But, what of the ubiquitous bong that triggered his fall from grace, a scant few months ago?

By chance, is it lurking in the shadows - at-the-ready to saturate his senses with primo weed - and in the throes of a heady stupor likewise seduce the eligible bachelor with all-manner of sensual delights?

Oh, to be a fly on the wall!

http://www.julianayrs.com