Attention. Cell phones, Call Waiting, Instant Messaging ? we have more communication and technology at our disposal, but a general rule always applies: Give your full attention to the person with whom you are speaking! If you are having lunch with them or are in a meeting or movie, turn your cell phone off until you are finished. If you are having a telephone conversation, don't jostle more than once between calls, and then only if you are expecting something urgent like your child calling for a ride home. If you are instant messaging, hold only one conversation at a time and do not allow lags in between. Let the other person know when you need to go on to something else.



Respond. We are inundated with communications these days, but make an effort to acknowledge every personal mail, telephone message, and personal email within 24 hours. If volume is a problem, then give single-sentence responses, or with email and voice mail you can set an auto-response message. It is more polite to let people know with a decisive answer that you are too busy to respond to long emails than to ignore their efforts to communicate. On the other side, don't spam people with forwarded messages.

Drive patiently and courteously. Do not tail-gate or drive aggressively, and use your turn signals in time, even when changing lanes. Don't park blocking a sidewalk or blocking anyone in. Don't make people walk around your car at a crosswalk. Keep your muffler repaired and keep your radio low when in residential areas. Never honk to get someone to come out their building to your car, but rather, walk to their door.

Some oldies but goodies include: don't use foul language, don't litter (cigarette butts are not exempt), don't smoke near non-smokers or in smoking restricted zones, don't let your pets disturb others or leave mess on their property, keep clean personal and food related habits, curb your interrupting others, and when in doubt, ask.