50 little etiquette rules you should always practice

Keep to the left on the footpath, and keep moving. Don’t stop to text or check email, especially at a building entrance.

If you use your iPod with cheap, leaky earbuds, those near you hear your playlist as if it’s being played on the world’s tiniest buzz saw.

Leaving them on is just plain rude.

It’s OK to piggyback on a neighbour’s free Wi-Fi as long as you don’t hog it and do realise it’s not secure.

Don’t talk on mobile phones in a waiting room, checkout line, restaurant, train, or (heaven forbid!) bathroom stall.

Open your email, check your calendar, respond.

You can email thank-yous for party invitations and birthday gifts given in person as long as you send each of them separately. (No cc’s.) For mailed gifts, letters of recommendation and wedding presents, a written note is still preferable.

It’s OK (and even advisable) to follow your boss on Twitter, but you shouldn’t try to friend him or her on Facebook. Friends implies equivalency; followers, not so.

Be sure to follow these golden rules of Facebook.

Bring wine or flowers or dessert.

Still own an answering machine? Make sure the outgoing message isn’t annoying or twee.