As ferry commuters, we are all too familiar with breaches of simple manners and social conduct.
By Paul Duclos
Published: October, 2010
As ferry commuters, we are all too familiar with breaches of simple manners and social conduct. The bore on the cell phone; the verbose stranger broadcasting his or her views on every conceivable subject; the sprawler splayed across several seats; and the gate rusher storming to the front of the line are just a few of the miscreants in need of some reform. But perhaps the greatest violator of public decorum is the drunk, and we have more than a few of them on the ferries during the cocktail hour.
Perhaps these people are beyond help. But Syndi Seid, recognized as a leading authority on business protocol and etiquette, has a few suggestions for those of us who recognize our own need for self improvement.
As founder of San Francisco-based Advanced Etiquette Worldwide, Syndi helps senior executives, business professionals and main-line employees overcome their fears and insecurities to find poise, confidence and authority in any social situation, anywhere in the world. In her most recent monthly etiquette tip, she takes on the issue of public tippling and ways to avoid overdoing it.
But she’s hardly a scold. In fact, she cautions us to avoid harmful stereotyping: “When a person is called a drunk it implies the person suffers from alcoholism. It means the person overindulges and becomes inebriated on a regular basis. Often the person doesn’t even know he or she is a drunk, which also means they have a dependency on alcohol. Be careful when you call someone a drunk.”
Instead she has provided a series of hints on overcoming our own problems. For example: “know your limit” and “keep hydrated.” She also suggests eating plenty of food, and simply applying some self-control if drinking means the difference between success and failure in a social setting.
Syndi offers a full suite of classes, seminars, and workshops on proper social behavior, and is the author of several books on the subject. Check her out at www.advancedetiquette.com
Those of us who used the ferry to attend the San Francisco Opera performance of Aida at AT&T Park last month may wish we had brought along some other reading material to prepare for the trip.
The one book that would have been perfect for the voyage is Lotfi Mansouri: An Operatic Journey. This is an autobiography of the noted San Francisco Opera director, who occupied the position from 1988 through 2001, co-written by Donald Arthur (Northeastern University Press; 330 pp. $39.95).
Apart from his dismissive remarks about former music director Donald Runnicles and a few members of his board, the impresario’s memoir is largely a work of love. Even the most difficult divas are treated kindly here, and there are many humorous anecdotes about working with some of the great legends.
One part of this book will also resonate with ferry passengers who remember the 1989 earthquake. After the Bay Bridge was knocked out of commission, commuters came to rely heavily on our waterway network. But the bridge was not the only iconic structure to be severely damaged. Mansouri reminds us that the Opera House was put at risk of being demolished. Thanks to an overwhelming civic response, however, this cherished landmark was saved and restored.
