Travel etiquette: 6 cardinal sins of travelling

Trains, flights, rail, road, and almost all sorts of stay facilities, from the poshest to the hostel kind, I have done it all. And while travelling sounds like the new hobby for the millenials, it does have its share of cons, including stuff that might put you off the idea of travelling for a while. While many might not talk of it, there is a definite school of travel etiquette that need to be followed.

Here, I am listing down six things that you must stay off while travelling.
Reclining recliners!
This tops the list, for I have quite some long legs and suffer more than most of the other people. If you are of even regular height, and have had the displeasure of sitting at the back of people who go 100% reclining for their seats, you will know. While yes, you have paid extra for those recliners, you really do not need to lower them to an extent that you might as well be sleeping in the other person’s lap. One, it is really uncomfortable for the person at the back; two, it is super weird.
Eat but do not chomp
Yes, I have had the displeasure of sitting opposite co-travellers, who hit savage mode while chomping down on fish, chicken breast and what not. While there is no stopping other people from eating en route, table manners can really go a long way in easing the others around you. Infants are the only way when we do not dislike messy eaters.

No grooming in public transport/dorms
While I understand that the world is an ever-shrinking space, there really is no need to groom oneself while using public transport. I once shared a train coach, wherein the person on the opposite berth had no qualms in chipping off her toenails, complete with chips flying off.

Loo etiquettes
Leaving a loo dirty is one of the biggest sins that you can ever commit, travelling or not. Almost all of us have been to public loos that look nothing less than a breeding ground of bacteria and nonchalance; by that, I am referring to clogged toilets, wet floors, and what not. All it needs is one flush, and that is not where toilet paper belongs. Also, remember that what goes around comes around. Literally. And believe me, a clean toilet is sheer beauty!

No grabbing seats
We need to understand and ACCEPT that people reserve seats for a reason. I cannot number the instances when I have found somebody else in my seat on boarding. For a tip, if you really wish to have another seat than the one assigned to you, take it if it stays vacant after the journey starts. Travellers, including me, make prior bookings intentionally and we often pay extra for those; so yes, we really do want our seats back!

Phone clingers
I write ‘clingers’ for I have shared seats in journeys, cafes and other public places with this kind. If you have shared tables or spaces with people who cling to their phones for most of the time, and are bass-like loud while on a call, you and I have shared similar pain. It is overtly intrusive, irritating and even boring to listen to stuff that really does not matter to you, like what the other people had for dinner.

Have more to add to this list of travelling sins? Feel free to drop in a comment below, and let us know of your travel ordeals.