A Brief Guide General Politeness (Texas)

 

 

    1. Smile

          This may sound obvious but, if you happen to make eye contact with someone, it's polite to smile. You don't have to do a full on toothy grin, but a small smile is polite. You don't have to smile every time you see someone but sometimes is good.

   2. Greet people

          Again, maybe obvious, but if someone greets you, greet them in return. People who don't know you will talk to you. That's perfectly normal here. 

   3. Say "Please" and "Thank you"

         Continuing with the theme of the obvious, saying please and thank you is polite.

   4. Sir and Ma'am

        Addressing older people you don't know at all is fairly simple. For men, call them "Sir." For women, Miss or Ma'am is the usual term. Even if you know their names, you can still say "Yes, sir." and "Yes ma'am" and "No, sir" and No, ma'am." These are ways to speak politely to people who are either much older than you or are in a position of authority.

  5. Eye Contact

      If you are talking to someone, it is rude not to look at them at least sometimes. You don't have to stare at them but paying attention to them when they talk to you is polite.

  6

. Relax

      The word Texas comes from the word Tejas (tae-hass). It means friend, people here are generally friendly and if you make a mistake, don't stress out. We're not gonna shoot you.