Bubbles

 

      In America, particularly among small children, you may hear them refer to their personal space as their "Bubble." In Texas, we have lots of space in general, so we're used to having lots of room to spread out. You may notice at stores and in lines, the people stand pretty far apart. This is considered polite. Even when just walking around a store, you will hear people say "excuse me." This doesn't mean they have done anything wrong, or that you have, in this context it is saying "I'm going to be in your personal space for a second, don't freak out." Excuse me is a way of letting people know you're there so they don't think you're trying to steal from them if you're suddenly close to them.

  A good rule for standing in lines if you don't know the person in front of you is, if you can touch them with your arm fully outstretched, you're too close. For walking around the store, it's kind of impossible to not be close to someone. If you need something that someone is standing in front of, wait for a minute and if they don't move pretty quickly, say excuse me and then get what you need. You don't have to say it to everyone, but in this situation it's better to say "excuse me." Don't worry if you don't say it, just be aware that Texans in general are used to having about a lot of space.

   There are exceptions, such as in large crowds, but on average, these guidelines will work for almost anywhere.