Being a woman myself, I’ve always been respectful towards other women (may God strike me with a bolt of lightning if I’m lying), but what is it with some people? Do they even know the word respect.

I am one of those people who will address the girlfriend/wife of any guy I’ve stopped to talk to, for instance, in a nightclub when I’m out, be it an old school friend, someone I work with or some guy who declares he is a fan. In the latter situation I find that either the girl is very eager to have her partner take a photo with me, sign a poster etc, and there is no secret as to how far his admiration goes (eg. The girl will tell me very candidly that her boyfriend has a shrine or something spooky as such) or the girl is glaring at me, while her partner holds a conversation with me, which makes me extremely uncomfortable. (very disturbing!)

I find, however, there are too many, very impolite men and women who have no idea of etiquette. (please note the majority of them have enjoyed the luxury of private high class schooling). What makes a person act that way though? Address your better half and ignore you completely? Isn’t that rude?

You’re having dinner, an old friend of his comes to your table, she holds a five minute conversation, through hair flicking and eye lash batting she’ll give you the “I know you’re pissed at me and God only knows what’s going through your mind right now, but I don’t give two hoots” look, and then just disappear off the face of this earth, leaving you there flabbergasted at the sheer arrogance of that human being! The vice versa scenario sometimes happens….Rudeness is one thing I will not tolerate.

So here are some of my simple tips and rules in my book of etiquette whilst addressing a couple during a night out, so as to avoid them having a good old tiff, because of lack of manners of the third party.

1) ALWAYS keep eye contact with both, just because you only know one of them it doesn’t mean the other is not physically standing before you!!!

2) Just because you (i) attended sixth form, (ii) were drinking buddies last Summer, (iii) work together, it does not mean your stories, usually embedded in codes and flooded with inside jokes, cannot be enjoyed by the other partner.

3) Always make sure introductions take place, between the third party and your partner. Whether you or the third party does the introduction it does not make a difference. If you do it though, it adds to your brownie points with your partner, as it is a major display of affection and respect towards him/her.

Maybe the above sounds like something you’d read in Cosmopolitan, but it’s every day life and some people need to be taught some manners! I always think to myself what does it take to be nice to each other? And the oldest saying ever makes a lot of sense “always do unto others as you would have them do unto you” …… I wonder if that got anyone thinking?