On Board with Manners
Another Amtrak passenger and I sat across each other last Thursday, training from NYC to Washington D.C. Quickly, we introduced ourselves. Then, we put our heads down and began to knock out some work.
Somewhere in NJ, another passenger joined us at our club car table. This newest rider promptly pulled out a kit and started to make-up her face. And I’m not talking about drawing on a little lipstick. She began with foundation; followed that by applying all sorts of eye shadow, eye liner and mascara; and ended with a quick brush of blush and a dab of lip gloss.
While she worked away, the other passenger and I continued tapping away on our laptop keyboards. A couple of times, we looked up, our eyes connecting in a manner that communicated, “Can you believe this?” But neither of us said a word.
Now, fully ready for her workday, somewhere in DE, the third member of our table detrained. At that point, my traveling companion said, “So you’re the etiquette expert. What did you think about that?”
I shrugged my shoulders and replied: A train’s club car is no place for a lady to apply her make-up. We would expect a gentleman to step into the lavatory to shave. We should expect a lady to apply her make-up in private. Ladies can get by with freshening their lipstick in public. And we may wipe away mascara smudges in a group. But when it comes to painting on foundation and crimping eyelashes, a lady really should excuse herself and head to a private mirror.
I’m afraid that interns, summer associates and new hires who are starting work need to set that alarm clock a few minutes earlier and finish dressing before they head to the train station.
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