Its summertime in Sydney and yet it seems to be raining all the time. Along with the rain comes umbrellas. Small ones, big ones and most annoyingly, pointy ones. There needs to be a certain etiquette when handling umbrellas, based upon the following hazards:
- Hazard 1 - carrying the folded umbrella – long pointy umbrellas should not be carried horizontally when walking. The backward and forward motion of your arm is carried to the javelin like umbrella and often comes within inches of the groin of the person behind you.
- Hazard 2 – walking with open umbrella – the key here is to be aware of other people. Your umbrella protects you, but becomes an eye gouging instrument to others (thank you to the woman on George Street who jabbed me in the neck with hers).
Remember, like many things, carrying an umbrella is a privilege, not a right – so be careful with yours and respectful of others.
Other umbrella handling faux pars include failing to raise your umbrella when passing those unfortunate enough to have forgotten theirs on a rainy day, and failing to tilt your umbrella when passing others with umbrellas.
By: astro dude on February 7, 2008
at 12:07 am
Yes I agree. And one must remember that it is always polite and right to acknowledge a fellow umbrella handler when they are walking in the opposite direction to you, either by tilting the umbrella or making eye contact. This avoids umbrella collisions.
By: meryl on February 7, 2008
at 4:55 am