Men's “Saloon” Etiquette
The monthly visits men pay to the barbershop, locally referred to as a “saloon” (not what it refers to in Western/Cowboy flicks), are something we do pretty involuntarily. What I mean is that most of the time we just glide through those thirty minutes spent there without taking much notice of our surroundings. I, however, have noticed a few common behavioral traits that men tend to display at the “saloons”. And I've come to deduce which ones offend or annoy others.
1. Don't argue about the queue. Yes, I understand that time is of the essence at any given point, and it amplifies tenfold when you are at the waiting room of the barbershop. If it's a Friday morning, chances are that the “saloon” and the waiting room are both filled to the brim. Yet, do not break the line, and do not argue with the barber or the other customers when you are caught in the act. Nobody wants to keep waiting, but maintain the order; others' time is as important as yours.
2. Don't change the TV channel without consulting others. The TV is always on in any “saloon” at any given working hour, and the probability of a Bollywood movie playing there is very high. Now, you may not like what the TV channel has to offer, but there certainly are others, usually the barbers, who are interested in the programme. Don't take the initiative of changing the channel, as it will only earn you hateful and annoyed glances, and you'd feel rather insulted when one of the barbers goes ahead and changes the channel back to the previous station.
3. Let others read the newspaper too. Assuming you are still waiting for your haircut (seriously, how long has it been?), I would suggest you don't occupy the entire newspaper for reading just one column. Let others read the paper too. They probably are as bored and annoyed as you are. On a different note, have you ever noticed that the urge to read newspaper magnifies when you're at a “saloon”? This is something that I've always found very interesting.
4. Don't smoke, especially if there are children around in the “sheetatop niyontrito (air-conditioned) saloon”. For that matter, don't smoke anywhere else either in presence of impressionable children.
5. Don't ask the barbers to do something on you that you would not do on others. I shall not pollute this print space with the names or details of these actions, but I'm sure you understand what type of actions I'm referring to. It disgusts others, and is very unpleasant to the eye, even inside the peripheral vision.
6. Tip generously. Most men tend to go to one particular “saloon” and get haircut from one particular barber for successive years. If you are one of them, I would suggest you tip the barber generously after the haircut. Otherwise, they will probably not cut your hair properly the next time. However, don't go overboard with the tipping, or they'll take you for granted.
Pro Tips:
* Ask for massages at your own risk. These barbers may be pro at stylising your hair or beard, but they are not pro masseurs. Although there usually aren't any accidents, doesn't mean there can't be one.
* If the barber is constantly glancing at the TV, politely ask him to focus on your hair. We don't want a mishap, do we?
Now that we have established the dos and don'ts of a “saloon”, I hope we can make the barbershop a much more decent place to be in. Have a safe and stylish haircut!
Comments