Gustav Caillebotte's Paris: A Rainy Day, 1877Rain is an inevitability in the Greater Vancouver area. However, you can usually tell if a person is a tourist because you see them strolling in downtown Vancouver resplendent in rain gear. It isn't actually raining, but these people have on hooded water-repellent jackets, boots, gloves, and are carrying their umbrellas open. They don't seem to realise that the umbrella won't keep them dry because they're basically walking in a cloud of mist.
Locals walk briskly and keep under the stores' awnings and do a quick jog across the streets, even women in stiletto heels. They aren't even carrying an umbrella! And as a suburbanite, I seldom need to use an umbrella. I go to my car (where my umbrella is usually stored) and drive to wherever I'm going. I jog into the store or the doctor's office, do what needs doing, and walk quickly back to the car. I don't particularly like going for my exercise walks in the rain so I wait until I see the sky lightening up (I get a great view of the weather from my upstairs office window) and when the rain lets up, out I go. I can usually do 30 - 45 minutes of brisk walking before the rain starts up again.
However, if and when it does actually rain hard enough to open your umbrella, there are a few rules of etiquette that one should follow.
1. Stay away from the awnings. You already have something to keep you dry.
2. When passing other carriers, the taller person lifts, the shorter one scrunches down.
3. Before boarding the bus, shake your umbrella off. Never put your wet umbrella on a seat.
4. Always carry your closed umbrella in a vertical position. No one likes an umbrella tip in the butt or any other part of the body.
5. Make sure the metal tips of your open umbrella don't poke anyone, especially in the eyes.
6. If you're in Vancouver, be prepared to get wet.
Do any of you have a pet peeve relating to the use of umbrellas? Feel free to share.
15 comments:
I love rules of etiquette!!
Im more of a hood person!!
What's an umbrella? Only one person I ever heard of melted from getting wet.
Peace
mark
My main gripe is I can't use one! Sat in a wheelchair, riding my electric scooter, walking short distances with my walking stick - none of these situations are suited to umbrella carrying. I wear hats or get wet. Or stay indoors. Such as this week - two days gone and still it rains!
Shirl, yesterday I saw someone in a motorized wheelchair and they had an umbrella type of thing attached to the back of it. I thought to myself, "What a great idea!" It gives the person so much more freedom!
Casdok, yes there are lots of hood people around here, too. And I'll whip the hood up quickly instead of bothering with a brolly if nec.
Mark, love it! That is the one part I'd love to play if I were in the play! I used to creep my kids out when they were small by screaming the "I'm meeeeellllltttttiiiing" part.
My pet hates about umbrellas are :
1.I never seem to have one readily available because youngest daughter keeps borrowing them and either, forgets to return them, or leaves them on a bus.
2.Husband is pathalogically incapable of walking down the road with me, sharing an umbrella without holding it so that I have rain pouring down the back of my
my neck. Even if we share one of his many enormous umbrellas he still walks at two or three paces faster than I, so that I still get wet. He then grumbles because walking slowly makes his hips ache !
Bearing in mind "Ol Trubes`s" on-going Back problem, he`s jolly fortunate not having to push me along in a wheelchair, asas the case until recent changes to my medication.
3.I just hate umbrellas or brollys, as we call them in the UK.
Hope all is well in Vacouver Leslie and Jaclyn is still improving.
Di.xx
3.I hate umbrellas, but do love my husband and youngest daughter (of course)!
Leslie: I wonder if you have more rain in Vancouver than we do in the UK at present ? I think this precious little Island of ours is in danger of submerging completely
under the inundations of recent months.
Hope all are well and Jaclyn`s health is still on the mend.
Di.xx
Hate umbrellas when shopping, people can;t see you and inevitably bump into, also if you are in and out of shops they are a nuisance..up and down..arghhhh.
It is absolutely hammering down here...15th January 20.15.
Hope all is well over there.
Isn't the definition of a Vancouverite as someone who runs between the raindrops.
The funny part is that we all have these umbrellas in our cars, I have at least six. Short ones, long ones, folding ones. Then I have an umbrella stand full inside as well.
Yes, jmb, and we never use them, do we? lol
I love the rules...
I lived in Seattle for many years and what I noticed was that people gave up after awhile...
( I did...I was more of a Hat person....)
lovely post....
If you're in Swansea prepare to get wet!
Hi Leslie I seem to have managed to duplcate some of the text of my last post to you, oops I blame the Morphine....Good stuff eh ?
I not only hate umbellas I also detest coat hangers. I realise coat hangers have nothing to do with your Umbrella Post but just thought I`d share !
It`s still raining here, hope you`re keeping dry !
Di. xx
P.S. It seems that I can`t spell "duplicate" either. Dearie me!
Hi. Love that picture - always have. Here people look at me strangely when I get a fold-up mac out of my bag if there's an unexpected shower. Itals just shelter under an awning till it clears! I hate it in Britain when you get bashed by other people's umbrellas wherever you go!
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