Umbrella etiquette

God knows that New York City is crowded, and as a New Yorker you have to share your space with a lot of other people. It's tough sometimes. Especially when it rains.

However - there are quite a few people out there who do not know the proper etiquette for umbrellas. Guys, please help us out here:

1 - Carrying huge golf umbrellas that keep you totally dry is nice for you, but it means that there's no room for the rest of us on the sidewalk. Golf umbrellas were invented for people who get stuck in rainstorms while they're out on the 12th hole and can't bear not to finish their game. Leave it in the golf bag - don't try to walk down Broadway with it.

2 - When you're getting on the subway - you must shut your umbrella before you begin your descent down the stairs. I know that you might have to get wet for about eight steps and I'm really sorry about it. I'm going to have to do it too. But the fact is, if you leave your umbrella up until the last possible minute, you're going to poke someone's eye out in that narrow staircase.

3 - When you're getting off the subway - you cannot put your umbrella up until you are at the top of the stairs. The same logic applies here as in rule #2 above.

4 - When riding the subway, bus or elevators after coming out of the rain, please use the handy dandy velcro thingy to wrap up your umbrella. Leaving it all hanging out in a crowded place means the rest of us get wetter and more annoyed, and again, you might poke us.

5 - When walking down the street with your umbrella - please be mindful of the people walking beside you or towards you with their umbrellas. Sometimes when two people are passing each other - one person needs to raise their umbrella or move over slightly. It's not okay to smack into other people with your umbrella - would you do that with your car when passing somone on the street?

Let's hope the rain goes away soon so that we can have a semi-peaceful commute home tonight. Happy Friday all.