Whenever I’ve been to a buffet, I’ve noticed how poor the manners of those in the queue are.I’ve been to events that had a buffet that I could only dream about. I have also been to those that made me wish I’d settled for a simple snack for lunch. Still, regardless of the class of said buffet, it all comes down to how you approach it.So before you rush to pile your plate with five kilos of chicken thighs, you could as well try to consider that you don’t have to always eat just because there is food to be eaten. That’s the first commandment of the buffet.I am sure many are already cringing at the mere thought of this suggestion, but despite being a fan of food, I’m not a fan of “eating all.” Nothing is more irritating than watching a buffet slowly degenerate into a show of who is ruder than the other; people fighting to scoop that last miserable chicken wing, as if the restaurant is not going to refill the pans. Don’t pile up your plate so high that it looks like you are trying to recreate the highest peaks of the Virunga Volcanoes on a plate!To begin with, piling your plate to the brim is one of the sure ways to land you face first on the floor, of course splattering your mountain of meatballs and pottage on other diners more decent than you.Hygiene, hygiene, hygiene!How many times have you witnessed people reaching for the food with their shirt sleeves and cufflinks dipping into the sauce? Many, in my case. Even worse, I have seen people using their fingers to pick their salad while pretending not to see the salad tongs provided for the same job. What about that totally inconsiderate and uncouth guy who likes to have a taste of each dish before he heaps it on his plate?Need we say more?
