It's strange how some behaviour can be viewed with indulgence in one country and regarded as offensive in another. Or how certain traditions demand our respect and are certainly worth emulating.

Let's start with the list of don'ts. In some places, the simple act of resting a bag or book on the bonnet or trunk of a car which doesn't belong to you can be viewed as undesirable behaviour. You might justify your action by arguing that you had just put it down for a minute while you shifted the weight of whatever you were carrying.

Or perhaps you had to stop to search for something in your handbag and, if you are a woman, nine times out of ten the desired item has decided to escape to a remote corner of the bag to evade capture. For someone from my country, the action would be unlikely to rouse anyone's ire. Unless of course you are my brother in law, who has this very proprietal instinct where his vehicles are concerned and woe betide anyone who so much as dares to sully their pristine appearance.

Elsewhere, you should beware. If it's not your car, then this can be construed as inappropriate behaviour. It just isn't done, I am told. I was told off in Wales for a similar offence committed while trying to find something in my handbag. You know what it's like, searching for something in the cavernous depths of such a receptacle. The person who gave me this etiquette lesson is also a good friend and was my host for that holiday. So, there was no way I could stage one of my hissy fits unless I wanted to be shown the door. After an initial reaction of surprise at how touchy people could be over such an insignificant issue, I realised that perhaps it would be wiser not to be so free with others' property.

On reflection, I could even understand why some people would be upset by strangers using their precious vehicle as a resting place.

Years later, when I started driving, I realised that I was just as manic about my car suffering abuse at the hands of others. One scratch was all it took to put me into a deep depression.

In many countries, it is considered completely normal for displays of affection aimed at children you might see in a public place even though you don't know them. So, one might reach out to pat a cheek or gently tug at a pigtail if you think that the kid is too cute to pass by without showing your appreciation. The parent usually responds with a gratified smile at this instinctive reaction to the child's natural charms. But I know that in some places, this impulse should be killed as soon as it is born and before it is translated into action. You don't want to be pulled up for child harassment.

Coming to the dos, as opposed to don'ts, what I found unusual and very refreshing on my first visit to a European country was the way everyone greeted everyone else in shops and restaurants. This show of goodwill definitely appealed to me and I made a mental note to try this ‘hail fellow well met' approach when I got back home although I could imagine the shock on the face of the person to whom I extended this courtesy.

The acknowledgement of one's presence is always heart-warming and is almost always certain to evoke a response. It's as infectious as a smile.

So, the next time I pass by your car, you can rest assured that I won't use it as a resting place for my personal possessions. And however adorable your kids may be, you can be sure I will keep my distance …