>>> AND NOW TO OUR SERIES "MANNERS ON THE MOVE," WE'RE
TAKING A CLOSER LOOK AT CIVILITY ACROSS AMERICA.
>> THOMAS FARLEY IS GETTING A LITTLE NEIGHBORLY THIS MORNING.
NICE TO SEE YOU. >> GOOD MORNING.
>> ARE YOU READY? >> WE CERTAINLY ARE.
GOOD MORNING. TODAY WE ARE HEADING TO AUSTIN,
TEXAS, ONE OF AMERICA'S FASTEST GROWING CITIES.
THE RISING POPULATION THERE IS REALLY PUTTING SOUTHERN
HOSPITALITY TO THE TEST. BUT WE MET ONE WOMAN WHO IS
TURNING THE TABLES ON THE BARRIERS THAT SET US APART.
WHEN DID OUR NEIGHBORHOODS GET FILLED WITH STRANGERS?
WHEN DID WE GET TOO BUSY TO GET TO KNOW PEOPLE LIVING RIGHT NEXT
DOOR? KRISTEN SHELL IS RAISING FOUR
CHILDREN IN AUSTIN, TEXAS. BUT FOUND LITTLE COMMUNING IN
HER COMMUNITY. >> WHAT I WAS NOTICING IS WE
WOULD WAVE, YOU KNOW, AND GIVE A FRIENDLY HI, BUT THE GARAGE
DOORS WOULD GO UP AND GARAGE DOORS WOULD GO DOWN AND PEOPLE
DISAPPEAR INSIDE. >> Reporter: SO SHE DID
SOMETHING DRASTIC, SHE PAINTED A PICNIC TABLE TURQUOISE AND PUT
IT IN HER FRONT YARD. >> THIS IS A HYPOTHESIS.
WHAT IF WE MOVED ORDINARY ACTIVITIES WE WERE ALREADY DOING
BUT MOVE THEM IN THE FRONT YARD AND LIVE IN A MORE VISIBLE WAY?
>> PEOPLE WERE CURIOUS. PRETTY SOON NEIGHBORS WHO CAME
OVER TO ASK ABOUT THE TABLES WERE ASKING TO PUT THEM IN THEIR
OWN FRONT YARDS. YOU CAN SEE THEM ON THE LAWNS
ALL ACROSS THE NEIGHBORHOOD. FROM THERE IT BECAME A MOVEMENT
OF FRONT YARD PEOPLE, WHICH SHE DOCUMENTED IN HER NEW BOOK.
KRISTEN SAYS THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF TURQUOISE TABLES ACROSS 40
STATES. KRISTEN MAY BE ONTO SOMETHING,
AND THE MOST RECENT PUPILS, ONLY FOUR IN TEN AMERICANS SAY THEY
KNOW ALL OR MOST OF THEIR NEIGHBORS.
AND FEWER IN FIVE IN TEN SAY THEY TRUST THEM.
SO WE PUT KRISTEN'S IDEA TO THE TEST TO TRY TO START A
CONVERSATION ON MANNERS BY SETTING UP A TABLE AT A BUSY
OUTDOOR MARKET. >> I THINK THE PAST FIVE HOUSES
I HAVE LIVED AT I HAVEN'T KNOWN MY NEIGHBORS.
>> DO YOU KNOW HALF YOUR NEIGHBORS BY NAME PROBABLY?
>> THAT WOULD BE ABOUT RIGHT. >> AND THE OTHER HALF, YOU JUST
DON'T KNOW THEM? >> WELL, I WAVE TO THEM BUT
DON'T REALLY KNOW THEM. >> THERE SEEMS TO BE A
DISCONNECT. MANY BLAME THE CONNECTION TO OUR
DEVICES AND SOCIAL MEDIA. >> WE ARE JUST BURIED IN
COMMUNICATING THROUGH THEIR PHONES AND COMPUTERS AS OPPOSED
TO HANGING OUT ON THE FRONT PORCH AND TRYING TO LET THE KIDS
RUN OUTSIDE. >> SOCIAL MEDIA IS IN PLACE
INSTEAD OF HAVING CONVERSATION FACE TO FACE.
>> WE ARE STARTING A MOVEMENT TO TRY TO BRING BACK THAT SENSE OF
COMMUNITY, IS IT POSSIBLE? >> OH, I THINK IT IS POSSIBLE.
I THINK IT IS PROBABLE. IT SEEMS LIKE FAMILIARITY OF
DIFFERENT GROUPS IN THE U.S. RIGHT NOW, AND TO ME ALL THAT
MEANS IS EVENTUALLY IT'S GOING TO COME BACK TOGETHER.
>> BUT SOME SEE TECHNOLOGY AS A TOOL TO KEEP THE PEACE.
>> WE HAVE EACH OTHERS NUMBERS TO SEND A MESSAGE TO SAY, THE
PARTY IS GETTING TOO LOUD AND MY KIDS ARE TRYING TO GO TO SLEEP,
CAN WE TURN THE MUSIC DOWN? >> BUT IT CAN ALSO LEAD TO
CONFUSION. >> WE OFTEN MISINTERPRET WHAT IS
BEING SAID TO US BECAUSE THERE'S NO INFLECTION.
YOU CAN COMMUNICATE ME TO E-MAIL AND I CAN TAKE OFFENSE TO IT.
BUT IF YOU COMMUTE TO ME FACE TO FACE, I CAN READ YOUR BODY
LANGUAGE AND WE KNOW IT'S OKAY. >> WE ASKED IF THERE ARE ISSUES
WHERE WE CAN HELP. >> HOW DO YOU APPROACH YOUR
NEIGHBOR AND SAY, BY THE WAY, CAN YOU APPLY SOME SEALANT TO
YOUR FENCE SO OUR FENCE DOESN'T FALL DOWN?
>> SOMETHING WE NOTICE A LOT IN MY CONVERSATIONS WITH PEOPLE IS
THEY VERY OFTEN DON'T APPROACH A NEIGHBOR ABOUT AN ISSUE SUCH AS
THIS, THEY KEEP IT INSIDE AND TELL THEIR FRIENDS BUT DON'T
APPROACH THE NEIGHBOR. YOU'RE NODDING, SO I'M I'M GUES
THIS IS THE CASE HERE. >> YES.
>> IF YOU CAN MAKE IT A COMMUNAL ACTIVITY, BUY A SEALANT
TOGETHER, MAKE A DAY OF IT, PUT THE SEALANT ON OR HIRE SOMEBODY
TO DO IT AND SHARE THE EXPENSE. I THINK THAT'S A NICE WAY OF
COMING TOGETHER. >> GOOD IDEA.
I DIDN'T THINK ABOUT THAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> FENCES CAN MAKE FOR GOOD NEIGHBORS BUT MAYBE A TURQUOISE
TABLE CAN BRING THEM TOGETHER. >> WE HAVE TO SLOW DOWN AND
REMEMBER, MOMMA WAS ALWAYS RIGHT, MIND YOUR MANNERS.
>> AND YOU HAVE GOOD TIPS FOR US.
>> I DO, SAVANNAH. FOR STARTERS, WE WANT TO SAY BE
AN AMBASSADOR FOR YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
DON'T LET FIVE YEARS GO BY BEFORE THE PEOPLE MOVE OUT
BEFORE YOU GET TO KNOW THEM. GIVE THEM SUBTLE TIME BUT STOP
BY, EXCHANGE CONTACT INFORMATION FOR THEM TO REACH OUT TO YOU.
SECOND, BE VISIBLE. AS WE SAW WITH KRISTIN, SHE'S
OUT IN HER FRONT YARD, THE KIDS ARE PLAYING OUT THERE, SHE'S
MEETING JOGGERS, SHE'S MEETING DOG WALKERS, THIS IS THE BEST
WAY TO GET TO KNOW THE PEOPLE. IF YOU ARE IN THE BACKYARD, YOU
WILL NEVER GET TO KNOW YOUR COMMUNITY.
AND LAST, GATHER. SO ONCE A YEAR, EVERY SIX
MONTHS, ORGANIZE SOME SORT OF GET-TOGETHER FOR THE
NEIGHBORHOOD, WHETHER IT IS A COMMUNITY CLEAN-UP, IN MY
NEIGHBORHOOD THEY DO A TREE PLANTING PROJECT WHERE PEOPLE
PLANT TULIPS. EVEN IN NEW YORK CITY.
SO IT DOESN'T MATTER WHERE YOU LIVE, THERE'S A WAY TO EMBRACE
THE LESSONS. >> WE DO A BLOCK PARTY RIGHT IN
FRONT. KIDS, FAMILIES, YOU GET A CHANCE
TO TALK, MINGLE. >> AND I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE
LOOK AT THEIR NEIGHBORS AND SAY, THEY SPEND ALL THEIR TIME AWAY
FROM THE PUBLIC IN THE BACKYARD SO THEY MUST WANT PRIVACY.
MAYBE THEY JUST HAVEN'T BEEN INVITED TO ANYTHING.
>> THAT'S IT. KRISTIN MADE A LIST WHERE SHE
SAID, RED HOUSE, PERSON WITH YOGA PANTS.
I DON'T KNOW HALF THE PEOPLE. LET ME GET TO KNOW THEM.
AND THIS IS THE RESULT. >> IT SEEMS LIKE WHEN WE WERE
KIDS WE KNEW EVERY NEIGHBOR, EVERYBODY AROUND US.
>> YES. >> EVERYBODY KNEW YOU.
>> THANK YOU. >> THERE'S MORE ON TODAY.COM
INCLUDING WAYS TO CHALLENGE YOURSELF TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE
CIVIL. KEEP SHARING YOUR