From overland.com/hints:

The following are some hints given folks who went west on wagon trains, like our ancestors did. A few:

Don’t grease your hair before starting or dust will stick there in sufficient quantities to make a respectable ‘tater’ patch.

Don’t swear, nor lop over on your neighbor while sleeping. Don’t ask how far it is to the next station until you get there.

Never attempt to fire a gun or pistol while on the road, it may frighten the team; and the careless handling and cocking of the weapon makes nervous people nervous.

Don’t discuss politics or religion, nor point out places on the road where horrible murders have been committed.

If a team runs away, sit still and take your chances; if you jump, nine times out of ten you will be hurt.

Spit on the leeward side of the coach.   

The best seat inside a stagecoach  is the one next to the driver–you will get less than half the bumps and jars than on any other seat. When any old “sly Eph,” who traveled thousands of miles on coaches, offers through sympathy to exchange his back or middle seat with you, don’t do it.