Etiquette Lessons
So, a funny thing happened Friday night.
As I wrote in my last entry, I went to dinner with three friends Friday, to celebrate one’s birthday. The prettier half of the married couple, actually, L. To make things easier, I ran by their apartment and rode with them to A’s apartment. As per usual, I snuck past the security gate behind someone else and popped up to their apartment to visit for a moment before we left to gather up our last gustatory adventurer.
We walked down to their car and I went around to the rear passenger-side door via the back of the car. I watched with growing horror as the couple parted, J going to the driver’s seat and L going, by herself, to the front passenger side door. She opened her door and let herself in. I sat down behind her.
“So, you guys have been married for a long time now, haven’t you?” I asked, knowing that it had been less than a year.
“What do you mean?” J asked me as his wife started to laugh. “What?”
“I think he was asking why you didn’t open the door for me.”
That scene repeated several times before J was finally shamed into opening his wife’s door for her.
You try to raise them right, but these kids today…
Advice from your Uncle Jim:
"We have nothing to fear but fear itself."
--Franklin Delano Roosevelt
I’m starting to wonder if chivalry is indeed dead….
Comment by Kristie — 4/14/2008 @ 9:23 pm
Wow, you ARE a gentleman from a long time ago. I think I would probably be confused as to why the guy was coming on the same side of the car as I was. Sad isn’t it?
Comment by laanba — 4/14/2008 @ 9:43 pm
Well, I have to admit, she seemed perfectly comfortable with it and I am a little old-fashioned. Of course, I also hold the door for almost anyone, male or female.
Though I’m a Northerner, my grandmother taught me most of my manners. Well, most of the good manners, at least. She’d have cracked me in the shin with her cane if she heard I hadn’t gotten the door for my “lady friend”. I find it hard to resist pulling out chairs at restaurants and that kind of thing, too.
Last of a dying breed, I am. 😉
Comment by the Network Geek — 4/14/2008 @ 10:04 pm
Dying breed indeed. Would you mind cloning yourself or perhaps giving some classes to the “modern man”.
Comment by laanba — 4/20/2008 @ 6:14 pm