Holding the door open??

Yeah, door-opening leads to a whole new world..

Indeed.

i usually make an obvious effort to shut the door faster so they have to completely open it by themselves.

You know, Walter, I was precisely thinking about that picture when I posted..

i only do this with people i like know and respect

i prefer automatiic doors , that way there isn't all the fumbling about opening the door , who goes first ... it's get's really quirky when there is a set of double-doors :wink:

do you push yourself past the other person to open the second door too ? ... it can get awkward !

I hate revolving doors. Over the years I have almost convinced myself that the door behind me won't really bite my heels...

But the other problem is oafs that get in behind you and push too fast. OK, I go slower than you want to. How long is it gonna take, really, for me to clear the door at my speed and THEN you can race thru???

One-a these days, I'm going to stop short when that happens, turn, and watch the idiot break his nose...

Wow.
I never thought about it.

I just do it.
I was always taught to do that. And to give people a hand with heavy things
and say hello
and smile
and to not crowd people in the grocery store line
and thank those who help you


Holding the door is just something YOU DO. it shouldnt have to be taught to people ya know?

i think it gets funny when two - or more people - start saying : "after you ! " - "no , please go ahead " ... and finally they all plow ahead at the same time . :wink:

Wasn't an Asian - I was waiting at the elevator and this other young man and woman come over and start waiting as well. When the elevator door opened (even though I was closer and the young man was with this other woman), he walked in first. I thought it completely rude. Then when they were getting off he did the same thing.

I don't necessarily expect a man to make a huge deal to ensure a woman goes first, but in this case he "broke" both rules of etiquette - stepping in front of some one else and not allowing a lady to enter first. I guess it is also shocking as I notice on this particular elevator that men almost always let the woman go first.

And I do feel like a heel when I don't hold a door open for some one behind me. Recently this happened when the door slipped from my reach - I did apologize to the person behind me.

I don't think most of this stuff is a huge deal - however, doesn't having a little bit of etiquette make everything just a little nicer and more pleasant?

Now here is another question (as I do the same thing), if the person starts hurrying because you are holding the door and waiting, do you tell them to take their time or do you hope when they are not hurrying that they move their a$$?

And if the reverse happens, do you hurry?

Then you run into the problem if you are a man - do you go in first to get the doors moving (making it easier for the woman) or do you let them go first like in other situations?

This whole revolving door thing is what made me break up with my imaginary bf.

like shewolf said, it's just something you do. Beyond saying to your child a couple of times as a lesson to "hold the door open for the nice lady or gentelman" I never thought it was something that adults had to be made aware of.


Linkat, when someone does what you describe, I wonder to myself "what are they thinking?" Then I realize "they're not"

This is what I was talking about on Ony's parking/driving ettiquette thread. So many people just seem to be oblivious to their surroundings. I personally can't fathom not glancing behind yourself when opening a door, to see if anyone else is there. It's not even a conscious thought. You just DO it.

A couple of years ago, there was a large-ish business on another floor of my office building. Apparantly a requirement of working there was that you smoked. I am privileged to have a window that covers the entire wall of my office, so I'd notice most of the day there were never less than 3 or 4 people taking smoke breaks. To my eyes, they looked like a bunch of cows out there chewing their cud, staring stupidly into space.

One day, I had to bring a handcart out to my car to bring in a lot of bulky boxes. While I was unloading my trunk, the people standing there all slowly turned in my direction, watching me. Just like cows do.

They watched me load the handcart, put a couple of bags over my arms, close my trunk, and manuver around them (they were in a loosely knit herd in my direct path to the door, no one thought to mooooooove).

When I got to the door, about 15 feet beyond them, I had to stop the cart from rolling away, hold the bags or put them down, and get the door open enough to fit the cart through, without getting stuck.

I've got the cart halfway in when I couldn't stand it any longer. I stopped, looked at them gazing at me, pointed my finger out, counting them off and said "One...two...three...four....five. There FIVE of you standing there a few feet away, and not ONE of you can come over here and hold the door for me."

Only one guy suddenly became conscious, and stepped towards me. By then I gave the cart a good shove through and just said "never mind"

What important stuff are people thinking about that they don't have enough mental power left over for an unconscious act?

They are totally self absorbed and unaware of their surroundings.

These are the types that get eaten by mountain lions when you take them out for a nature hike.

I don't expect men to hold a door open for me but I do appreciate it when they do. I did think it was really wierd one day, I was walking up some stairs with a male co-worker; I was in the lead, he ran up ahead of me, opened the door and walked through first.
My first thought was " Oh, how nice of him to run up ahead to get the door" but to find that he just wanted to get there first.

Yeah - this was what I was getting at about the elevator - not that I necessarily expected him to hold the door and let me pass, but he purposedly walk in front of us both to get in first.

Most of these are people raised by liberal thinkers who taught them only self importantce without any discipline.

Do us all a favor. Spank your little brats and teach them how to behave, and teach them manners while you have their attention.

It all starts at home. Dump your nanny government.

OK - When I go home tonight, the spankings will begin!

Good, maybe they won't get eaten by lions on their next field trip.

It helps to pay attention.