Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-06-07
STREET CAR AMENITIES.
Does Women's Rudsness Make Men Dis
courteous?

| Does Womens Rudsness Make Men Dis
| courteous?
From the Boston Herald
THAT is the last time I'll do that p
Typograp hically. the emphasis laid
upon that sentence by the gentleman who
spoke it might be approximately ex.
pressed by a full line of capitals and trim
mings of exclamation points ad lbitum,
but no trick of the printer could throw
into the words anything commensurately
| symboilcal OF the anger which prompted
their utterance. They issued with hiss
from between the teeth of well-dressed,
well-mannered man, whose every appear
ance indicated gentility, and who had but
the moment before surrendered his seat in
a Back Bay horse car to a highly-dressed,
but lowly bred, woman, who had Just
stepped aboard.
'No, sir. As long as l am in Boston I'll
stick to every horse car seat drop into as
closely as a man with paralysis, and I'd
like to see the Boston woman who'll haunt
me out Of it with her eyes"
The man seemed determined TO hold an
Indignation meeting on the spot, and a
Herald reporter, who chung desperately to
the next strap, accepted the position of
Chairman and Secretary without formal
nomination or election.
II have been in Boston two weeks now,
and have ridden in the street cars dozen
times day during that time. | have
made it rule to relinquish my seat to
lady, regardless of age, color or previous
condition, but have discovered that ladies
do not ride in street cars in Boston, or. at
least ! have never run across one. If YOU
know anything about Boston, you will
probably believe me when | tell you that
| have never yet been thanked in words or
in looks by woman to whom | have given
up my seat, in this town. If | made that
statement in New York | would be set
down as prevaricator and cynic. The
first few days | was here thought most
of the men were inconsiderate Doors, be-
cause they held their seats and let the
women stand. Now, | realize that they
are justified in this course by the almost
inyariable rudeness of the women, and
they have won me over to their side, heart
and soul.
"Did YOU notice what that woman did
when offered her my seat Just now, or,
rather, what she didn't do? She looks
like lady, doesn't she? Perhaps she
thinks she is, but she is wofully lacking of
knowledge of how lady should act.
When | got up she didn't as much as
turn her head toward me, but pumped
herself down into that seat and seemed TO
be cautious lest some recognition of my
courtesy should escape her. She is no ex-
ception. There seems to be an unwritten
law with the Boston women that they
shall consider street car seats as their
rightful property, and that all men who
occupy them shall be treated as usurpers
A day or two ago young woman entered
a car in which all the seats were occupied.
| happened to be reading at the time, and
did not notice her until she moved up in
front of me. l jumped up promptly, and
she slid into the seat, and tnrned an ex-
preston upon me that said as plainly as
words could, What right had you to make
me stand so long? Didn't you know that
belonged to meT 1t is Just such actions
as these, which are the rule rather than
the exception, that bring about the con-
dition of things | witnessed on an Egles-
ton Square car a few evenings after my
arrival. Every seat was held by man,
and twenty women and three men stood
in the aisle.
II thought then that it was disgrace
full scene but now | understand that it
represented an earnest and effective pro
test en- the part of the men against the
treatment they have been subjected to.
Some men even go further than this. They
appropriate seat that is vacant whether
women are standing or not. That calls to
mind funny incident that happened in
belt line ear yesterday. A woman was
Just raising from a seat, apparently to
leave the car. On one side of her was
man, and ON the other woman, with
covetous eyes on the promised vacancy.
As their eyes met they OWNED each
others intent, and both pushed their ways
into the seat Just as the first woman
settled back again, having risen simply to
get a better view OF some one passing in
the street. As the man had made the
quickest movement he was planted on the
car bench, and had one woman on each
knee. Every one but the principals
giggled, and they looked discounted, ex-
cept the man, who calmly took up paper
and fixed his eyes on it. He held the seat
and the women held car straps the rest of
the journey.
"This matter may seem a trifiing thing
to make a row about, but it isn't. Men
have as much right to seats as women, and
they only surrender them out OF courtesy
to the sex. They feel amply repaid for
the concession when they receive simple
Thank you,' graciously expressed, or even
nod and pleasant look, that imply the
same thing. But when they are only snub-
bed and treated with disdain for their
pains, they feel as though they had been
cheated, and are righteously indignant. l
think the women of Boston should be pun
ished for their lack of consideration in
this respect, and to do it the men should
decide to enter into the contest for vacant
street-car seats on an equal basis with
women, and under no consideration relin-
quish their places as matter of courtesy"
The irregularly appointed Chairman
and Secretary found no occasion to inter-
rupt the speaker, and when the meeting
adjourned at the fremont Terminus res
olution had been unanimously adopted
making the gathering of two committee
of the whole to propagate the doctrine
that street-car seats are for those who get
possession of them, without regard to sex,
until further notice.
Mrs. JONES hasn't gray hair in her
head and is over so. She looks as young
aS her 6auphter The speret af IL Is that