The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-11-19
He THINKS TIRED MEN
SHOULD OCCUPY SEATS
observer" Says Women of
Leisure Should Avoid Crowd.
ed Street Cars.

Recently story was printed that
Salt Lake men act in rude man
| ner on street cars and refuse to give
up their seats TO women a Tribune
render submits the following on the
subject:
g It seems TO ME there is something
to be said in behalf of the men. Why
do women not avoid, so far as possible,
being caught down town, and being
Obliged to go home on the cars during
the rush hours, either at noon or even.
lngf In most cases Il refer to the
leisure class of women, with a little
forethoughr and planning, they could
take an earlier car, thus avoiding the
unpleasantDess incident TO the crowded
car and the feeling that some man,
tired from long hours in store, bank or
olhce, or the weary laboring man with
his dInner-pail had relinquished fine
seat for which no had paid, to give it
TO her, All too often she forgets to
thank him for the courtesy when it is
extended, or says Thank you in
perfunctory manner, without a smile or
look of appreciation, accepting the sac
rihce as her due.
'There are some women in our city
who are so rude, the mere recollection
of whose street-car manners makes
one S cheeks burn with modification. I
was a passenger on a Second South
street car one day Inst week, where
there were at least three seats with
only one person in each, when two beau
tifullv dressed young women boarded
the car. Evidently they did not wish
TO be separated. so they proceeded to
the front of the car where four men
sat facing one another, two of whom
rose at once, giving the young women
their places.
"If' they thanked the men their fel-
low. passengers did not hear 1t, II was
evidently not TO their liking that their
dainty apparel should be brought into
facing them, so they proceeded TO stare
them out of the seat, which was soon
accomplished.
Il am sorry TO say that | have seen
women occupying the middle of a seat.
as complacently as if seated in their
own carriages. utterly oblivious TO the
fact that both men and women were
hanging TO straps. Another class of
apparently thoughtless women, TO say
children who will hold two seats and
pay one fare. While on this subject,
why is 1t that the street.car manage
ment does not instruct conductors to
collect fare from all occupying seats,
especially when there are either men
or women standlng9
ga few evenings ago the writer en-
tered a car which was full except for
one place. which was occupied By a
large bundle, The woman was politely
requested TO make room by holding the
parcel, which she declined to do, and
the conductor did not compel her to
do it. Instead man opposite offered
his seat l use the street cars great
deal and I have never observed the
least discourtesy from the men Of Salt
Lake. Here, as in no other city, you
Will see men stand back until all the
women waiting have passed into the
car, before they even attempt TO enter:
''If a man, after working hard all
day, does not give up his sent, many
women and girls try the stare act,
going only two blocks. not even thank
ing the gentleman who gives up his
seat. 1t is not the employed women,
those whose duties make it necessary
for them to be on the cars Mt the rush
hours who cause the mon to feel ag
grieved for having to yield their seats
Of they do), but the society girls and
women who seem TO have nothing par
ticuar to do but to stay down town
to CAD. shop, make mash, or rubber
in store windows. 1t is these who seem
to have no regard for tired men who
pay for their seats in tho street cars,
and should be entitled to keep them
without being considered rude or called
seat hogs. AN OBSERVER.