Evening star., 1941-07-14
Masculine
Headgear
Queries
Remove Hat When
Talking to Lady
In Elevator
By Emily Post

The following paragraph Is In
cluded in one of my printed slips,
called Manners ON the Street"
which as you very likely know, you
may have upon sending a self
addressed and stamped (3-cent)
envelope with your request in care
of The Evening Star. "A gentle
man takes off his hat when a lady
enters the elevator of a hotel or
apartment house, because these
buildings are dwellings. But he
may properly keep it on in the ele-
vator of an Office building or a
store because these places are con-
sidered as belonging in the same
category as subway trains and
buses, railroad stations. etc" (This,
OF course, means walking or stand
Ing in the presence of a strange lady.
He naturally takes of his hat when
standing beside one whom he
knoWs.)
A young business woman believes
1t possible that their Office building
may be the exception, and the reason
she gives is this quotation from her
letter: "Our building Is occupied
entirely by our own company and
many of us who ride up and down
together know each other very well.
The confusion therefore when a
dozen men, crowded close together
like a full tin of sardines and
thrusting their elbows into each
others eyes in their effort to take
of their hats, is constant source
Of complaint and not a little ri
diculous"
Admittedly gentleman is ex-
pectec to hold his hat in his hand
for so long as he stands talking
with lady, no matter where. But
In really crowded business ele-
vator, such as you describe, 1t
might be eXcusable If house
rule were made that all the men
keep on their hats, since this is,
of course, correct when an ele-
vator is occupied by strangers. The
rule to be made IS merely in the
case where one man, talking with
a business woman, holds his hat
In his hand, all of the others
should understand that they who
are not talking with women may
keep theirs on. In other words,
1 agree with my reader that when
the elevator is half empty gentle
man would instinctively take off his
hat while talking with a lady Che
couldn't help it,, but if he turned
away from her to talk to a man
he would tjust as instinctively) put
his hat on again, exactly as he
would were they in the street.
Dear Mrs. Post: Will you write
something about tipping the at
tendants at roadside gas station?
go to the same station most of
the time and have jobs done for
which. there is customarily no
charge. That is, air put in the
tires, windshield cleaned, and in
winter, chains put on, etc Some
how, feel guilty just saying Thank
YOU to the same young man all
the time, and yet I've gotten to
know him so we'll that now I heSi-
| tate to offer hin a tip. If you
think l could offer him something,
how much should ii be?
Answer: 1 think this is one of
those situations when the question
will you let me give you this?"
(as you proffer the money! saves
both you and him from embarTasS-
ment since he can say "No-please
not!' and refuse, or accept it and
say Thank you" The amount
should be at least a dollar, or if
you can afford it, more
Mrs. Post is sorry she can no
longer answer personal letters.
She is glad, however, to have
many printed slips on variety
of subjects to offer to her read
ers. Today's slip is Behavior
in Public Be sure to send a
3-cent stamped, elf-addressed
envelope with your request to
Mrs. Post, In care OF The Evening
Stan